Lyrissa's Sparkles

Lyrissa woke with a start the next morning to someone shaking rather hard. Unfortunately her reflex was to wake up swinging, and she hit Scott right in the face; sending his glasses flying, and causing him to put a hole through the ceiling. “I’m sorry!” she screamed over the crash while squishing her body as close to the library wall where she had fallen asleep. “Are you all right? Were are my glasses?” he replied frantically; thinking he had hit her, since he couldn’t see. “Yeah… you?” she asked while digging through the mess for his glasses. “I will be when we have my glasses.”

“Scott! What happened?!” Jean gasped as she and the others ran into the library to investigate the commotion. “He scared me, I knocked his glasses off, and he broke the library.” Lyrissa answered; still digging through the debris. “So, where’s his glasses?” Jubilee asked. “There’s half of ‘em right there.” Logan answered in amusement. Sure enough, Lyrissa was holding half of his broken set of glasses. “Well… we can tape them back together when we find the other half I guess…” Jubilee giggled. “Yep, then Scotty’ll look like the dork he really is.” Lyrissa agreed through stifled giggles of her own. “Here Darlin’ I brought yah visor so you can see.” Rogue sighed as she joined them. “Thanks.” he nodded.

“Fount it!” Lyrissa announced suddenly. Holding up the other half of his glasses triumphantly. “Great.” he grumbled sarcastically. “What’d you wake me up for anyway Scotty. And you should know better than to shake me awake; this isn’t the first time I’ve hit you.” she replied heatedly; she was far from being a morning person. “Because Allie is upset, and wants to see you. She’s in the War Room with the Professor right now.” he answered.

“Me? She wants to see me? I thought she was terrified of me now…” Lyrissa gasped with a hint of excitement. “She wasn’t afraid of you Lyrissa. It was the things she saw when she touched you. She was afraid that if she touched you again, she would see those images and that is what scared her.” Jean explained. “Well, let’s go find her then. Better than standing around in Scotty’s mess.” she smiled. The fact Allie actually wanted to be around her made her feel a lot better. Allie was very close to her, and had been since the second month she stayed with her and the other underground kids.

~Flashback~

“It’s okay, the boys were only joking about it. The place is not going to flood, and we aren’t going to drown.” Lyrissa sighed. A few of the older boys had convinced Allie that when it rained, the water came in through the storm drains, and flooded everything; and all the people who can’t swim drown. “That’s not funny jokes.” Allie pouted. “I know. We’ll just have to get them back for it won’t we?” she smiled playfully; tickling Allie a little to make her laugh. “Yeah! Those big meanies!” she agreed.

“So you feel better now? Not afraid of the rain anymore?”

“Uh-huh.” Allie snuggled close to Lyrissa happily.

“Good.”

“Lywissa?”

“What?”

“I like you. You’w nice like mommy. Will you be my new
mommy? She doesn’t wuv me anymowe… you wuv me wight?”

Lyrissa couldn’t believe Allie just asked her to basically adopt her, but she couldn’t refuse that adorable muffled voice coming from the little girl who had buried herself in her hair. “I can’t be your mommy, no one can replace someone’s mom. But I will be like your big sister, and take care of you, and never let anything happen to you.” she smiled.

“Weally?”
“Really.”

~End Flashback~

Lyrissa laughed to herself as she remembered that day; and for a few seconds, her hair seemed to sparkle brighter before dulling back down. “Whoa… did you see that Wolverine?” Jubilee whispered as they walked behind her. “Sure did.” he smiled.

Lyrissa was the only one to join Allie and the professor in the War Room. Everyone else went on about their day and respected their privacy. “Lyrissa, Allie has something she would like to tell you.” Xavier smiled as she took a seat. “Okay.” she answered; looking nervously to Allie.

“Spawkles, I sowey. I didn’t mean to huwt your feewings… you fowgive me?” she asked quietly. Lyrissa couldn’t answer, she was left speechless. Since she was feeling so many negative emotions at once, Allie couldn’t separate the positive ones and assumed that she wasn’t forgiven; she started to cry. “Oh… sweetie don’t cry, you didn’t hurt my feelings. I’m the one who should be sorry. Can you forgive me?” Lyrissa replied softly; fighting back tears of her own.

“You… you awen’t, mad… at me?” she sniffled.

“No, never. Who in the world could be?”

“Wovie. He’s aways mad.”

Lyrissa and the Professor both laughed at her answer. “Dear, even Logan can’t stay angry with you for long.” Xavier smiled. “Who’s Wogan?” Allie asked as confused as a four year old girl could be. “Wolverine’s name is Logan. Like my name is Lyrissa but you call me Sparkles.” Lyrissa explained. She was a bit surprised no one had told Allie Logan’s real name. “Why didn’t he tell me? Wogan’s easiew to say than Wovie! He wied to me!!!” Allie pouted.

“Uncle Chawie? Can I go pway now?” she asked after finallydismissing her frustration at Logan. “Of course. If you go outside, be sure to take someone with you, and stay away from the fountain. All right?” he nodded. “Okay. Bye Spawkles, I wuv you!” she beamed; hugging Lyrissa tightly.

Lyrissa felt a few tears slide down her face into Allie’s hair; which confused Allie greatly. “Why you cwying?” she asked quickly. “Sometimes, people cry when they are happy too. It’s okay Allie.” Xavier answered. “Not Spawkles, she laughs when she’s happy. Not cwy.” Allie shook her head and furrowed her brow as she replied. “No, he’s right. I’m just losing my mind right now.” Lyrissa laughed. “Uncle Chawie canfind it! He can see in people’s heads!” Allie exclaimed excitedly before rushing off to find Jubilee and ask her to play.

“How’d you do it Uncle Charlie?” Lyrissa asked happily. “I essentially had to put her through therapy to help her understand the things that have happened.” he sighed. “You played shrink?” she laughed. “You could say, as well as Jean.” he answered with a nod.

“That’s great. So she understands what happened in the lab, and to those kids, and everything?

“Not everything, I didn’t want her to be afraid of humans. She knows that there are groups that hate mutants, and that the men in the lab were one of those. She does not know that nearly all humans hate and fear us. If we were to tell her that, she would refuse to leave the mansion.”

“True. Well, thank you. You have no idea how hard it was knowing that she wanted to stay away from me like that.”

“Yes, I do.”

“Hey, you know what I meant. Stupid telepath.” she spat jokingly.

Xavier smiled in response to her ending comment, and moved towards the door. “Jean suggested that the girls go shopping, would you want to go? I believe it would help you to get out of the mansion for a while.” he said nonchalantly as he led her through the hall to the main parts of the mansion. “The girls?” she asked. “Yes. All of them.” he smiled. “All of them? Jean, Rogue, Storm, Jubilee…” she broke off trying to think of any more. “Jazz, Allie, Kiera, and yourself. Should you want to go of course.” he finished. “Where at?” she asked; he was surprised that she would even consider the offer. “Everywhere. Starting at the mall, and going until you all decide to come back.” he answered. “I’ll think about it. When are they leaving?” she nodded. “In two hours, if you’re going I suggest you get ready.” he smiled. Lyrissa grumbled something inaudible as she left for her room, but judging from her thoughts he could tell she was leaning towards going.

Upstairs in the main room Allie was really letting Logan have it for not telling her his name. “Nuh-uh! I askeded you, and you said it was Wovie! NOT WOGAN!” she yelled; she had him backed into a corner hitting him in the leg, and was quite furious. Unfortunately, she was all of two and a half feet tall, and looked utterly adorable as she was trying to intimidate him; he was trying his hardest not to laugh in front of her. Rogue, Jean, Gambit and Scott weren’t so skilled, and were all chuckling in the background. “I never said it was ‘Wovie’, kid.” he smirked.

“IT’S NOT FUNNY!” Allie yelled at the others. Feeling their increased amusement through her empathic abilities. “Ah’m sorry sugar. Can’t help but to laugh when you’re threatenin’ tah kick his butt.” Rogue giggled. “He needs time out. Wying is wong. Spawkles AND Uncle Chawie said so!” she yelled. “Yes, lying is wrong. But Logan didn’t reallylie. His name as an X-man is Wolverine, remember?” Jean smiled. Allie looked at her for a long time, as if trying to understand what she had just said. “Still mad at me kid?” Logan asked from behind her. “Yes. You’we a bad Wovie, Wogan!” she pouted.

“What did you do Wolverine?” Jubilee laughed from the doorway; only hearing Allie’s reply, and having no idea what was going on before. “Jubawee!!” Allie shrieked -forgetting her anger completely- and jumping at her. “Hey there Allie! You ready to go shopping?” she asked. Making an effort to add extra enthusiasm and excite Allie even further. “Yeah! Wogue said we can get Ice-cweame too!!” she exclaimed in response. “Great. Jazz is on her way down, and then we can go once Storm gets here.” Jubilee smiled; more to Jean and Rogue than Allie.

“Not exactly. I read a few of Lyrissa’s thoughts on the way down here, and she has decided to join you on your shopping spree.” Xavier announced suddenly. “That’s… great!” Scott beamed. “You wanna go with her Summers? I hear ya could use some new shades.” Logan smirked. “No thanks Logan. But maybe there are some things you’d like to pick up? I’m sure Allie would love to spend the entire day out with ‘Wovie’.” he retorted. Logan growled in response, knowing he was right and Allie was about to ask him to go; and sure enough she did, pulling on his pant leg while jumping up and down.

“You know, if Logan goes with us it will not be a girls day out. It will be a girls and Logan's day out.” Storm pointed out as she too joined the group by the front door. “That’s very true.” Jean agreed. “Yeah, not to mention he’d probably lose it half way through and go berserk on someone in a toy store or something.” Jubilee laughed. “No he wouldn’t, because that would get him in trouble with Uncle Charlie. He would be bored, grouchy, and probably whine and complain the entire time though. But, I have no objections if he wants to go…” Lyrissa added; singing the last part.

“It is nice to see you joining us.” Storm smiled.
“Yeah… I’ve been kind of lame these last few days. I’m sorry. I just-”

“It’s alright Lyrissa. We all understand, you don’t need to explain yourself.” Jean interrupted warmly. Lyrissa nodded with an inward sigh of relief. “So, everyone’s here? Cool! Let’s go!” Jubilee pushed excitedly; though nowhere near as excited as Allie was. She had never been out in the city, or to a mall; and if she had she didn’t remember.

“So what made ya wanna come along?” rogue asked as they all packed into her car after Kiera had finally joined them; Beast had put her on crutches, so she was a bit slower. “Uncle Charlie really wanted me to go, and I guess I’m kind of tired of being in my room, the library, or the Danger Room all the time too. So it seemed like a good idea.” she shrugged. “Oh, I get it. You went because he wanted you to. Not because you wanted to come hang with us.” Jazz retorted playfully. Lyrissa didn’t pick up on the joke, and decided it was best to sit quietly and avoid making anyone else upset.

“You made Spawkles sad! Bad Jazz!” Allie scorned in the way only a young child can. “Didn’t mean to. Sorry, I was making a Joke! I didn’t mean it ‘Rissa!” she replied defensively. “It’s okay. And Allie, I’m not sad I’m tired.” Lyrissa smiled.

“Rogue, the Professor just told me that Gambit would like you to buy him a few decks of cards while we’re out.” Jean laughed suddenly. “All right, I’ll get ‘em.” she sighed as the car began to roll.