The Longest Night: Part One

by Kerri

The phone ringing brought Charlotte out of a deep sleep. She fumbled for the receiver, knocking it over before realizing it wasn't the one that was ringing. She stumbled to her feet, moving over to the bureau where her cell phone rested and extended the antenna. "Yeah?" she yawned into it.

"Charlotte?"

The familiar voice brought her closer to the waking world. "Yeah. Emma? Do you know what time it is?" She peered at the illuminated clock dial. 1:30am. She'd only been in bed 2 hours after the poker game broke up. A sleepy grin escaped her on that one. She'd managed not only to clean Bishop and Bobby out, but hang on to her winnings after Betsy and Nathan joined the game. She couldn't have done that if Logan had been playing. He always distracted her while they played. To be fair, she did the same thing to him every chance she got.

Unfortunately, for him, he got back from the Harry's with Remy about the time the game broke up, too drunk to even see straight. Kept calling her Kitty, if that wasn't an interesting moment. Remy hadn't been much better but he managed to get to his room on his own two feet, refusing the oh so gentle assistance Rogue offered with a scowl. Hank helped her toss Logan on his bed, assuring her he'd be sober in a few hours, but now that she was awake she could hear the snoring from next door. Sounded like he was killing a moose with a rusty spoon, or maybe the moose was killing him.

"I guess you haven't heard. Jubilee and Thomas have been in an accident."

It didn't sink in at first. She blinked several times, the silence lengthening as she waited for a reaction from her. Then it hit her, terror seizing her brain and her heart, squeezing her chest. "Thomas? Jubilee? What happened? Are they okay? Where are you?"

"I don't have any information on their conditions. I'm at the school. I tried to call Logan, but he's not answering the phone. How soon can you get there?"

"Where are they?" She was already pulling clothes out of the closet.

"San Francisco General. Jubilee went out with Everett to visit and do some Christmas shopping. I'm on my way there." Underneath the cool tones was a current of anxiety in the White Queen's voice. Jubilee was one of hers.

"I'll be there as quickly as I can. 10-15 minutes." She searched the dresser for her homing belt. Gating back to her house, then on to San Francisco would be the quickest way. Dammit, she left it in one of the labs. "How did you find out?" She wasn't going to think about why Matthew or the others hadn't called her. Couldn't think about it now.

"Everett called me."

"Meet you there."

She pulled on her clothes, grabbing a jacket and her knife on the way out of the room. Outside the door she stopped. She had to tell Logan. For Jubilee's sake, if not her own. She knocked on Logan's door. No answer. She turned the knob and went in.

He was laying in the same position they'd dropped him in two hours ago. She shook his shoulder. "Logan, wake up." He mumbled and turned from her. "Logan, there's been an accident. Jubilee's in the hospital."

"Call 'er tomorrah," he rasped out, burrowing into the pillows.

"Logan, I need you," got past her lips before she could choke it back. He was too drunk to understand her. Too drunk to help anyone. With a last look, she left his room and headed for the elevator.

When the elevator stopped she didn't watch where she was going, she dashed out and ran smack into Scott and Nathan, connecting painfully with Scott. Charlotte bounced back, losing her balance, toppling over in the elevator and hitting her head against the back wall with a loud thunk. She winced and scrambled for her knife, pushing it into her boot. Wrong floor.

"Careful," Scott staggered back, the wall catching him.

"Sorry," she offered tightly, on her feet and pushing buttons, anything to get this crate moving more quickly.

They both stepped in the elevator with her. She didn't notice them followed her out.

In the lab, she found her belt in a drawer. She'd been showing Hank the circuitry the other day and had put it there for safe keeping. She strapped it on, then felt a hand on her arm. She looked up into Nathan's questioning eyes.

"Let go," she told him.

He shook his head. "Tell us what the problem is."

Scott looked down at her with concern, her obvious upset pushing back his normal uneasiness about her. "Is there something wrong with Wolverine?"

Cable felt her emotions spike at Logan's name. His grip tightened on her arm.

"I just got a call from Emma. Jubilee and Thomas were in some kind of accident, they're in the hospital. I'm on my way out there." She tried to shake his hand off. "I've got to go."

"I'll go with you," Nathan told her. "You're in no condition to do this alone."

"Why isn't Logan going? Did you tell him?" Scott asked.

Her eyes flashed at him. "Emma tried to call him. I tried to tell him him. He's too drunk to do anyone any good right now." Her words came out more forceful and hateful than she intended them to sound. "I don't need you to come with me." That's it, reinforce your independence, she told herself. You're getting soft, thinking you need anyone. The urge for physical confrontation grew inside her. She had to get away from them.

"Tell Dom I'll call her when I get a chance," Nathan told his father. He reached down and activated the gate return.

The light flashed and they found themselves in the gate room. Charlotte turned on him, pushing him off the platform, doubling up her fists to swing at him, striking out with the pain and fear inside at the only available target.

He caught her linked wrists with one hand, letting her momentum carry her around, grabbing her around the waist him the other, bringing her back up against his body. She struggled against him, emotions out of control. Nathan forced her against the wall, covering her with his big body, holding her down till the anger worked out of her. He knew she'd do this.

<Your problem's not with me,> he told her matter-of-factly. <You want to fight some more, or you want to get to the hospital?>

She didn't answer, she didn't need to. He could 'hear' her talking to herself, trying to find a rapid way out of the pain. There was no quick way.

<Let me go,> she said quietly. <Please.>

He moved off her slowly, half expecting another attack. <It'll be okay.>

She gave him a bare half-smile. <I hope so.> In another moment they were engulfed in the light.

They were standing on the front grounds of large mansion shrouded in fog. Nathan could smell salt air and feel the cold ocean breeze. <Who lives here?> he asked, looking up at the mansion. Lights were on in the downstairs windows, but he couldn't see the upper stories through the mist. San Francisco?

<Friends.> She strode up towards the front door. <And we've just breached their security. Brace yourself.>

She knocked on the front door. Then again. The door opened slowly, a gun barrel pointing at her. She stood still and waited for recognition, willing Nathan to not do anything.

"Charlie?" The gun lowered and the door opened. "Why am I not suprised?"

"Hi, Nick. Sorry to just drop in on you like this but I got a message Thomas was in the hospital." Hide the pain in a joke, don't let them know I'm dying inside. She felt Nathan's presence against her shields. Damn him, he knew.

"Yeah. Derek and Rachel are there right now." He shook himself a little. "Who's your friend?"

"I'm sorry. Nick, Nathan. Can I borrow a car to get into town?"

"I'll drive you in, it'll be quicker," the young security chief said, his eyes on Cable. An Ex-Navy Seal, he knew a warrior when he saw one, and Cable was pressing all his warning buttons. "Let me grab my shoes and I'll be right with you."

Scott headed for Logan's room, working himself into a fairly rotten mood. He opened the door, took one look, then shut it again. The older man was too out of it to yell at right now. He'd wait till morning, bright and early. Make the old man sorry to be nearly impossible to kill. Might put Jean on that, once he explained the circumstances.

Nick let them off in front, Charlotte had the door open before the car stopped and took the front steps in a run, already searching for Thomas's thought signature. Nathan followed behind, adding his power to hers, his hand reaching for her arm again. This time she didn't pull away, she almost seemed to welcome his strength.

<I can't find him,> she told him, forcing back the panic.

<Try again.>

Nick joined them. "I forgot to tell you what room he's in, come on."

He led them to the elevator and up several floors, the silence inside her, in the elevator nearly deafening. Down the hall, Derek Raynes and Dr. Rachel Corrigan sat outside talking quietly. They stood up when they spotted the new arrivals.

Charlotte bypassed them both and went into the room, the sight of her son drawing her forward even as she felt nothing from him. Nate let her go.

The face on the pillow was pale, too pale for his coloring, his apparent age obvious without life to animate his features. For a moment, a horrifying second, she thought he was dead. Then the sounds the heart monitor intruded on her fear, lessening it somewhat. This man wasn't her son; this child was her life.

Reaching out both with her mind and hands she touched his cold forehead, taking his hand in hers. Almost immediately she began to shudder, the images coming through wracking her in their intensity. <NO!>

Cable's head snapped back, her 'scream' echoing through his head with white-hot intensity.

3000 miles away Domino jerked awake at the flood of unfamiliar pain washing over their psi-link, breathing hard and wild-eyed, reaching for the gun under her pillow. She sat up straight, aiming for nothing. After shaking off the aftereffects she picked up the phone. She hated being linked to Nathan sometimes, she really did. If he was just getting laid somewhere, playing kinky games, she was liable to take her gun to him for waking her up.

He got her out of there and into a waiting room down the hall. Everett sat in there staring at a magazine blankly. He looked up when they entered, not really seeing them. "Jubilee?" he asked.

Cable shook his head at the young mutant. "Nothing yet." He held Charlotte against him, praying she wouldn't collapse, wishing Jean was here, cursing Logan for not.

Charlotte calmed down slowly, but she did regain control. She'd think about it later, when she could be alone. Right now she needed to be strong, for herself, for Thomas, Jubilee, for Everett who looked at her like she'd lost her mind.

With a deep breath she stepped away from Nathan-

<Thank you.>

<Always.>

-and slipped her arms around Ev, his turn for comfort. He stood stiffly, then released his breath, his arms engulfing her in his need for maternal comfort. For a moment she thought he'd cry, he deserved the release.

"As far as we know," Jean told Domino, "there's been some sort of accident. Nathan went with Charlotte out to San Francisco. Whatever you felt must have been her. Her son and Jubilee were in an accident."

"Does he need help?" Damn bastard. What did he think he was doing? Knight in shining armor?

"No. As far as we know everything is under control. We'll be glad to let you know if anything changes."

"I'm on my way, something about this doesn't feel right." Maybe because he was with her, maybe the absence of Logan in all this, but it didn't sound right. The shock following the pain through her head still jangled her nerves some. Action would help.

"They won't let me see her," Everett told Charlotte, trying to be the strong one, the rock. He was only 17 years old, he shouldn't be here feeling this.

"We're going to see her now." She released the boy and took his hand, squeezing it firmly. He nodded, losing a little of the lost air around him. Someone was in charge, he felt better. "Emma will be here soon, anyway, we'll let her deal with the hospital." The hospital didn't stand a chance.

A slight chuckle escaped Ev.

<I would like Jean to come out here,> she told Nathan. <Would you call and ask her? Thomas, his mind is so torn up, I can't.... I don't....>

<I'll contact her,> he assured her.

<Hank, too. I want someone I can trust.>

<I'll take care of it.>

Jubilee was asleep, some bruising around her neck and shoulders visible over the hospital gown. She was clearly sedated, but seemed to be resting normally.

Ev took her hand, sinking down in the chair next to the bed. Charlotte steeled herself to peek into Jubilee's mind. It was...not wonderful, but nowhere near Thomas's. She would pull out of this okay, she had to.

"What happened?" Charlotte asked the boy.

He couldn't say the words.

<Ev, what happened? Emma said it was an accident.>

<It was no accident!> he shot back to her. <He almost killed them!>

Charlotte moved over to him, resting her hands on his shoulders. <Tell me everything you remember.> She could feel Nate listening with her. His presence in her mind was comforting.

They'd spent the evening on Pier 39 where they'd played in the arcade, ate dinner and shopped in the cold. The teens had been having a wonderful time on their visit with Thomas and Matthew. Discussing the next day's plans, they'd crossed the street in time to be the city's newest statistics.

Thomas took the full brunt of the accident, pushing Jubilee out of the way. The car hit him in a solid blow that his body armor managed to disperse, but he struck his head hard. The girl hit a street light, knocking herself out in the process. The driver was gone, hit and run.

Her hands tightened briefly, then she forced herself to relax. <She's going to be all right.>

<Really?>

<Yeah, really. Emma will be here very soon and she'll tell you herself.>

More fear and tension drained out of him. <Can I stay here with her? In case she wakes up?>

<I'll fix it.>

Jean set the phone down, putting her arms around Scott. "Char's asked for Hank and me to come out." They looked out the window together at the falling snow. Dawn wasn't that far away.

"How are they?"

"Hit and run driver. Jubilee will be okay. Thomas is another matter. Nate said something about possible brain damage. Whatever she found in his head scared her so much it went through him right to Domino."

"Are you up to this?"

She smiled at his concern. "Yes."

"Okay. I'll go wake Hank while you get ready. How are you getting there?"

"Nathan's going to bodyslide in for us. Time is important here, and I don't think he wants to leave Charlotte alone too long. He said she is on the edge, and once Emma gets there she won't have a reason to keep it together."

"Fine time for Logan to pull a drunk."

"He couldn't have known this would happen."

"He's been doing this too much lately. What if there had been an emergency here? We both know he should be out there with Jubilee. She looks up to him, she needs him now."

There was no arguing about this. She turned to get dressed. The door opened and closed behind her, then the front door. Fact remained, Jubilee was an X-man, he still thought of her as his responsibility. Family. In his own way, for his own reasons, his sense of family could be as binding as Charlotte's.

End Part 1.

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