Lyrissa's Sparkles

The next day was crazy for Lyrissa. She woke up in the infirmary, to her unexplainable relief, and to make it better her Uncle Charlie was right next to her, smiling warmly and stroking the hair on her forehead; just like he used to when she was little and fell asleep by him. Logan was holding her hand still, and started rubbing her shoulder when he saw she was awake. She had to wait for Jean to bring her clothes down to get out of bed, since she was still in her underwear, and when she got there with the pajamas –because they were more comfortable, and easier to move in- she had to have help getting them on.

Luckily she was out of bed in time for lunch, but couldn’t get up the stairs yet so she had to take the elevators. Everyone was in the kitchen, and the kids all cheered when the three of them joined them. Storm was holding onto Allie tightly to keep her from jumping on Lyrissa like she normally would, and didn’t let go until she was sat down.

“Spawkles I missed you!” Allie grinned as Rogue scooted her chair closer to Lyrissa so she could snuggle up to her. “Missed you too Allie.” She smiled, putting her arm around the overjoyed little girl.

“So how did Halloween go?” she asked everyone as lunch started. “We dressed as superheroes, and saved your bum.” Max grinned, taking a bite of his grilled cheese. “We didn’t celebrate.” Andrew explained, gesturing to the X-Men, Kiera, Jazz, Max, Box, and himself. “I don’t know what they did, I crashed here on the table when we got back.” He laughed. “We didn’t do anything. Watched some old ‘scary’ movies that were in black and white that Professor-X pulled out, ate some candy that’s pretty much it. We can’t have Halloween without everyone together, it’s like Christmas, you just shouldn’t do it.” Jamie explained. “You guys are so sweet.” She smiled to everyone who stayed back during her rescue.

“Wanna know somethin’ funny?” Box asked with a big grin. “What?” half the people in the room asked. “When Magneto saw Sparkles and Wolverine kissing, I thought he was gonna pass out. He really didn’t know about you two, or if he did he’s a really good actor!” he answered. Lyrissa started blushing at the thought of everyone, even the brotherhood, seeing her and Logan doing that. “Hey, don’t be embarrassed by it. It’s like a fairytale! You’re captured by the evil scum, he fights them off, finds you in the cell, carries you to safety, and you two kiss in the end!” Kiera beamed. Jazz, Rogue, Jean, Storm, and Allie all nodded in agreement. The guys all just looked at her like she was nuts. “What he’s saying, is Wolverine is her night in shining armor… or hero in blue and yellow tights. Whichever he wants I guess.” Jazz grinned.

“Hey, what happened to Juggernaut? Wasn’t he with your team last night?” Kiera asked Scott randomly. “He stayed on the ground and ran to where we were dropping Magneto and them off.” He answered. “Oh, okay. I was wondering, because one minute he’s there and breaking everything, and the next, we’re on the jet flying away, and he’s not.” She replied. He shrugged and went back to his meal.

“Uhm, Sparkles? I, I know this is kinda weird, and if you don’t wanna answer that’s fine. I was just wondering… how did you get the handprint and scratches on your neck?” Jamie asked quietly. The whole room silenced at his question, awaiting her reaction. “They wanted to study combat or something, so they had me and Sabertooth fight for hours. That’s from when he picked me up by my throat.” She answered. Logan growled and tightened his fists angrily. “If he didn’t I probably would have been shot Logan. I couldn’t get up, I was dizzy, I was tired, and I still had to fight him. That was the second time he helped me up, the first we both got tased, when he helped me up gently, so the second he grabbed my neck and pulled me up, and pushed me against the wall so I had something to lean on.” She explained. “Why would he help you?” Scott asked. “Because in there, each other is all you have.” Box explained. “Exactly. Even the most selfish, heartless people, would save the other person in that spot if they wanted to survive. If he didn’t, that’s one less person to take the experiments. Which means one less rotation before it’s his turn again.” Jazz added.

Kiera shuddered at the thought of those experiments.

Allie was crying softly, from picking up on everyone’s emotions; Pain, fear, sadness, anger, sympathy, frustration, exhaustion, love, relief, it was too much for her to take. She finally got off of her chair and ran out of the room. “I hate it when she has to do that.” Rogue sighed. “I know, it ain’t fair that she has to feel what all of us feel at once.” Andrew agreed. “I will speak with her.” Xavier smiled, and left the room following Allie’s rout.

“I think I’m gonna to the library for a bit.” Lyrissa announced quietly, she didn’t eat much, but she was full enough. “Okay. Hope you feel better soon.” Scott smiled, but she could tell it was forced. “Thanks Scotty.” She replied, also with a forced smile, and left the room, carefully making her way to her destination.

She stayed in the library for two hours, reading half a volume of Poe, before moving onto O. Henry. She always read slowly, taking in every word, and hanging onto the emotions expressed by the writer. “Hey, care fer a little company?” a familiar gruff voice asked from the other side of the bookshelf she was almost hiding behind. “I’d love a little company Logan.” She grunted as she tried to scoot over, which caused her sore muscles and bruises to throb. He sat down next to her and she leaned up against him, feeling the warmth of his body and breathing in the scent that only he had.

They sat a while like that in silence until she started muttering to herself. “Very suddenly her eyelids dropped and she sighed deeply. ‘I’m awfully sleepy,’ she said, ‘And I feel so good.’ Rudolf rose and took his hat. ‘Then I’ll say good-night. A long night’s sleep will be fine for you.’”

She kept muttering as his eyes scanned the scene to find what she was talking about, until he found a small gray book in her hands, and the words she was saying printed on the pages. “O. Henry?” he asked. “Hm? Oh… yeah, sorry. I was in the middle of it when you came in, I guess I just had to finish the story.” She blushed, closing the book and setting it aside, “It can wait though.” She added with a smile. “You know O. Henry?” she asked suddenly, mildly shocked, since she didn’t really expect him to know his literature. “It’s written on the cover.” He pointed out with a smirk. “Oh.” She replied quietly.

“So how’re ya feelin’?” he asked, changing the subject entirely.

“Not bad I guess.” She lied quietly.

“Come on, I know ya enough to tell when ya ain’t bein’ straight with me.” He pushed.
“I’m fine Logan, really.” Her voice was monotone and blank, which gave her lie away even more.

“Ya still ain’t tellin’ the truth, but I ain’t gonna make ya either. Talk when yer ready.” He said calmly, kissing her very lightly on the side of her head.

“It’s just… I mean… I…” she struggled, she really wanted to let everything out, but was afraid of breaking down in front of him. Again.

He stopped her struggling by gently putting his lips over hers; she was startled at first, since he caught her completely off guard, but surrendered quickly.

“Just look at me Logan, I look like a zombie.” She sighed after they parted. “Ya look just fine.” He smirked. “No I don’t, I have scratches and bruises everywhere, my hair’s horrible, frizzy, short, and won’t do a damn thing, and there are at least three places that are going to scar from what they did to me!” she argued, her voice cracking towards the end.

“Look at me, Lyrissa.” He said firmly, she did as he asked, but avoided his eyes. “Look at me Lyrissa.” He said again, making her make eye contact. “You, are beautiful. Even black and blue, and banged up, ya look amazin’. And even if ya do get scars, it won’t matter, because they’ll just remind ya of how strong ya are to make it through somethin’ like that.” He smiled, leaning until their foreheads were touching. “I love you.” He added softly. His breath danced across her nose and cheeks from the strange angle they were sitting in, and it sent shivers down her spine. “I love you to.” She whimpered, throwing her arms around him and crying softly into his shoulder.

Andrew was standing at the library door, and heard everything they had said. He walked back down to the game room where a Slap Jack tournament was about to be held. “Are they coming?” Jubilee asked. “No, I didn’t tell them. Right now, she’s trying to talk to Wolverine about what happened.” He smiled. Allie felt something from him, walked over to confront him.

“Andrew? Are you jealous because she loves Wovie?” she asked, her eyebrows pinched together as she curiously waited for his answer. Gambit and Beast were standing right behind him, and were also waiting for his response. “No, I’m not. I’m actually really happy she loves him.” He smiled. “Then why do you feel jealous?” she asked. “I don’t. It’s not jealousy Allie, it’s… she’s-my-sister-and-I-can’t-be-there-for-her-like-he-can.” He explained. “Jealousy.” Jazz summed up. “No! God you guys, I’m not jealous! I’m frustrated because I can’t help her like I always did before.” He explained. “Okay, whatever. As long as you’re not crushin’ on Wolverine’s girl.” Jazz smirked, pulling out a box full of unopened decks of cards.

“All right! Lets’ start this tournament! Everyone pair up!” Box announced. There were small tables set up all over the room, each with two chairs and a deck of cards as Jazz passed them out. “You’re so goin’ down Gambit.” Jamie grinned. “Maybe you think dat, but you forget dat playin’ cards is Gambit’s game.” He smiled smoothly, shuffling the deck and making sure to show off. “Watch it Gambit, or we’ll end up playing Slap Cajun instead of Slap Jack.” Jean laughed. Once everyone was paired up, and the decks were split, Xavier signaled for the game to start.

Immediately the sounds of cards hitting tables, and hands coming down hard filled the room. Laughter followed soon after. “OUCH! Andrew that hurt!” Box laughed after being slapped. “At least it isn’t Rogue! She hits harde-owe!” Jazz shouted, getting hit by Rogue mid sentence. “That’s why I like Kiera, she doesn’t hit hard when she does that.” Max laughed. “Yeah, because she never hits you, you always get there second!” Jamie laughed. “Pay attention Jamie, you’re losing!” Scott announced. “NO!!” he screamed playfully.

Half an hour later, Max yelled something at Kiera that couldn’t be understood by anyone but his twin. “I WIN! You lose, I won, what’d I tell you? I won!” she sang, rubbing her victory in her brother’s face. “Whatever, I went easy on you anyway sis.” He scoffed. “Yeah right Max, that’s why you screamed when she beat you!” Dante laughed. He was out of cards, and watching carefully as Storm dealt cards, waiting for that Jack that would get him back in the game. “AHH! She’s quick!” he yelled, putting his head down on the table and flipping a card at Storm, who was trying very hard not to laugh.

Three hours later it was down to one table, before they could start the next round. Jamie and Gambit were both running out of cards, and had missed three Jacks, which meant the next Jack won. “Yeah Jamie, kick his butt!” Kiera cheered. “No! Gambie, squish him into the dust!” Allie squeaked. Suddenly there were two loud bangs as Gambit and Jamie both slammed their hands on the table. “AHH WON!!!!!” Jamie screamed, pointing at his and Gambit’s hands; Gambit’s was on top. “Yeah, so you win dis round. Gambit get you next time.” Gambit smiled. “Yeah right. I’m quick like lightning, can’t beat lightning! Can’t touch this!” Jamie cheered. “Okay MC Hammer, cool it and let’s start the second round.” Scott laughed.

While everyone started round two, to find the next group of winners and losers, Lyrissa and Logan were still in the library, and she was telling him everything about the labs. “It hurt so bad Logan, and they didn’t even care. I was screaming, and begging for them to stop, and they just flipped the next switch to make the shocks even more until I just blacked out.” She explained tearfully, lying back against his chest as they sat in the now dark library. He didn’t have a reply, so he just stayed silent and waited for her to continue. “I woke up in the cell, and Mystique wasn’t there, but I could hear her yelling at the guards somewhere down the hall, until they started ‘punishing her for her bad actions’. That just meant they thought that beating, burning, whipping, tasing, and torturing was justified. When they threw her in the cell with me, she just laid back on her mat and closed her eyes without saying a word. We didn’t talk much; she said they’d separate us if they thought we had become friends.

“The worst part was dreaming. I was so tired I just slept when we were in the cell, and I kept having the same two dreams. One where you came and got me, and took me home and I just lived happily until I woke up in hell again. And one where you stood there and, and watched them… a-and laughed when I s-started screaming.” She started crying again by the end of her explanation.

“I’d never stand by and let someone hurt ya.” He whispered.

“I know.”

He moved his hands up her arms and rested them on her shoulders, gently massaging her back with his thumbs. Her hair started to sparkle almost instantly. “Like it?” he smirked. “Yeah. That feels… amazing.” She moaned, leaning her head back against him. He kept his smirk and kept up with the massage, scooting her farther in front of him, and working his way down her back.

“AH!” she gasped, and teleported a few inches to his left suddenly. “What happened?” he asked quickly. “I… that really hurt.” She grunted, doubling over on the floor. “I’m sorry.” He sighed, moving to her side and checking over her. The back of her yellow pajama top was slowly starting to turn red in one spot; he accidentally opened one of her wounds. “Okay, don’t move, I’m gonna lift yer shirt and see how bad it is. One of the cuts opened up.” He explained. She nodded, biting her lip out of habit, and waited. He carefully moved the fabric from her back and sighed, she needed to go to the infirmary and get it re-bandaged. He explained this to her and took her down.

No one noticed them pass the game room on their way down, but on the way up after she was patched up was another story. “SPARKLES! Oh my god, it’s down to Jean, and Cyclops for King or Queen of Slap Jack!” Jazz breathed excitedly, pulling her by the arm into the room to join the crowd that surrounded their table. Logan stood next to her, supporting some of her weight and watched the match, which had just begun.

Slam!

“Move faster than that Scott.”

Slam! Slam!

“Owe!”

“Fast enough?” he smirked as she rubbed her hand.

Slam!

“Not really.”

Slam!

“Come on Scotty, she’s beating you bad!” Allie shouted.

The cards continued to hit the table as they waited for another Jack.

SLAM! Both hit at the same time.

“Tie!” almost everyone in the room called out. They continued throwing cards onto the table, and passed up the Jack.

“JACK!” Box screamed, and Scott hit a Queen. “Gotcha!” he laughed. “Oh man he fell for it!” Jamie laughed. Scott Summers wasn’t amused.

Slam! Jean got the cards, again.

Slam! Jean won again. “You’re going easy on me Scott. Knock it off.” She laughed.

Slam! He hit first.

Slam! He won again.

A few hits later, Jean was out of cards.

SLAM! His hand hit a split second before hers, and the match was over.

“All hail the mighty King Cyclops: Slapper of Jacks!” Lyrissa cheered with a laugh. Everyone joined in her cheering and Jazz put a paper crown she had made while waiting for the end of the tournament on his head. “Oh great King Cyclops, as your loyal subject I ask: can your queen make dinner yet?” Andrew asked, bowing playfully and nodding towards Jean who was laughing quite hard. “As queen, I shouldn’t have to cook.” She giggled. “Then Gambit cooks for his king and queen! MAKE FOOD GUMBO!” Dante ordered. “I don’ think so.” He grinned, shaking his head. “Spawkles, you cook then!” Allie smiled.

“You cook?” Scott asked. “Well, someone had to feed us, stupid.” Jamie teased. “Hey don’t call your king stupid!” Kiera scorned playfully. “Sorry King Cyclops.” He pouted. “Okay, so what would you cook Sparkles? Since you have a kitchen to work with and all, and it’s stocked with food!” Andrew asked. “Well, I think I’d make the frozen pizza’s that are in the freezer right now.” She laughed. “All in favor?” Max asked loudly, all hands rose. “All opposed?” he shrugged. “Okay! We eat Pizza. Cook us food Sparkles!” he cheered. “Mmhmm.” She nodded and limped out of the game room with Logan helping her.

Later at dinner, the kids had set the table up like a medieval banquet, without proper ranks because they couldn’t figure it out. Once Scott announced that they could eat, all hell broke lose. Pepperoni went flying at Jamie, as planned by Kiera and Allie, Gambit had to sing, since he never paid Max for their bet about Lyrissa and Logan, and the boys all had an announcement.

“Everyone, can I have your attention?” Dante asked. “Hello? People!” still no one really noticed. Jamie held his hand up, and stood on his chair. “HEY!” he shouted, and everyone silenced. “Talk to the people Dante.” He smiled, sitting down. “Okay, Professor Xavier is cool enough, to let us get a pet. So tomorrow, we would like one of you to take us to the pet store, please? We already talked, and made an agreement on what to get, and what to name him, we just need a ride.” He announced. “And what are you getting?” Storm inquired. “Tarantula.” Max, Box, Jamie, Andrew, and Dante answered together. “Oh hell no!” Kiera stated firmly. “Kiera,” Jean warned about her language. “Sorry, Jean. But no way are you getting a tarantula!” she shouted. “They will not be using it for any pranks. It will stay in it’s cage unless they are playing with it, and even then it will be in a room with the door closed and exits blocked off incase they drop it. And they will not be chasing you, or anyone else with it.” Xavier explained; he had gone over the rules with them three times before dinner. “I’ll take you tomorrow.” Scott volunteered, earning cheers and high fives from the boys. “If I find it in my room, I’m going on a killing spree.” Lyrissa muttered so that only Logan heard her. He smirked and finished dinner.

The rest of the night was boys arguing with girls over the future pet “Bennie”. “He is not staying in your room Max, you’re right across the hall of me!” Kiera argued. “He’ll be in a cage!” he shouted. “Doesn’t matter, I want him in my room.” Dante grinned. “No. We’re side by side, and there’s a vent that connects us… if that thing gets in my room I’ll kill you.” Jazz threatened. “According to Gambit, you’d be to busy screaming.” Max giggled. “Shut up!” she yelled.

“Make me!”

“I will!”

“Do it!”

“FINE!”

“COME ON!”

Jazz created a bubble around him, and lifted him off the ground. “Hah, you told me to sucker.” She chuckled. “Jazz! What is going on in here?” Beast asked; he was on his way down to stop their argument and found Max in the bubble. “Nothing.” She sighed, dropping him on the couch and leaving the room. “HEY! Can we keep Bennie in your lab Beast?” Max asked quickly. “YEAH!” Dante agreed; it was the perfect idea. “I don’t see why not, is that what the argument was about?” he answered. “Yeah.” Max, Kiera, and Dante answered together. Beast smiled and sent them to bed. It was getting late, and they should’ve been in bed half an hour ago.

Lyrissa was up in her room, trying to sleep, or relax at least but couldn’t. Every little noise to her, sounded like the guards coming back to her cell. Rustling outside her window sounded like them coming to get her, footsteps in the hall sent her into a silent terror, expecting an armed guard to burst through her door and yank her out of bed. She eventually ended up going to Logan’s door, and asking to stay with him for the night. He refused to turn her away, and talked with her until she fell asleep next to him. Leaving the lights on to make her feel safer that she could see everything.