Title: Up Late
Author: Lisea
Pairing: none, but mainly
Xavier
Rating: PG
Summary: Xavier and a house full of scared
children
***
"Kitty?"
Kitty turned around and saw
Xavier in the doorway. He wheeled himself in the kitchen and next to
her, while she was staring at her mostly-melted chocolate ice
cream.
"Can't sleep?" Xavier said, folding his arms on his
lap.
"What if they come back?" Kitty whispered. Her voice
shook, an the Professor could see tears on her cheeks.
"They
won't. You're quite safe here."
"You said that the last time"
she wasn't trying to be harsh, but fear made it come out that way.
"Sorry. I didn't mean..."
"Shh" Xavier wiped some hair of her
face, tugged it behind her ear. "It's quite alright. I give you my
word, no one will harm you anymore. The man responsible for the
attack is gone, he's not coming after you anymore."
He paused
when he noticed that Kitty had started to cry. He reached out and
pulled her close, held her in his arms the best he could,
considering the wheelchair. He knew the children were still scared,
and his heart bled for it.
"It's alright. You're safe. I'm
here, as well as the X-Men. If someone comes here again, they'll
have to get through us, first" He waited till she looked up at him,
then smiled. "And as your friend Jubilee would put it, we would
'kick their ass'."
Kitty, while still in tears, burst out
laughing.
"Thanks" she said, then got up to hug
him.
"It's alright. Why don't you go back to bed, now? As I
believe, Mr. Summers is giving you a test tomorrow?"
"Ick"
She said, and grabbed the ice cream to put it (or what was left of
it) back in the freezer. Then she came back to him, and hugged him
again. "Thank you, Professor. Good night."
"Good night, my
dear. Sleep well."
Kitty let the kitchen, leaving Xavier by
himself. After a while, Logan came in the kitchen.
"Aren't
the kids supposed to be in bed at this hour?" he grumbled, and sat
down with a bottle of Coke.
"They're afraid. After what has
happened, I don't blame them."
"Scott's upgrading the
security systems downstairs. I guess it lets him think about
something other than..." Logan trailed off.
"Something other
than Jean?" Xavier offered.
"Poor kid's in pain. Those two
really cared for each other" Logan said, and took a long gulp of his
Coke.
"I never had any doubt" he consentrated for a while,
then sighed.
"If you'll excuse me, Logan... I believe I have
a child to put to sleep."
Logan nodded and looked at the
professor, not envying his place at all. So many children, so many
nightmares.
And only one father figure to soothe
them.