xp_logs | Lost and Found

x-crowdofone.livejournal.com posting in

Jamie: You had to count the small blessings. They were always there if you looked. Jamie huddled in the tree house, shuddering convulsively, and could only come up with two: he'd already been wearing a sweatshirt, so he wasn't very cold, and he'd managed to throw up before he climbed the rope ladder, instead of after. It wasn't very comforting.

Kitty: Kitty came hurrying through the woods. She'd learned long ago that running through the darkness, even on the paths, was a good way to get hurt, but she was in a hurry. Phased out she dashed along the trail to the tree house where she hoped she'd find Jamie. As the little house came in view she called out. "Jamie!"

Jamie: Jamie looked up, swallowed as much of the awful taste as he could, and tried to muster enough spit to talk. "I'm--I'm up here." He kicked the rope ladder down through the trap door.

Kitty: Kitty saw the ladder come falling down the tree and made her way over to it. Oh good, I won't have to walk through air to get to him... she thought. Phasing back in she climbed up, pulling herself into the little house. "Jamie?" she asked again, making her way towards him.

Jamie: He smiled shakily. "Hey. Predictable in my old age, huh?"

Kitty: "No more or less so than I am," Kitty answered as she knelt down by him, her mind flashing back to her own flight out here a few weeks ago.

Jamie: "I left." Jamie squeezed his eyes shut, a few stray tears leaking out. "I saw--what happened, and I should have stayed--God, what if they're hurt, and I--it was the walls, falling, I couldn't--I could hear the water rushing in the street like last time." He shivered.

Kitty: Kitty wrapped her arms around Jamie, holding onto him tightly. "What happened?" she asked quietly, her voice soft.

Jamie: "I was in the library. Homework." Jamie leaned into Kitty's embrace, working one arm free to put around her. "And I heard this explosion. And I knew Paige was around, and I'd seen Jono go down that way before, so I ran out, and there was--rubble--" He took a deep, shuddering breath. "And I was back on that street, only I knew I didn't have any dupes this time, so I ran. Some friend I am."

Kitty: "Oh Jamie," she said softly, pulling him closer. "No, don't think that." She pressed a kiss to his temple, then rested her head on his shoulder. "Did your grandfather ever talk about the war? If not I'm going to bet that Alison's mentioned Post Traumatic Stress Disorder at some point. You're not a bad friend Jamie, and you're not a bad person. You've been hurt and you're still healing."

Jamie: "I thought I was getting better. I haven't had very many bad nightmares since I started talking to the Professor, but this--and what if I could have helped?"

Kitty: "I'm glad your nightmares are going away," she said quietly. "And there are over thirty other mutants in that building, at least ten of which are adults who are supposed to be responsible for us. Maybe you could have helped, I don't know, but it's not your job, love, any more than it is mine."

Jamie: "I guess I know that. Just not much with the making sense, right now. I'm so tired of feeling like this."

Kitty: "Yeah, I know," Kitty sighed. Snuggling up closer to him she shivered faintly, but seemed disinclined to say more, happy to just be with him if he needed her.

Jamie: Jamie held her close, eyes drifting shut again as his breathing steadied. "Glad you came and found me. I think I ran into Doug in the hall, but I wasn't exactly in the land of the coherent, so . . . hey, you want my sweatshirt?

Kitty: "Of course I came after you," she said. "And yeah, you ran into Doug. He told me some of what had happened and I cam looking." Shrugging Kitty snuggled closer. "Nah, I'll be ok. You're warm."

Jamie: "Well, okay then. But if you catch a cold, I'll probably get it too, and I'm not in a chicken soup mood." Jamie rested his head atop Kitty's. "You think they're okay? Jono and Paige?"

Kitty: "Then I'll just have to not get sick," Kitty said with a little smile which faded quickly. "I don't know," she said, honestly, "but I think they will be. We're a tough group, a whole lot of fighters all crammed together in one, admitidly very big, building. But we're fighters none the less. And I think it's as much to our advantage as anything else."

Jamie: "And all those medical gadgets in the basement that make the weird noises. I still feel bad about freezing up like that, though. Got an appointment with the Professor tomorrow, he'll probably say something insighful and reassuring about it, but, y'know, not exactly forward progress."

Kitty: "Maybe, but not everyday is going to have progress. If you don't believe me just look at the entirety of human history."

Jamie: "Don't have to, I'm not taking it this quarter." Jamie chuckled softly. "No miracle cures, I know. And no going inside my head and yanking it better. Still wish I was."

Kitty: "You will be," she said with quiet conviction. "Sooner or later you will be."

Jamie: "Glad to hear it. I'm shooting for 'sooner,' though. Trauma-free snuggles are much more fun. Even if I could sit here all night." He smiled. "'Course, there is the risk of germs. And we should probably see if they need help in there."

Kitty: Kitty sighed. "I'm not really worried about the germs, but you may be right about going in..."

Jamie: "They're probably wondering where we are."

Kitty: "Mmm," she agreed, nodding slightly against his shoulder. "Possibly."

Jamie: "And somebody should keep Doug from mainlining Mouintain Dew, if that's possible."

Kitty: "Hmm, I don't know that I think it is, but it'd probably be an admirable goal."

Jamie: "I just got all comfy, though."

Kitty: Kitty smiled to herself. "Me too," she agreed, breathing in softly.

Jamie: "We can stay a little longer, then. Be a shame to spoil a good comfy."

Kitty: A giggle escaped her. "I quite agree."

Jamie: "That's settled, then. Did I say I'm glad you came and found me?"

Kitty: "You did, yes. I'm glad you stayed put to be found."