Blueshift

Blueshift Chapter Thirty Five (NC-17)
Disclaimers Apply

A/N Goddess Foxfeather, Queen of Mad Plotbunnies, BUSIEST WOMAN ALIVE ™, Prophetic Muse, Hamster Witch and Uberbeta… *bouncy* About a week! InterNutter, TC, Maxwell Pink and Dracena are loverly and wondermous for archiving/hosting! :) ProPhile: Thanks! Morgan: *GLOMP * Readers/Reviewers: Okay, there’s going to be about three updates while I’m gone, hopefully out every other day-ish. AFFN will be updated when I come back on the 4th. Wheeeee.

Todd gratefully took the proffered cup of hot cocoa and downed it quickly, wincing as he felt it burn it’s way down his tongue and throat. The blankets tucked around him were almost too warm but he did not mind. He felt safe, he found, and he could feel his toes. “Thanks,” he muttered, handing the mug back to Jubilee. “Man… I feel like shit warmed over.”
Jubilee snorted and sat down carefully, Solange in her lap, in the armchair across from the sofa. “What the fuck happened?” She shifted and pressed the pacifier to Solange’s seeking hands, not even glancing down at the baby, so used to it was she now. “I mean… Rogue’s all freaking out in the bathroom, Logan’s muttering about amphibians and the Professor looks like someone just ran over his dog. What the fuck?”
Todd snorted. “Dunno… I was just sort of there then…” he snapped his fingers. “Out of it.” He eyed the empty mug sadly. “It was like I was asleep or somethin’ but I couldn’t control it…” His eyes got wide and his jaw dropped for a moment before he closed it with a snap. “Fuck me… Lance and Amara!”
Jubilee blinked and cocked her head to one side. “What about them?” She set Solange down to crawl and leaned forward to peer at Todd. “Amara’s upstairs in her room and Lance is probably with her. Her CD player’s been going since about six am, it seems. That weird music she likes, sounds like someone chanting or something…”
Todd struggled free of his blankets, tripping over his own feet as he tried to stand. “Shit fuck god damn son of a BITCH!” he shouted, getting to his feet in a flurry of elbows and knees and blankets. “They’re not here! Didn’t anyone check?” He was still wobbly on his feet, trying to make it to the study door, behind which the Professor and his guests were ensconced. “They’re not HERE!”
Jubilee groaned to herself and, scooping up Solange, moved to get between Todd and the door. “Dude, look, you’re had a really craptastic morning. Go lay down, have a hallucination, and I’ll get Beast, kay?” She pressed the palm of her hand against his chest, trying to push him gently back into the rec room. “It’ll be fine…”
“No,” he growled, showing a temper rarely visited upon friends. “Move out of my way or I’ll move you myself!” He tensed, ready to leap or kick.
“Now, now,” she smiled tightly. “Wouldn’t hit a woman with a baby, would you?” She moved her hand back, showing a faint plasma-glow growing in her palm. Behind her, the door to the study open and a silence thick as honey poured out. She did not turn around but said loudly, “Go lay down, Todd. Amara and Lance are fine. You’re out of your fucking gourd.”
“Jubilee,” Storm’s voice cut through her indignation, “Go put Solange in her crib and rejoin us here in the study. Immediately.” She stepped into the girl’s line of vision, her expression grim and tired. “Todd,” she added, merely pointing into the study.
Jubilee turned as Todd trundled past her, his own face set in lines of anger and frustration, and glanced into the study. Four tall, pale figure stood near the bookcase, very still and silent, staring back at her. “Whoa,” she muttered. “Didn’t know we had newbies…”
“Go, Jubilee. Get Remy while you’re up there.” Storm returned her attention to Kitty and Kurt, who were standing nearest her. “Kitty, you have your task. Go to it. Kurt, please call Warren and let him know his presence is requested immediately, as is Betsy’s. His cell number is in the blue phone book in the library.”
Kurt nodded and vanished, reappearing in the library, already moving towards the desk. Mark had left several books and print outs on his desk, obviously in a hurry to see the Professor, judging by his entrance into the library. Kurt sat down and began going through the drawers where he knew the phone books of important numbers were hidden away from prank-minded students. _Black, red, purple… ha! Blue! _ He sat back and began flipping through the pages, wondering if he was listed as Warren or by his code name, when something on the desktop caught his eye. “Was?” he breathed, instantly abandoning his search for a phone number and leaning forward to peer at the open books on the desk. It had likely been unintentional but three books were laid out in such a way that the images made a triptych. The first picture was of Magneto as a much younger man. It was obviously some sort of scrap book, not meant for mass publication. He stood, his hands folded in front of him, staring at the camera in obvious boredom. Behind him, it looked like the open door to a laboratory. The picture on the far left was of another man Kurt had only seen briefly. It was obviously an old photo, judging by the clothing. It was sepia-toned and very posed, the caption “Doctor Nathaniel Essex--1837” scrolling beneath the stiff image. It was the center picture which made Kurt’s heart lurch in his chest. The two of them together, both in middle years, it seemed. “Eric and Nathaniel, Krakow, 1955.” Kurt shoved himself back from the desk, his hands shaking slightly. “Coincidence, it has to be…”
“What does?”
Kurt gasped and jerked as Mark’s voice moved smoothly across the room. “Um, nothing… nothing at all!” Kurt grabbed the blue phone book and vanished, leaving Mark alone.
The librarian moved to his desk and glanced down at the books he had left open. “Well, hell,” he muttered to himself. He had not meant to leave such evidence about but he could not blame the boy for looking. He had been sent to perform a task and he had done so. Kurt could not help but see what was plainly before him, even if it was on someone else’s desk. Mark felt the beginnings of a new headache and sighed, wishing he had paracetamol handy.1 He shut the books and took off his glasses, closing his eyes for a moment to gather his thoughts. _First things first. Aliens. Then Magneto. Did I just say aliens? And mean it? _ He sighed. _At least it’s not gods. _
1 Yeah, don’t get a lot of that here. Gooooooooood stuff, lol.