Sins of the Father

Sins of the Father Chapter Fifty (NC-17)
Disclaimers Apply

A/N Goddess Foxfeather, Queen of Mad Plotbunnies, BUSIEST WOMAN ALIVE (tm), Prophetic Muse, Hamster Witch and Uberbeta... Just when you think it's safe, I get the spastic conductor image again... InterNutter, TC, Maxwell Pink and Dracena are sticky goodness for archiving/hosting. :) ProPhile is around here somewhere... *pokes * Morgan, too... *pokes twice * Readers/Reviewers: Soonish, I'll catch up on all the side bits (yes, ProPhile, even WWC!) and everything will be up to date, lol. But for now, a new chapter so yay, lol. Thank you so much for reading/reviewing!!!

Jamie was nauseated. Even the idea of taking a sip of water made the bile rise in his throat. He was afraid to find out what would happen should he have multiples just then-the sheer mental image of that potential mess made his stomach turn another somersault or two. He had finally managed a blessed state of solitude at this the early side of late, the mansion settling into an uneasy sort of rest. He had no idea where all of the adults had gone to but the rest of the residents had gone on some sort of autopilot, doing chores in a numbed silence that comes with confusion, doing homework as if they were being watched over then going to bed without being told. Jamie wondered briefly if Jean and the Professor and maybe Emma had some sort of telepathic command going on over the younger, newer students but quickly abandoned that notion as he realized the students were far too nervous to have been receiving any sort of orders or directions. They were so busy watching each other for cues that he nearly missed the fact they were also watching him, him and the other older students who had been left behind by fortune or design.
His sickened wanderings had taken him from the kitchen to his room and finally to the front study where he could see the long drive leading from the gate. He was alone and pleased, to say the least. He could not stand Paige giving him that 'poor baby' look or Sam's strange silences. Theresa and Jono were a bit better. They at least acknowledge there was some sort of problem and a big one at that. That was hours ago, though, and now, he was glad to be alone. The window glass was cool against his forehead as he stared out onto the swath of graveled drive stretching to the smooth concrete of the circular drive for guests, few though they were. All he could see in his mind's eye was different versions of some silent struggle with Rahne as the victim, carted away by ostensibly the three new students, the ones who had vanished with his friends. Every time he thought he had reached the limits of his fevered imaginings, a new scenario would emerge, more disturbing than the last. In none of them did Logan return with her, and in all of them, she was lost to him forever not just as a potential lover but as a friend, a companion and more importantly, as herself. A distant rumble of thunder crunched the sky somewhere towards the bay and he sank onto the window seat to stare at the silvered gravel, the full moon overhead washing the world of color. His anger twisted inside him, mating with fear to produce a state near shock and panic, futility coating all he thought and wished for. Everything was on lockdown... He could not even steal one of the cars even if he wanted to, even if he had the ability to. The security systems had been set to their most sensitive levels for most of the evening, until the coming bad weather had sent a flurry of leaves across the sensors and resulted in the wild eruption of claxons and alarms enough to wake the dead. Now, they were dialed down to normal levels but the physical protection was noticeably higher. The Professor's periodic mental sweeps were nearly tangible, and Scott was stationed in the rec room, his eagle eyes seeing and knowing intent almost uncannily.
Jamie found himself on his feet again, pacing. The wind outside began whipping the trees so hard that branches were creaking, but he paid it no mind. He was used to feeling useless and insignificant, but it did not mean that he liked it. He could have saved her, he thought. He would have if he had been there. But where was he? Playing video games with St John and Bobby... Jamie stopped mid-stride and stared at some spot more inward than outward. As quickly as the notion had overtaken him, it was replaced with despair. Even if he could get one of them to go along with him, he had no idea where they would be going... At that wallowing moment, his relative peace was shattered by Todd, entering the room like a thief, sidling through the door and shutting it silently behind him before looking up to notice Jamie was already occupying the space. "I'll leave," the younger teenager sighed.
"Nah, I'll go..." Todd shrugged diffidently. "Squatter's rights, yo." He shrugged again and turned to leave.
Jamie blinked. In the sliver of moonlight bisecting the room, he had seen Todd's face. It was flushed as if he had been exerting himself and his eyes were slightly swollen. "You've been crying." It was not a question but a blunt statement. It felt weird to think of Todd as having emotions other than smug, angry and affectionate, at least towards Rogue.
"Allergies," he snapped, straightening stiffly out of his usual slump to glare with watery eyes at Jamie. "What're you doing, skulking around in here?"
"Thinking," he shot back shortly. "Logan's been gone too long..."
"Then they're bein' hard to find." Todd sighed and winced at his own flippant tone. "Sorry," he mumbled. "I hate this... this was gonna be a better place than the boardinghouse, ya know? But ever since I been here, all it's been is one damned thing after another."
"I thought they were supposed to protect us," Jamie murmured in a low tone. "But they took her right in front of the house, ten steps from the front door..."
Todd's expression became mutinously thoughtful. "You feel like a midnight run, yo?"
"Huh?"
He glanced at the door behind him as if expecting to see the Professor there, looking on. Hurriedly, Todd said, "They ain't tellin' us shit here but I know someone who'll tell us, even if it's just to piss us off."
"Who?"
"Mystique." Todd seemed loathe to say the name, but he jerked his chin in sharp defiance, daring Jamie to refuse him.
"Why should she tell us the truth? And how do you know she even knows what the truth is?" He wanted to scream but managed to restrain himself to just a frustrated noise low in his throat.
"She's got herself a line on every low down, dirty deed done in the tri state area, if not further. You much of a climber?"
Jamie blinked and followed Todd per force. "No...why?"
"Getting' out of here's gonna be a bitch if you're not."