Disclaimer: The X-men characters mentioned in the story below belong to the highly talented group of Marvel. Any other characters mentioned belong to me.
Rating: Language is occasionally strong and scenes of violence.
Note: Italic text in open and close speech marks (eg. ‘Who the hell?’ ) is mental thought/speech. Blue text describes flashbacks
WARNING: Rating 18+ Readers ONLY. Contains strong language
and references of abuse. You have been duly warned. Do no read if you think you may be offended. Only you know what
offends you, so please consider carefully before continuing. Reader discretion
is strongly encouraged.
Comments
are welcomed by readers
Confiding: A
Start
“How are our patients Hank?” Asked professor Xavier.
“Besides still being asleep, Miss Benson is fine. It just seems she’s neglected to give her body sufficient rest and nourishment for at least three weeks. I’m astounded that she was able to keep going for so long, and as for what the others told me, it would seem that she has quite an advanced healing ability.”
“What did they tell you?” Xavier had yet to be debriefed about the mission.
“She completely regenerated a limb in a matter of seconds.”
“I see.”
After returning from a two day out of town meeting Xavier headed straight to the mansion infirmary with Beast.
“And what about the child?”
“We had to remove a new kind of mutant power inhibitor collar. Its contents also included an electronic explosive.”
When Hank said ‘we’ he was referring to the collected efforts of Gambit and himself of having to remove the locked collar without making it explode killing themselves and the child.
“But…” Beast continued. “She refuses to allow me to examine her. Other than being still being effected by whatever anaesthesia was given her, she apparently seems to be in good health.”
“But without a proper examination, you cannot be sure?”
“No I cannot.”
“Well let’s see the child first.”
Both men entered the infirmary and then walked into the room that Jeda was resting in.
In a room several doors away, Jan opened her eyes and allowed her sight clear and focus on the foreign surroundings. She was dressed in a patient’s gown and it dawned on her that she was in a recovery room. She held on to her left arm, recalling the last thing that occurred before she passed out. Then she suddenly thought of Jeda.
‘I don’t even know if she’s alright.’
Jan got out of bed and left her room determined to find her child. She walked down the infirmary hall and could see no one in sight. Jan suddenly froze when she heard two distinct voices that were speaking, but not to each other. One of the voices she recognized as belonging to Xavier, the other she did not. Then she heard one of them say Jeda’s name. Jan instantly rushed towards the sounds.
“Where is she?!” Jan demanded from the startled men after practically barging in.
“Aunt Jan!” Jeda blotted up straight as she gleefully called her name.
Jan ran to the little girl and they both threw loving arms around each other.
Jan broke their embraced and looked Jeda over, and then hugged her again.
“Are you alright?”
“I feel weak, but I’m okay.” She hugged Jan even tighter. “I’m so glad to see you.”
“Who removed the collar?”
“Remy, and Mr McCoy over there.” Jeda pointed to the men behind her aunt.
Jan turned round to follow her finger and came to face the professor and a big blue furry, claw handed and fang faced mutant. Jan’s eyes widened in surprise and then she narrowed them; He looked like…some type of gorilla. “Miss Benson.” Said the furry mutant. “My name is Dr Henry McCoy. I’m sure that you’ve noticed that you are in an infirmary. You are fine, your healing ability has seen to that. But I cannot say the same for your ward.”
“Why not?”
“She refuses to allow me to examine her.”
Jan turned to face Jeda, whose happy face was now a sad one.
“Jeda?” Jan asked.
“I…don’t want him…or anyone to examine me…” “You must.”
“No. I don’t want to.” Tears began to fall from her face. “Don’t force me. Please, I beg you. Don’t force me.”
“Jed, look at yourself. You have bruises, cuts, and I saw you hooked up to some sort of drip. Who knows what those bastards put in you.”
“Please, please…please don’t.” Jeda kept saying over and over again.
“I know you weren’t aware of everything they did to you, and we must find out. We must.” Jan gently turned Jeda’s tear streaking face towards her own. “What if you have something dangerous inside you? I don’t mean to scare you, but you must understand the risks.”
Jeda knew that she was right, but she was smart enough to also know that if she were examined, they would discover everything! But the fear of having something harmful within her body terrified her even more. Jeda looked at her aunt and then at the furry doctor and the professor. She slowly nodded her head. Jan sighed approvingly and smiled. She stroked Jeda’s hair and then kissed her forehead.
“Will now be alright?” Asked Hank.
Jan looked at Jeda who gave another reluctant nod while wiping her tears away.
“Come with me my dear.” Hank approached Jeda and offered her one of his hands.
She timidly placed her small hand in his and shakily got down off the bed. There was almost a pinhead difference in size of both their hands but Jeda was pleasantly surprised at how soft his fur was and how gently he held her hand. As they headed towards the room door Jeda stumbled and bounced into Henry. She placed her other hand on him for support.
“I feel dizzy. Will you carry me please?”
Beast scoped up the little girl effortlessly who released a small giggle at the sensation of being lifted quickly into the air.
“Mr McCoy, your fur is really soft.”
“Why thank you.”
Hank smiled at her and she smiled back at him, her mood lifted. She had a feeling she was going to like this man. Beast while carrying Jeda left the recovery room and headed towards an examination room. The last sentences heard were;
“I wish I had a teddy bear like you. I’d keep him forever. Mr McCoy, is there any one like you here?”
“Alas no. I am the only one of my kind here, but if you would like, I could introduce to…” Jan unknowing allowed a smile to spread widely across her lips at what she heard, forgetting that she wasn’t alone. Then her smile disappeared and was replaced with a concerned look, wondering if she had done the right thing.
“Don’t worry, you have.” The professor suddenly said. Jan faced him sharply, slightly vexed to have forgotten that he was there. Even though his tone was soft and he spoke to comfort her, Jan still felt uneasy. She looked at him in realisation.
‘You’re a telepath as well aren’t you?’
‘So you’ve noticed.’ The professor gathered that she had discovered rest of the telepaths in the group.
Some time later Jan was feeling shower fresh and had just changed into a dark blue Reebok jumper and black jeans. She heard a polite knock on the guest room door and said.
“Um, you can come in.”
In walked Iceman.
“Er, Jan, we just about to have dinner, care to join us?” Jan was silent for a moment. She wasn’t sure if McCoy was finished with examining Jeda.
“I don’t think Blueboy’s finished yet, and I’m sure you must be hungry.”
Jan felt her belly grumble like it had never grumbled before, and the growl it sounded; that of a loud empty echoing subterranean cavern did not go unnoticed by Bobby either.
“Shall I take that as a ‘yes’?”
Jan nodded; too embarrassed to give verbal confirmation and she followed Bobby as he led her to the dinning room. She was eternally glad that her tone of skin hid how much she was blushing. At least it hid some of the heated flush of her face, and Bobby being kind enough and also taking into account that he didn’t know her well enough spared her the further embarrassment of a witty teasing remark.
“By the way,” He said feeling the strange silence between them. “The name’s Robert, but call me…”
“Bobby, I know.”
“How?” Bobby stopped and looked at her.
“I heard Xavier say it when I on my first visit here.”
“And I though it was gonna be yer last.” Spoke an accent that was unmistakably Canadian one.
Bobby and Jan turned to see Wolverine approaching from another corridor.
“Well, you know. Shit happens.” Jan was not going to allow anything he had to say upset her in any way whatsoever. Besides he had helped her to get Jeda back, and kicking the ass of someone who just helped you was bad policy. Bobby immediately sensed the stalemate and quickly decided to bring it to an end.
“We better go get some food to eat before there’s none left. C’mon Jan, you can check on Jeda later.” Bobby gently ushered Jan along and she aloud herself to be done so.
Jan made up her mind to make no assumptions about what she would find after walking through the dinning room doors and so entered the dinning room behind Bobby, with no expectations to be met or broken.
There sitting around a large oval table sat six other people conversing together. Cyclops sat next to an empty seat, and Psylocke sat next to a blue skinned man with some sort of metallic wings folded behind his back. A black woman with white hair sat next to a man with brown hair who also had red irises on black eyes. Next to him was an empty seat with a very large black man on the other side of the seat. A series of several other empty seats were also encompassed around the table.
“Hey guys, where’s the food at?” Bobby immediately took out one of empty seats.
“Jean an’ Rogue be bringing it.” Replied the man with red on black eyes in a Cajun accent.
Jan stopped by the door and all faces turned to look at her as all conversations stopped. Jan began to feel as if she was on the hot spot.
“Hey, Jan.” Bobby said. “There’s a spare seat next to me.”
Jan walked around the table and took a seat next to Iceman.
“Jan?” Asked Cyclops. “You alright?”
“Fine.”
“And Jeda?”
“She’s still with Dr McCoy, so I don’t really know.”
“I, er, never got a chance to thank you.” He paused. “For saving Jean.”
“You guys helped me get Jed back, and we both appreciate that.”
“So we’re even.” Cyclops stood up and stretched out an open hand to Jan.
“Yeah.” Jan stood up and shook the offered hand. Both she and Cyclops had a look of mutual understanding on the matter.
“Okay, now that we got the speeches out the way.” Bobby said when Jan sat back down, “Scott, Betts, Warren, Ororo, Remy and Bishop.” He pointed to them all in turn as he said their names and ignored the few ‘why the fuck you’re telling her my name for!’ looks that he received.
“Remy?” Jan started.
“Oui?”
“Thanks for getting the collar of Jeda.”
“Non probleme chere.”
“Now where’s the damn food?” Bobby readily showed how impatient he was.
“It’s here O patient one.”
Jan turned her head in the direction of the woman who spoke with a southern accent.
“Oh yeah.” Bobby added. “That slow one is Rogue. You already know Jean.” Rogue was carrying a large pot effortlessly with Jean behind her carrying one pot in her hands with two more floating in the air. Jan wasn’t too surprised;
Jeda nearly constantly used her powers to move things around at home. It still gave her the creeps though, seeing the pot floating’ like that.
“We’ve got strewed lamb with rice and some of Rogue’s home made fried chicken.”
Jean declared. “Oh Jan, you’re awake. How do you feel?”
“I’m fine.” Jan hated repeating herself but she politely did so anyway. ‘Jean, before you ask, she doesn’t know how Jeda is. Hank’s still examining her.’ Cyclops told his wife.
“That’s good,” Jean quickly said. ‘Thanks for telling me Scott.’ “Well, tuck in everyone.”
Jan ate her meal in silence, more or less. She didn’t feeling conversing with so many people at once, at least not with these people. She was too worried about Jeda. Therefore, at the mental request of Jean the other X-men didn’t press her with too many questions. Bobby’s curiosity however refused to be put to rest.
“Jan, you didn’t answer my question earlier.”
“What question?”
“The story with you and Wolverine.”
“He didn’t tell you did he?” Jan noticed the drop of vocal volume among the others, most likely in expectancy of her answer
“No.”
“What’s there to tell?” Jan knew the subject would not change until she told him something. “We worked on a assignment together once and had differences on how to do it. That’s all.”
“We had more than just method differences, Benson.” Came Wolverine’s gruff voice from the dinning room doorway.
Conversation between the X-men ceased and a number of eyes turned on Logan. ‘Great! Just what I bloody well need!’ Jan was about to say something to Wolverine mentally when the entrance of Beast diverted all attention from them to himself.
“Jan, can I speak to you privately please?” His face looked grim and it scared her.
Jan got up and followed him into the kitchen.
“What’s wrong with Jeda?”
“First of all, I want you to prepare yourself for what I’m about to say.”
Jan’s fist automatically tightened up as her hands dropped to her sides. She put on a bland face and nodded her head in readiness.
“I treated her external bruises, they were not serious, and rather than give her drug to counteract the anaesthetic that’s still in her system, I’ll let her body burn it out on its own. That shouldn’t take more than another seven hours or so, but…”
“But what?”
“I found signs of multiple sexual assault, and the damage was severe.”
“Severe?” Jan couldn’t bring herself to repeat what he had just told her, and a one worded question was all she could manage with her dry throat.
“Her virginal tissue and cervix have been damaged to a non-reparable extent, and her womb is…now non existent. She’ll never be able to have children of her own.”
“But, there’s more.” It was a statement not a question.
“Yes. I also found in her blood stream traces of a strand variant of the Legacy virus.”
“Will she die?” She knew what the Legacy virus was, and it hurt her so much to ask the question, but Jan had to know.
“At the moment I really can’t say. This strain of virus is unlike the regular strain I’ve been trying to combat. For instants, it holds no mutagenic abilities and is incapable of changing in order to infect another mutant. So that may work in our favour to be able to produce an antiviral treatment. But I must warn you that sufferers of this disease, do rarely survive.”
“Can you tell when she contracted the virus?”
“I’m afraid the answer is no.”
Jan had to battle against the vile feeling that had taken over her body and fight to keep the meal that she had just eaten within her stomach. She knew that the rage and other feelings would come later.
“What’s more, she refuses to tell me any of her experiences that occurred during her abduction.”
“Can I see her?”
“Yes, you can.” Hank maintained his calm demeanour. “Do you remember the way back to the infirmary?”
“I’ll manage.” Jan slowly walked out the kitchen and then through the dinning room on her way back to the infirmary. She kept her head straight and her gaze did not acknowledge any of the x-men she passed, including Bobby and Jean who called after her.
“Umph. Talk about unsociable!” Warren flatly stated “No, it’s not that,” Elizabeth said.
“Something’s wrong.” Jean finished.
Beast slowly walked into the dinning room. Now that Jan was gone, he allowed his feelings to show on his face: Pity, disgust, anger and sadness.
“Hank, what’s wrong buddy?” Bobby asked. Beast hesitated in answering, thinking of using the doctor-patient confidentiality line as an excuse not to answer Bobby’s question, but then, he wasn’t Jan’s or Jeda’s doctor.
“Jeda’s abductors…” There was no easy way for him to say it. “Raped her…” A hush descended upon the group as none of them could even utter a word. Storm silently closed her eyes. Rogue brought her hand to cover her mouth, while Elizabeth turned her head to the floor.
“No…” Jean said in a whisper.
Wolverine released a growl from his throat and Cyclops’ eyes flashed behind his ruby quarts glasses. Bobby shook his head and Remy had his face set in a grim expression
“Fucking bastards…” Bishops said in a menacingly harsh hush.
“How old is the child?” Ororo eventually asked.
“She’s…only nine!” Cyclops answered.
“She’s just ah baby.” Rogue commented.
“Not only that, but she also has a strain variant of the Legacy virus.” Hank continued. “It’s not contagious, but from my examinations I can only conclude that this particular strain was created specifically for her.”
“What ya mean, Hank?” Enquired Warren.
“It is impossible for the strain to survive outside of Jeda’s body.”
“Why would anyone do that?” Orora, like the rest, was bewildered to say the least.
“Will the kid die, Hank?” Logan enquired.
“I’d like to say no, or even maybe, but in truth…she most probably will Logan.”
When she got to her destination Jan quietly walked into the examination room and approached Jeda.
“I know he told you what he found.” Jeda said before Jan could even part her lips. “And I don’t want to talk about it right now. So please don’t ask me about anything that happened.”
“I won’t. But let me know when you’re ready to talk alright?” Jeda nodded, then got off the bed and hugged her aunt. Jan for the moment was relieved; she didn’t want to hear what they had done to Jeda. She was still in shock and needed to prepare herself before she could be told anymore.
“Aunt Jan?”
“Yeah, darling.” She looked her in the face.
“I really don’t want to go back to the house and be reminded…” Jeda trailed off at the though.
“Then you won’t kid.” Said Logan from the doorway.
Jan and Jeda turned to look at him.
“You should speak to the professor.” He added.
“I’ll arrange a room for her here.”
“Thank you professor. It’s much appreciated.” Jan turned to leave Xavier’s office.
“It’s more generosity than you’d expect from a ‘Stingy bald-ass-head old bastard’. Isn’t it?”
Jan froze in her tracks and looked at both Logan who stood by the professor’s desk and Xavier himself. She nodded her head slightly.
“Yes it is.” With that, she left his office before he could say anything else or change his mind.
Jeda was waiting outside the professor’s office. Her eyes were wide open in astonishment.
“You said that, in your head, about a telepath, right in front his face?!” She asked her aunt incredulously.
“I didn’t know he was a telepath at the time. No wonder he looked at me so strangely.”
Jeda laughed and Jan smiled back at her before laughing herself.
“I need to pop home and bring some of your clothes and stuff over, okay?”
Jeda nodded.
“You sure you’ll be alright here?”
“Yes I’ll be fine. Some of the people here ain’t too bad you know, so don’t worry about me.”
“Alright. But remember, I’m just a thought away. Okay?”
“Okay.”
Jan bent down and kissed her before walking off. Jeda watched her as she disappeared around a corridor.
“So?”
Jeda quickly turned around. It was the same man who took then to the professor’s office. She hadn’t even heard him approach!
“What ya want to do kid?”
“I don’t know.” She looked at him cautiously. “And my name’s Jeda.”
“Okay Jed. Why don’t you come with me to the Rec’ room and we’ll find something amusing for you to do.”
“Alright.”
Logan walked off and Jeda followed behind him.
“You know my name, so what’s yours?”
“Wolverine.”
“Is that your real name?”
“Logan.”
“Don’t know which one I like better, then again I had a teacher called Logan once. Wanted to cut off his legs at the kneecaps, slowly, and with a blade with only one side sharp. The other blunt.”
Logan made an ‘hmph’ sound and looked down at the little girl who was now walking comfortably at his side. She took a good long look at him, studying his face and the rest of his body features.
“I think your hair style is one of the worst I’ve seen in my life. Looks like an F ‘ed (AN: pronounced ef’t) up teletubby.”
“And I think you’re too over developed and rude for nine.” Logan chuckled.
“Besides they don’t even have hair.”
“You’re right.” Jeda shrugged her shoulders. “About the over developed part. I grow about 1.5 times faster than the average female child.”
“So now you’re a analysis?”
“No, not really. It’s just something I figured out for myself. Ain’t right though.”
“What ain’t right? You?”
“No! A man like you watching teletubbies.”
“I don’t.”
“Yeah, yeah, that’s what you be telling me now.”
“Yeah, right. We’re here.” Logan stood in front of a slide door that opened automatically and walked in with Jeda behind him. The recreation room was large. It held a large pool table, a table tennis table, a round table, presumably for card games. A big couch set occupied the area in front of a big, almost cinema sized TV screen, and a medium sized fridge for light refreshments was placed in a corner of the room. Ororo and Jean sat on the couch watching a news report. Scott and Remy were playing as a pool team against Bishop and Warren with the latter team having currently potted over half of their needed amount to win. Jeda’s entrance made them momentarily discontinue what they were doing and stare at her. She caught several sympathy filled looks, and a couple of quick mind glances showed her why.
‘Shit! Just friggin’ great! They know!’ Then Jeda noticed the red haired lady sitting in the couch give her a peculiar look. It suddenly dawned on her that she wasn’t the only person with telepathic abilities.
“Allo Jeda.”
“Hi Remy.” She only knew Remy’s name since he had helped remove the explosive collar from her neck. “And everybody else.”
The rest of the group returned the greeting, trying not to sound like an assembly of children half-heartedly answering a head-teacher, but they failed in doing so. If Jeda had known them better she would have laughed at their pathetic salutation, but she picked up that they were trying not to overwhelm her and that made it easier for Jeda.
“What’s it gonna be?” Logan asked her.
“How about a game of table tennis.”
After Logan and Jeda started a game the rest when back to what they were doing, but with part of their attention diverted on the little girl playing table tennis with Wolverine.
About 45 minutes later and they were playing for the last point of the last game of the third match. Wolverine found Jeda to be a considerable challenge. She had been slow at the start of the first match but had quickly picked up and lost by not such a big margin of points in the second. So by now they were both surprisingly playing for the wining match point and had succeeded in gaining Ororo and Jean as an audience.
For a couple of minutes the two batters seemed evenly match, but in a fast almost reflex action Logan struck the ball with such a spinning angle that once it landed on Jeda’s side of the table it bounced far away from her reach before landing on the floor.
There was a chorus moans and other sounds among all onlookers and Jeda shrieked in frustration.
“No!”
“Oh too bad Jeda.” Ororo commentated.
“I don’t believe it. I almost had him!” She looked at Logan with her eye brows drooped and her lips pushed out.
“Good game kid.”
“You’re only saying that ‘cause you won.” Her face softened into a smile.
“But yeah. Good game.”
Jeda extended her hand and they both shook on it. Wolverine smiled at her; it was small smile, but genuine one.
“I’m up for a slower paced game now.”
“How about a card game Cherie?” Gambit set down his cue down on the pool table and sat down on the round table. Jeda sat opposite him.
“What games you know?”
Jeda placed her hands down on the table one on over the other and rested her chin on top, looking at his red on black eyes in thought. “Solitaire, Rummy, Poker, Black-Jack, Bloody Mary.” She answered.
Remy looked at her with one eyebrow raised.
“What’d I say?” She tried to guise innocence over a mischievous expression as she noticed his surprise at her use of language.
“Bloody Mary?”
“It’s a real simple card game.” She explained. “You just remove three queens, deal out the cards, place all pairs in a pile, and pick from each other in turn until you eliminate all remaining pairs, and the one who ends up with queen loses.”
“Huh! Simple enough.” Gambit said. “Who else game?”
“Count me in.” Wolverine took a seat at the table.
“Me too.” As did Warren after he dropped his cue on the pool table.
“There’s just one more thing.” Jeda added when Gambit had followed her instructions and dealt out four sets.
“Oh yeah? What’s that?” Warren asked.
“The loser gets punished by having his knuckles slapped with the full deck of cards by everyone else. Numbers cards at face value, jack equals 11, queen equals 12, king equals 13, ace equals 14, black means soft, and red hard.” She quickly explained.
Gambit whistled.
“Thus the name, eh?” Said Warren.
“Humour me.” Jeda placed her fingers tips together in the form of a steeple.
“I’m your guess after all.”
“But you say it like the loser will be one of us cherie.”
“You think I’ll risk losing and have my knuckles damaged by three grown men. You fou?!”
Logan lost the first game but was fortunate enough to see a black card drawn for every knuckle beat. Gambit lost the second game and though Jeda and Warren selected black for their turn to beat Remy’s knuckles, Logan drew out a red 10 with a long teeth filled smile. After Gambit was done receiving the full deck over his knuckles, he rubbed them casually and said.
“You hit like a garce Logan.”
However, from intently watching his face Jeda could tell that he was in pain, and he almost glared with rage at Logan.
“Okay you guys,” said Jeda. “This is the last game, otherwise some peoples gone be slugging it out.”
In the last game a shocked, Jeda ended up with the queen. She looked at the men she was playing with and shrugged her shoulders.
“I don’t care. I have a fifty percent chance of getting my knuckles stroked instead of bashed. Go on guys draw out the punishment.” She had complete confidence in her voice, but when all three men selected the form of penalty that Jeda would receive, to her ultimate horror, not only were they red but also it was an ace on every turn.
“Damn!” Jeda cried. She fisted her hand and stretched it out on the table.
“Oh well. Start dishing it out.”
“Boys.” Storm began.
“It’s alright.” Said Jeda. “I can take it. Go on.” She immediately put up
the strongest physic shield that she could manage over her hand.
“Alright.” Said Warren. “If you’re so insistent.” He delivered 14 half-hearted knocks against Jeda’s knuckles.
“That didn’t even make me winch.” She criticised. “Your turn Remy.” She placed her fist in front of him.
His knocks were much harder, but Jeda managed to translate the pain to a thoughtful expression on her face.
Scott shook his head disapprovingly and Jean and Ororo flinched with every hit, imagining how much it really hurt Jeda. Wolverine strikes were even harder than Gambit’s but he delivered the first 13 in lightning speed. Which helped, a little. With his last hit however he raised the deck of cards higher and gave her a mighty smack.
At the end of it all Jeda rubbed her knuckles casually, as Remy had done. Eventually though, her face muscles tightened as she screwed up her face, jumped out of her chair and pranced around the Rec’ room blowing on her knuckles and yelling in pain.
Despite it all, everybody began to laugh including Jeda herself, but she did noticed Ororo give Logan a telling off look.
“OW! OW! OW!” She continued to wave her hand in the air in an attempt to cool
the burning sensation. “I put up my strongest shielding and it still hurts like hell.”
“That’s because your strongest shielding isn’t strong enough.” Jean told her. Jeda blew on her reddened knuckles. “That’s the last time I play Bloody Mary with you two again.” She told Remy and Logan. “I don’t even have any knuckles left…then again I suppose that proves that I need to improve my abilities.” “You know that’s something we can help you with.” Jean told her.
“We?”
“The professor, myself, Elizabeth.”
“Elizabeth?”
“Oh, that’s right. You haven’t met the others have you?” “There’s always later,” Jeda approached the pool table, “Right now I wanna try my hand at this.” She picked up a cue then looked at Cyclops and then glanced at Bishop a little longer. She thought about what her aunt would say if she was standing in her place, and had to suppress a laugh when she did.
“Who’s gonna be on my team?”
“Moi, petit.” Gambit instantly answered.
For over an hour all persons within the Rec’ room played pool, swapping teams every time one got the best of out of three games. Jeda walked around the table considering the best angle to shoot from in order to pot the black. Her concentration was so planted on this one task, that she didn’t notice the door open and Jan approach her.
“You’re not gonna make the shot.” Jan said.
“Oh you’re back.” She spoke her response without turning around. “Thanks for
the encouragement by the way.”
“I tell you what, if you pot that black, I’ll do any one thing you say.”
“Just one? Nah man. Six.”
“Yer mus’ be mad. Two.”
“Four. You told me I couldn’t do, so why ya scared for?”
“Alright then. Shoot.”
Jeda bent down over the pool table and steadied her cue behind the white ball.
‘Jean, help me out here will ya?’ She mentally requested.
‘Certainly.’
Everybody watched as Jeda’s well-aimed shot bounced off of two sides of the pool table, and just barely touched the black ball sliding it past an obstructing yellow ball placing it comfortably in the hole. Jeda’s audience complimented her efforts and she felt a couple pats on the back as well.
“I don’t believe it.” Jan breathed. “You cheated didn’t you?”
“I give you my word that I didn’t use my powers in any way.” She snuck a wink at Jean without anybody realising. ‘Thanks Jean.’
‘Don’t mention it.’
“I still don’t believe it.” Jan repeated.
“Well you can start believing the four thing I want you to do.”
“Which are?”
“(1) You gone be throwing me a party soon. (2) When was the last time you went out on a date?”
“What!?” Jan bellowed bewilderedly.
“Cause I’ve been thinking, since you never go out, there’s this teacher…”
Jeda’s voice muffled off as Jan covered her mouth with her hand.
“Alright girl, we can sort this out later okay?” Jan could hear sniggering from some of the other adults in the room.
‘What the hell wrong with you girl? Why yer shaming me like dis fo’?!’
Jeda pushed Jan’s hand away and grasped.
“Okay, okay. There’s no need to suffocate me. Sheesh!” She looked at the large sports bag that was in her aunt’s other hand. “What’s that?” Jan set the large sports bag she was carrying on the floor. “Your stuff.” Jan knelt down, unzipped the bag and pulled out a folder. “And your homework.”
“Wha’?!”
“Don’t think you’re getting away with not doing it, yer little punk.”
“Dammit,” she grudgingly snatched the folder. “Did you feed Dende?” Jan instantly turned grave and she found it very hard to look the little girl in the face.
“Aunt Jan, did you see Dende? He is alright isn’t he?” Her tone was urgent and she tugged on Jan’s sleeve.
“Jed, a week after…you disappeared, when I got home I saw him. He was lying at the side of the road…”
“No…” Water gathered in Jeda’s eyes.
“He must have been run over some days before…”
“No! No! It’s not true!” Jeda dropped the cue and folder and cradled her head as she screamed
“I’m sorry.” Jan moved forward to comfort the distraught child, who roughly slapped Jan’s hands away from her.
“No you’re not!” She suddenly turned on Jan. “ You hated him, he was nothing but a ‘little bastard’ to you.” Her tears freely flowed now. “That what’s you use to call him!”
“Jeda…”
“And I hate you…How…How could you?” All the rage she felt as a result of her experience now surfaced. “How could you let them take me from my home and hurt me the way they did? They hurt me so much, and all because of you! You should have been there! You should have been there to protect me! I hate you!” With one almighty shove of her mind, Jeda sent Jan flying away from her. Jan’s side struck the corner of the pool table head on. There was a terrific crack upon contact and her body rolled across the floor before it was forcefully stopped by the presence of the wall. Everyone turned their heads from the collapsed Jan to the crying, enraged little girl who just fallen her with a sudden surge of her mutant power. Jeda looked at her hurt aunt on the floor and then into the startled faces that stared at her. The anger in her face was replaced by shock, and after demolishing the door along with part of its frame, Jeda fled the Rec’ room.
Jan looked up and Jeda was gone. “Jeda, I’m so, so sorry.” She whispered, thinking of the pain her child was in and ignoring her own. Jean slowly made her way over to Jan and reached out a hand to encourage her to get up.
“She’s right. I let them hurt her. It’s my fault.” Her eyes were closed as she spoke to herself.
Jean could see that they young woman had no care for herself, so taking the initiative she lifted up the end of her jumper to look at her wound. A hideous bruise covered her entire left side and when she reached out to touch it Jan flinched and tightly gripped her skin. Jean frowned as she realised that a possibility of rib breakage or dislocation existed, along with internal bleeding or organ puncture. She looked at Jan, and briefly scanned her boundaries of her mind, Jan’s mental barriers were down and she saw that the pain that Jan was feeling was profound, both physically and mentally.
“Jan,” Jean spoke her name softly but she didn’t even acknowledge her, or anyone else for that matter. “Come on let’s get you to the infirmary.” Jean placed one of her arms around her and without resistance aided Jan in her trek to the infirmary.
“Poor child, she’s so young.” Said Storm, “Never seen anyone her age release such pain, such anger in that way.”
“She had to release some how Ororo. She had to.” Cyclops said. “I just hope she gets through this, and learns to control that power of hers.”
“Dat is, if she lives long enough to be taught.” Gambit remarked.
It was a possibility that no one could deny.
Jeda looked down at her reflection from the pier. Instead of seeing a pretty little girl, she saw a worthless, dirty, debased, horrid, ungrateful child. Jeda screamed as she mentally ripped the water apart destroying her reflection.
“Seems to be a popular thinkin’ spot this.”
Jeda turned her tear stained face to see Logan. “Then please leave me alone.” “Can’t do that kid,” Logan sat down next to her. “Alone is not what you need to be.”
Jeda raised her head to look at the boathouse that had a view of the river.
“That in use?” She asked.
“Yeah. Jean and Scott live there.”
“They married?” Jeda was glad that the subject of conversation was not on her.
“Yeah.” Three years ago Logan would have become annoyed to say the least at the notion of Jean with Cyclops, but not now. Now his heart belonged to Ororo, as did hers belong to him. He shared his mind, life and body with this woman, and for a long time now he knew she was the right one for him. He just hadn’t bolstered up the courage to ask her to marry him.
“Is…she alright?”
“Yeah, she’s fine.” Logan turned his attention back to the little girl. “A little bash ain’t gonna kill her.”
“I didn’t mean to lash out at her like that.” Her tone was apologetic. “I don’t hate her.”
“Don’t think she hates you either kid.”
“I know, but in a way that’s the problem.” She wiped at her face. “I can hurt
her in so many ways and she’ll still forgive me. I know she loves me, but still…”
“What happened to the rest of your family?” Logan suddenly inquired.
“Well,” she pressed her hands together and rested her face against them. “My mother died with her fiancé, in an apartment explosion two years ago. It was Aunt Jan who introduced them in the first place.” Jeda held a smile on her face at the memory of how Jan had unintentionally played her part in bringing her mother and Uncle Daren together, and how Jeda had almost ended up with a stepfather she would have loved as much as the real deal. “Uncle Abnor, our landlord died four months earlier; he’s the one who left us the house we live in. I know Aunt Jan would never admit it, but she thought of him, loved him, like a father. She grew up without a family.”
“What about yours?”
“My father? Never knew a single thing about him and still don’t. So it’s just me and her.” She picked up a stray flat stone on the pier and skimmed it across the water’s surface.
“Why you settin’ up dates for her?” The humour could be heard behind the question.
Jeda released a small chuckle and then smiled at Logan. “I can honestly say in all the years of my life, I’ve…never seen her once go out on a date; and even I know nine years is a god-damn long time for kind of shit.”
“Hmph. Great love life.”
“But she’s so beautiful, and I know dozens of men have tried to ask her out.
But she always says no. I don’t know what she’s so afraid of.” Heavy rain clouds rolled over the sun and Logan and Jeda turned their heads skywards.
“Ready to go back in.”
She nodded in response. “Thanks for the ear.”
“Don’t worry about it kid.”
“And stop calling me kid.” Jeda pulled herself to her feet.
“Whatever, kid.” Logan smiled at her, but it looked more like a playful smirk.
Jeda went with Logan to see Jan in the infirmary; Jean was there with her. Jeda immediately hugged Jan and poured out apologies that she was already forgiven for.
“I’m fine, see,” she raised her top to show that all traces of her wound had disappeared. “I’m already healed…little punk.”
Days passed with Jeda staying at the Xavier Institute. Jan came by to spend time with her every day, and didn’t leave until it was either time for Jeda to go to bed or for Jan to go to work. Xavier more than once offered her a room to stay in, but she always politely declined his offer.
Hank kept up unceasingly in his efforts to find the right antiviral treatment for Jeda’s strand of legacy virus. He was even combining his efforts with Moira MacTaggart of Muir Island off the Scottish coast. They unfortunately though had yet to find any success.
Jeda still refused to speak to anyone about her experience during her kidnapping, no matter how many times she was pressed to. Jan knew that there was only one thing that she could do to persuade her to say what happened, and she chose to do it when they got the opportunity to talk alone.
Both aunt and ward were walking through the mansion halls, heading in no particular destination, and for the first time since she had been in it Jan completely dropped her mental defences so that Jeda would know that what she was about to say, was the truth. Jan failed however to take into account where in the mansion they were walking to or the sensitivity of the other telepaths within.
“Jeda, I’ve never told anybody what I’m about to tell you...I never even told my brother.”
“Your brother? But you told me you didn’t have any family.”
“I lied.”
“Why?”
“Jed, please. Let me tell you this.” She looked down to her side and Jeda nodded. “My father hated me from the moment I was born, when my mother died. He made my life, our lives, miserable. The words fucking hell don’t justifiably describe it.”
Jeda was stunned at her aunt’s use of language. She never swore!
“The things he use to do…” Jan took a deep breath and continued. “I remember, once when he had knocked my brother and me senseless, my father locked him in our bedroom, and then he dragged me into his…” Jan squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head to the side, unable to speak the words. “I’m sorry Jed…I can’t say what hap…I only show you.”
Everything faded to blackness as Jan opened her mind to Jeda. At a speed too fast to see or identify, Jan’s memories rushed by Jeda’s mind’s eye. The blur of Jan’s passing recollections again faded to black. It couldn’t be that Jan was searching her mind for the correct memory; it was more like there were things that she wanted to keep to herself. The next thing Jeda knew was that she was standing at the side of her aunt, both in astral form, as they both watched at silent bystanders, unable to interact with, unable to change what they were witnessing. The room in which they stood in was some sort of smooth stone, almost marble like hut sleeping room. All items and furnishings of the room were designed in an ancient style not even breezing the styles of the last two thousand years of any culture that Jeda was even remotely familiar with. Then Jan allowed the scene to play;
Uria entered his sleeping
chamber and threw the dazed girl on the bed.
He tied her wrists to the bedposts and waited for her to regain her
bearings. Uria wanted her to suffer
every possible moment of this and when she did he produced a knife and cut away
all her clothing. Uria rubbed his hands
over her body and hungrily placed his mouth over hers, but she refused to part
her lips and let him through.
“Kiss me…” He told her.
The little girl shook her head
defensively.
“Kiss me!” He hissed more savagely and brought the
blade to her throat. Six-year-old Jan
obeyed her father and Uria kissed his daughter again. His tongue roughly probed her mouth and entwined around her own,
as he tasted her lips.
Jan whimpered in pain and be
tasted her own blood flowing from the roughness of her father’s kisses.
Uria’s hand rummaged her face,
her neck, her chest and her stomach as he had done so, so many times before.
Some time later when Uria had
momentarily satisfied his desire, he withdrew himself from her and left the
chamber, but then came back, whip in hand; only difference being that this whip
had some sharp, some jagged pieces of metals fastened to it.
In unnumbered fury filled
lashes, he repeatedly slashed Jan’s skin making it bleed. Her cries of pain never even stirred his
dark heart. After Uria had administered
the last lash he wiped Jan’s sprinkled blood from his face and glanced over the
bed sheets that were also soaked the red
liquid. Uria grabbed her neck and
brought her face to his, the ropes that still bint her to the bedposts squeezed
the flesh of her wrist cutting off the circulation to her hands.
“Remember to clean this mess in the morning.” He knocked her out with one punch before untying her. Uria left his bedroom and entered the children’s room and threw Jan one handed onto the bed next to her brother who was still unconscious. Bleeding from wounds both on the outside and inside her still developing young womb. Uria then left, slamming the door behind him.
Jan couldn’t bring herself to look at Jeda, she already knew how upset she was at what she had just heard and seen from Jan memory. She even felt it was necessary to allow Jeda to feel the very same feeling that she had felt when it had happened.
“That wasn’t the first or last or the worst thing he did to me. The first I remember was when I was about four, but my body always completely healed the damage he did to me. So every time, felt just like it was the first time.”
“The strange thing was that if he would have drove that knife through me; I would have been grateful, I would have thanked him. With my dying breath, I would have thanked him…for the release. But he was never so merciful…” The resentment was there in her voice for all to hear. “Instead, he’d repeatedly defile and violate me. He relentlessly beat and whipped both my brother and me. Like slaves, so close to death, but never quite.”
Jan raised her head to face the high ceiling of an aircraft hanger that they were now in. Jan quickly blinked back the tears that that were threatening to fall. The last thing Jeda needed was to see her crying. Besides last time she had shed tears, so many, many years ago; she promised herself that she never would again.
“The point is Jeda is that, I left home without ever making that mother fucker pay in the slightest, and that hurt just as much as the things he use to do to me. I couldn’t even look my brother, the one person that truly loved me, in the face and tell him what happened. I was so afraid that if I did it would change the way he viewed me. That he’d view me as tarnished and worthless, so I simply told him that father had just whipped and beat me. Maybe I should’ve had more faith in my brother, but I didn’t, and I know my fa...that he was to blame for that also. So I want you think…can you live a happy full life knowing that those people who did that to you, were never made to pay, and still have the freedom of making some other poor child suffer what you had to? Just think about it, alright?” She looked at Jeda who nodded slightly, unable to speak. “Good, now run along.”
Jeda slowly walked out of the hanger with her head down.
Jan remained where she was for a few seconds, then she crumbled to the floor.
Before she knew it she knew it she was sobbing!
“No!” She slammed the side of her fists against the cold floor. “He’s long dead and I won’t allow that piece of shit to hurt me anymore! I won’t cry! I am not…going to cry!” Jan stopped the tears from falling as she wrapped her arms around her body and gave herself the comforting hug that she needed so badly. Though a poor substitute it was for the arms of others that she wished were there to care for her.
Jan suddenly heard movement and looked up. From the other side of the Blackbird emerged Xavier in his hover chair. The look on his face told her that he had heard and seen enough. Jan slowly shook her head, and then to her dismay, Scott, Bishop, and Ororo also walked into view. Jan was forced to acknowledge that she had just unintentionally confided one of her most intimate darkest secrets, to a whole group of people she barely knew, and it was too much for to bear.
“Couldn’t any of you have said something? Let me know that you were there.” Her voice sounded that of a forlorn piteous little child. “Silenced me before I said…before you heard…everything! Stopped me before I showed you…!”
“Jan…” The professor began.
“No…I…I don’t want your pity.” Jan wanted to run away from their staring eyes, but there was no strength in her legs to do her biding. Instead, Jan bowed her head, as she was powerless to be able to stop the tears that had begun to fall once more.
She felt the soft touch of someone’s hand and looked up to see Ororo crouching in front of her. Her arms were open, but in her place, she envisioned the loving brother that she herself had driven away from her. As she next discovered, that only made her feel worse, because the image that only she could see was nothing more than a memory, a dream which dissolved before the intense flames of reality. It wasn’t her brother there, it was a stranger. Jan could no longer hold onto to herself, she fell into the comforting arms, feeling she would die if she didn’t and cried her heart out.
“Bastards, bastards, fucking bastards. How could they do that to her? She’s just a baby, “ she spoke in between sobs “She’s just a little baby.” The shock had come and gone all that was left now was sorrow and rage. In her moment of grief, Jan had forgotten herself, and she quickly pulled away from Ororo and stood her ground while shaking her head. Reasserting her independence. She looked at all four people coldly before turning around and walking out.
To be continued…
Comments and questions requested and welcomed at imajineer@hotmail.com Especially for anyone who wishes to correct me on Legacy virus bit.
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that’s the story..