Vanessa and Jean-Paul | Sunday evening

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Jean-Paul shows up to get Vanessa his notes finally and she hands him his ass for being irresponsible about it.

Jean-Paul flew straight through the open window and into Vanessa's office, landing a bit harder than he intended to and not recovering particularly well. Sloppy flying was far more an indication of his mental state than anything else about his person might have been. "Désolé," he said, not exactly looking his friend in the eye as he handed over two packets of paper.

The first was only three pages, all neatly dated and numbered with times noted and details about Haven's activities for the previous day written out. The second, however, was far thicker, comprised of seven or so pages with far more information and personal commentary about his mark's movements. "I had trouble this morning and could not be here before I needed to be watching her today."

"Why?" There wasn't any sympathy in her voice when she asked it. It was a question issued the way a boss would, detached and demanding an answer. No, a good answer. Red eyes looked over the notes he'd taken while she waited for his reply. Vanessa had noted the way he'd landed but right now work was the priority. She could ask him if he was drunk or not sleeping again later.

"Jean Grey-Summers believed it would be a very good idea to hold me immobile in my suite," Jean-Paul answered. "It was not. But it took her a very long time to realise this."

Vanessa shifted her attention to the beginning of today's notes. "She held you hostage until...just before eight this morning? You didn't bother to check in or throw your notes on my desk on your way to watching Haven..." she read what the woman was doing at eight a.m., "feed her cat?"

"Non," Jean-Paul said. Looking away again, he said, "I was in the medlab with Kevin for most of the night."

Then, grudgingly, he finished, "She thought she was helping."

While her expression didn't soften, Vanessa did finally look up and at Jean-Paul. He seemed particularly interested in his shoes, which was interesting since he normally looked her in the eye when he spoke to her. "Look, I respect that your boyfriend's sick and that Jean is maybe crazy and misguided, but this is a job. It's a job that could very well have people's lives on the line and if you can't do it because your boyfriend is sick then I need to know that now. You're my friend, but I won't work with people who aren't reliable and who I can't depend on to do the job right." Considering that Vanessa had proven in the recent past just how much she trusted and could depend on Jean-Paul what she had just said spoke volumes.

"It was momentary only," Jean-Paul said, eyes sliding to the side. "And I am sorry. But you can see, I took the notes for today. I will not be late with the others." Don't take this job from me. I need something. I need anything that keeps me busy. Please.

"I'm not going to fuck around on this. Seriously. You know how I feel about you personally but personal relationships don't buy anyone anything with me professionally which is why I nearly threw Laurie out a window for 'organizing' my desk. Anything causes you to drop the ball on something you've said you can do barring you being in jail or in the hospital and I'm dropping you as a resource from X-Factor, got it? And don't get me wrong, I sure as fuck better be your one phone call if you get arrested, too." The last comment had a very faint underlying note of playfulness but it was hard to find under the strictness in the rest of her words.

"Oui," Jean-Paul said, taking a step back and toward the window. "As you say."

Glancing at the window and then back at her friend, when Vanessa next spoke her voice was markedly less harsh. "So what's wrong with your boy? Is he gonna be okay? I can find someone else to tail her tomorrow if you wanna sit down there with him."

"He will be fine," Jean-Paul said, pausing for just a moment. "May I ask a favour of you?"

An eyebrow raised and Vanessa nodded. "Yeah, as long as it's reasonable. I'm not going to pull my femur out of my leg for you. I'm using it."

Jean-Paul didn't laugh. He didn't even crack a smile. "I left a bag of clothing in my suite at the mansion." He spoke the words carefully, his accent a little thicker than usual. "Would you pick it up for me, please?"

That was curious. Something was going on here and Vanessa was pretty sure she wasn't going to like it. "Yeah, no problem. Where do you want it delivered and is it small enough that I can strap it on my bike or get it in saddle bags or do I need to swipe a car?" "Swipe" with Vanessa could very well mean "steal" but this time she was thinking more that she'd con her boyfriend into playing chauffeur.

"I can carry it flying," Jean-Paul said. "I think you could wear it like a backpack on your bike. I can pick it up from you here."

She nodded. "I'm not sure if I can get out there tonight but I'll try. You'll have it here tomorrow night by the latest unless you need it sooner."

"Non, that is good. Merci, mon ami," Jean-Paul said, turning around properly and heading for the window. "I will bring tomorrow's notes then, in the evening. When I am to get the clothes."

"Alright. Remember to sleep, aye?"

"Oui," Jean-Paul answered, stepping up onto the windowsill and then pushing himself out, into the darkening sky. He let himself fall for a moment before pure instinct kicked in and he found himself soaring upward. Flying, though - it was seductive. It was seductive and he needed to make himself forget what that moment of realisation had felt like when he'd opened his eyes and found Kevin crumpled on the floor opposite the bed.

Besides, he was trailing a mutant who'd taken away Kevin's mutation, supposedly.

After forty years of being a mutant, being proud of who he was and what he'd accomplished... Jean-Paul wondered if maybe being normal wouldn't be worth losing all of that.

It was something to think about, at least.