Fruitloops, Nutcases And Prophets: Part Four

by Diamonde

It was times like this Scott really wished he could take the glasses off and see colours. It would make doing jigsaw puzzles a lot easier.

"Bonjour, fearless leader. Remy hears dat you got yourself an imaginary friend. Please tell me if I'm gonna sit on him, it upsets dem."

"Jacob isn't around. And he's not imaginary."

"I believe you… well, sort of." Remy sat down on the other side of the puzzle. "Mind if I do some sky?"

"No." He smiled and patted the piece of water he'd been trying to fit in for the last five minutes. "How did you get in, anyway? I didn't hear the door."

"De window." He shrugged at the look Scott gave him. "Old habits die hard."

"Ookay. Which brings us to questions two and three. Why do you believe me and why are you here? We've never really been what you'd call friends."

Gambit started sorting the sky pieces. "I believe you because I see dis before. Dat's why I come to visit, I t'ink you want to see someone who sort of believe you."

Scott clutched hope ferociously. "You've seen what before, exactly?"

"One of my cousins-in-law, he saw people an' t'ings dat not dere. He was still perfectly sane."

"But he was seeing things."

Gambit smiled kindly. "Fearless leader, I grow up in voodoo country. Dere more dan one explanation for dis sort of t'ing."

"So that was what was wrong with him? How did you fix it?"

"It wasn't not'ing voodoo we could find, we never figure out what de problem be. He still nice, friendly person, start teaching young pups like me."

"What happened to him?"

"One day he jump on a building dat not dere. Unfortunately, de ground not go nowhere."

Scott winced. "I'm sorry."

"People die, he was old. Dere are worse ways to go."

"That doesn't really make me feel a lot better."

"So stay away from heights, den you have not'ing to worry about."

"Actually, I do." Scott sighed. "The visions are getting bigger and clearer. I walked into the wall about twenty minutes ago, because I couldn't see it."

"Ouch," Remy said and began to sort puzzle pieces.

"I nearly broke my nose, and my kneecap's never going to be the same."

* * *

"I don't want to move into the mansion. I like it here."

"So do I, Scott, but it'll be safer for us to stay there until we can find out what's wrong with you."

Scott had already lost the argument, and he knew it. Far too soon for his comfort they were shifting things into an empty room in the main house.

"That's about everything we need, I think." Jean looked around. "Oh, damn. Will you be okay getting the stuff from the bathroom? I forgot it."

Scott looked hurt. "I think I can still manage something as simple as that." He was still feeling indignant when he headed for the stairs.

"Scott, what are you doing?" Bobby asked worriedly.

"I'm getting the-" he broke of, fell backwards and curled up in pain. "Who moved the stairs?!"

Bobby winced. "I was asking why you were walking into the railing. The stairs are the same place they've always been."

"No, they… they're not over here, are they? I remember now that I think about it."

Bobby reached down and helped him up. "You were seeing them where they weren't, right?"

"Yes. And I'd really appreciate it if you wouldn't mention this to anyone, especially Jean."

"I think she's going to notice, Scott. You're gonna have one heck of a bruise."

"Scott, hiding things will not help. Only by knowing all the facts can we hope to help you." Professor Xavier sat in his annoyingly silent hoverchair, implacable as always.

Scott sighed. He felt bruised, harassed and short-tempered. "It's nothing major, professor."

Professor Xavier nodded. "I know. I sometimes try to walk down the stairs over there as well, when I've just woken up. I soon realise my mistake, however, because I am trying to _walk_ down them."

Scott snapped out of his grouching self-pity. "You mean the stairs really _were_ here?"

"Yes. When I was seven. They had to be rebuilt years before you came here, and they were moved over about six feet. I fail to see the significance, except for your injury."

"Not much, probably. But most of the time it's like… I'm seeing into the past."

"That is highly unlikely, Scott, but I will mention it to Edith."

"Edith?"

"The specialist."

"Well mention away, but if I don't like her I'm not saying anything."

"Scott, be reasonable…"

"I'm being perfectly reasonable. I'm not insane, and if she sits down with a little notebook saying 'how did not being adopted make you feel?' I'm leaving." He forced himself to stand up straight and hide the wince. "Now I have to go get a few things." With slow, limping dignity he went down the stairs in their new location.

Professor Xavier looked at Jean, having broken the latest incident to her as gently as possible.

"He walked into the railing?" Jean hugged a pillow and sat down on the bed.

"Yes. He couldn't see where the stairs where." Xavier sighed. "Jean, I'm going to be honest with you. There is something very, very wrong with Scott's mind. I am a psychiatrist and this planet's most powerful telepath, but I confess that I have no idea what it could be. Edith, with her wider and longer experience may know something I don't, but I wouldn't put too much hope on it."

"I see. Can I just have a minute alone to think about this?" Jean said quietly.

"Of course."

Jean was still thinking nearly a quarter of an hour later when there was a soft knock on her door. "Jeannie?"

"What do you want, Logan?"

"I was worried about ya. Can I come in?"

"Sure, whatever."

Wolverine came in quietly and sat down on the end of the bed. "Y' okay?"

Jean sighed. "I'm worried about him. If we can't find out what it is, how are we going to fix it? What if we can't, and he sees things like this for the rest of his life? I don't think I could live that way, Logan." "You'll cross that bridge if it ever turns up, which it won't. Cyke ain't the type t' stay this way long. Too stubborn."

"But ten years! Gambit said ten _years_ and no change… what if I can't do it!" Jean burst into tears.

"Aw, hey…" Wolverine hugged her. They stayed that way for a while, and Jean began to feel quite comforted. She'd always have friends to lean on, and Logan would never abandon her.

Scott wandered in and glanced over at them. "I'm not committed _yet_, you know." He shook his head sadly and grabbed his wallet off the chest of drawers. "Nice as it is to know that neither my side of the bed or my wife will get cold after you throw me in a loony bin, it's a little embarrassing. I mean, at least make a gesture towards secrecy so I can pretend I don't know."

"Scott! There's nothing _to_ know! I can't believe you're saying this to me, you know I love you." Jean pushed Wolverine away hurriedly.

Scott smiled. "Yeah, that's the idea. Thanks." He opened his wallet and looked inside, before making a sound of abject disgust. "Look at that! Jean, do you have any small change?"

"Darling, you know I don't-" she started to defend herself again and was cut off.

"It's okay, I'll borrow some from the jar on Bobby's desk."

Jean gave up. "Why do you need small change? You aren't seeing Coke machines or anything, are you?"

"No, Gambit's teaching me tricks. He's really very good, and _don't worry_, the professor said that it was a perfectly safe thing for me to do."

"Are you learnin' anything?" Wolverine asked, thoroughly confused.

Scott grinned. "I sure am. Give me twenty bucks and I'll make it disappear."

Logan shook his head, but Jean poked him. "Is this a genuine magic trick?" he asked suspiciously.

Scott frowned, looking innocently confused. "Of course it is. Don't you like them?"

"Uh, sure. Hold on." He felt around in his pockets, wondering if Cyclops really had gone off the deep end. "I've got a fifty, that do?"

"Great. Now this is a pretty easy trick, Remy says it was one of the first ones he learnt, but I like it and I can actually do it. Now take this pen and write something on the note so you'll know I'm not substituting it."

"Okay." Logan wrote his name on the note and gave it to Scott, who smiled happily.

"Now watch. I fold it up small, hold it in my left hand and say the magic words." He took a deep breath and looked mysterious, making mystical signs over his left hand with his right. "A fool and his money are soon parted! See ya!" He didn't even get out the door before Wolverine tackled him, but it made Jean laugh and that was what Scott had been trying for.

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