"The Lord is my sheperd," the priest said solemnly, "and I shall not want..."
Soft crying could be heard under the man of God's words, for the furneral of Moira MacTaggert, friend of the X-Men, was not a happy place.
Rahne Sinclair, probably the saddest person at the person at the service, wiped furiously at her eyes. She felt betrayed by God himself. Rahne swore that He would never see her cry again.
Rahne glanced around. The furneral was being held at Xavier's mansion, the place where Moira had drawn her last breath. Rahne could clearly recalled that night's events. Moira had been in her room, laying across her laptop, apparently catching a bit of sleep. Apperances can be so deceiving.
Mum? Rahne had said.
At last she's sleeping.
That was the moment she realized Moira was not breathing.
Dr. McCoy!!!
There was nothing the doctor could do. Moira MacTaggert had been dead for hours.
If only I had checked on her eariler, Rahne thought to herself. ...maybe she wouldn't be gone.
Inside the mansion was an entirely different story. Mutants darted back and forth, attempting to find their rooms or trying even harder to cope with undenible grief. The members of the mutant team known as Excaliber stood in one of the many hallways in Professor Xavier's mansion.
"I hate funerals," stated Pete Wisdom. "They're too bloody sad."
Meggan, ignoring him, looked out the window. "Is Rahne still out there? She'll catch her death!"
"That might be what she's trying to do," the team's leader, Kurt Wagner, replied with a sigh. "Maybe I could go talk..."
"I don't mean to sound insulting, Kurt," a voice said, "but maybe you had better let me take over."
"Professor," the team exclaimed, startled.
Xavier smiled. "It's been so long since I've seen all of you. It is a pity that it could not have been under better circumstances."
Kitty Pryde stepped out of the wall she had grieving in. "Better how?" she said bitterly. "Better as in better weather or better as in Moira still being alive?"
The professor's face filled with pity. "I know that this must be hard on all of you, but you need..."
All at once, the teamates, muttering apologies, walked away from Charles Xavier.
Sighing, the professor steered his hovercraft out the door and into the pouring rain.
Rahne heard something approaching. Turning around, she saw that it was Professor Xavier. She prayed that he wasn't here to talk to her.
"Hello, Rahne." Rahne almost cursed to herself.
"Hello there, Professor Xavier."
"Rahne, I hope you understand that from every death comes an equal gift of life. I know that right now Moira's death seems pointless, but I assure you that it will not always be like that. There is no need to blame yourself..."
Rahne stoppped listening to him. She wondering if he was just quoting a book on how to deal with death.
"...so I hope you agree with me. Will you come inside now?"
Rahne just stared at him, a blank look on her face. Then it seemed to sink in.
"Oh, okay," she muttered more to herself than to anyone else.
Once inside the mansion, Rahne headed straight for her room. She shoved past her teamates who stood in the hallway. The young woman stormed angerily into her room. Slamming the door behind her, Rahne flopped down onto her bed. Although, she knew that it was wrong, she began to get angry at Moira.
Why did you have to die? I hate you.
Rahne began to rock back and forth on her bed, sobbing. Why? Why?! Maybe God couldn't see her anguish.
A knock on the door. "Can I come in?" A friendly voice said quietly.
Or maybe He could...
"No," Rahne said, trying to not sound full of emotion.
Kitty phased through the door. She knew that it was not the time for comforting words. She sat down on the bed next to Rahne.
Rahne looked at her, her eyes filled with tears. "Oh, Kitty." she said desparingly. "She's gone."
Rahne threw herself into Kitty's arms and started crying more. Kitty held her and together they cried.
Later that evening, almost all of the X-Men were sitting around the gigantic dinner table. The day had been a long one, but no one was tired enough to sleep. Or at least that's what they claimed. Afraid of dreaming would be more correct. The young mutant, known as Jubilee, was the first to break the horrible silence.
"Maybe," she said, not sounding too enthusiastic, "we could play a game or something."
Everyone gave her a look.
"Or not..."
A cry of happiness arose from the nearby laboratory of Dr. Hank McCoy.
"Oh, my stars and garters!!!" he shouted.
The group turned and stared down the hallway. A blue furred doctor came bouncing off the walls of the hall and into the dining room.
Jean Grey was the first to speak. "Hank, what's wrong!?"
"My dear Jean," he said excitedly, "there's nothing wrong! I've found the cure to the legacy virus!"
Gasps came from the mouths of everyone in the room. Except Rahne.
The cure had been found?!?! On the day after she died?!
The group of shocked X-Men watched as Rahne got out her seat and ran to her room.
Scott, the first to compose himself, looked to Hank. "Are you sure? How do you know?"
"Well..." Hank began.
Rogue interupted him. "Stop right there, sugah. Say it so the rest of us can understand."
Hank sighed. "I was examining Moira's blood, post-mortem blood that is. Dead blood, I mean. Well, anyhow I discovered that the virus in both living and dead tissue reacted to a combination of flour, eggs and sugar."
"Flour?!" Scott said perplexed.
"Mmm, yes, flour." Hank began to look embarassed. "I was eating a piece of cake from Betsy's birthday last week, and I dropped the slice on my samples. Upon inspection, I saw that the cake was killing the virus. I further tested the results and found that certain compounds in the cake killed the virus and I was able to isolate them and make a serum." He held up a vial containing a brown liquid. "This," he said triumphantly, "is the cure to the legacy virus."
"A piece of Betsy's chocolate cake is the cure to the legacy virus?" Scott said, not taking Hank seriously.
Beast paused a moment before replying, "In short? Yes."
The X-Men sat in stunned silence.
"Beast, that's great!" Jubilee exclaimed.
Once again, her teamates just stared at her.
"What?" Jubilee said, sounding confused. "What'd I say now?"
The eyes were still watching her.
"Oh!" Jubilee said, apologeticly. "Poor Rahne."
Relieved that Jubilee's brain appeared to be larger than a grape, the X-Men began to praise Hank.
"Hank, you're a genius."
"Wow, I can't believe it."
"I knew you would find it..."
Jubilee left the room staring at the ground. No matter what the situation was, adults always ignores her opinions. It was selfish to think that at a time like this, but depressing all the same. She wandered down the halls and headed toward Rahne's room.
Maybe someone needs me, she thought. She knocked on the door.
"Hey, Rahny." She tried to sound normal. "Can I come in?"
From inside the room Rahne sighed.
So, they sent the calvery. But Jubilee? Strange.
"Sure." Rahne wiped the tears from her eyes.
Jubilee opened the door and hesitantly walked in.
"So, uh, like what's, like, well..."
Rahne looked at Jubilee, eyebrows raised.
"...so are you okay?" Jubilee finally said.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Rahne said lying though her teeth.
Jubilee sighed. "Ya know what, Rahne?"
"What?"
"You're worse at lying than Jean!"
Rahne looked offended. "I'm not that bad."
Jubilee giggled. "Yeah, you are."
Rahne actually laughed.
"Jubilee?"
"Hmm?"
"Thanks. A bunch."
Jubilee grinned. "All in a day's work."
Rahne burst out laughing, when Jubilee headed for the door and fell on her face.
"Bye, Jubilee."
Pride wounded, Jubilee muttered, "Yeah, yeah."
The next evening, nearly all of the vistors to the mansion had gone. All that remained were members of Excaliber, Generation X, and of course those who lived there. Everyone in the mansion, with the exception of Rahne, were gathered in the living room. They were waiting, rather impatiently, for Cyclops, Beast, Jean, Storm, and the Professor to emerge from their meeting. Finally, after what seemed like ages, they entered the room.
"What took you guys so long?!" Jubilee exclaimed.
"Jubilation," Logan said, patiently.
"What?"
"Shut yer trap."
"Jeez."
Scott told the room to quiet down. They all looked at him, for they had not been talking.
"It was decided," he said, "that Beast is to personally give every scientist possible, a copy of the cure. This is a task that will take almost all of us to do..."
Jubilee interupted him. "All of us? Do we look like the X-babies?"
"Look," Scott said, frustrated, "He is the only one who knows exactly what the cure is. We need to keep him safe at all costs."
Jean finished his thought. "We already chose who is going to stay."
Jubilee's eyes flared dangerously at impending doom. "For once, just once, say it's not me."
"Fraid so," Beast answered.
"WWWHHYYYY!!!!" Jubilee whined.
Scott looked at her. "Because of childish behavior like that."
Sighing, Jubilee turned away from him. Bastard she thought.
Jean's voice entered her mind. Jubilee!!
What?
Don't think that about Scott.
Then don't read my thoughts, Jubilee countered.
Jubilee watched as Jean sighed, giving up on a battle that couldn't be won.
"As I was saying," Scott continued saying,"Jubilee, Rahne, Pete, and Kitty..."
"Me?" Kitty asked. "Why?"
"Don't bother asking him. He's loves taking the fun out of everything." Jubilee smiled sweetly at Scott.
"... will be staying here," Scott finished, ignoring Jubilee.
Jubilee was surprised. "The Professor is going?"
"As much as I like to, I cannot," Xavier said,"I fear Rahne may need a shoulder to cry on."
Scott turned to Kitty, Jubilee, and Pete. "Keep the mansion in order. Okay?"
Jubilee rolled her eyes. Simply asked,"Do we have a choice?" and went back to her room.
Kitty and Pete looked at each other and shrugged. "Okay," Kitty said and then she preceeded to phase Pete and herself up to her room.
"Jean," Scott said,"Tell Jubilee to inform Rahne that she'll will be staying here."
"Sure."
Jubilee, tell Rahne that she's staying, too, please,Jean thought.
Fine, fine, I'll go now Jubilee thought irritably.
Thanks Jean replied, with a smile in her thoughts.
Jubilee tapped on Rahne's door. "Rahny? It's me."
There was no reply. Jubilee opened the door a crack and peered in. No Rahne. She stepped inside.
"Rahne?" Jubilee started to worry. "Where are you?"
Jubilee seached to room for a clue as to where Rahne was. Nothing. She wondered if was could have been suicidal. With her heart in the pit of her stomach, Jubilee peered out the second story window. And saw Rahne. She let out a sigh of relief. Rahne hadn't jumped. She was kneeling in the rain by Moira's grave. Jubilee climbed out the window and on to a nearby tree. She dropped to the ground and headed toward Rahne.
Rahne wondered if God would be kind enough to give her pneumonia. The cold wind made the rain on her mourning body almost unbearable. Warm, salty tears streamed down Rahne's face as she start at the epitaph on Moira's grave. Moira Mactaggart, beloved scientist and fighter until the end...
"Rahny!"
Rahne turned to see Jubilee running toward her. Jubilee's pajamas were sticking to her and her drenched hair clung to her face. Rahne almost laughed.
"Rahne,(pant), I came to (gasp) tell you that Scott (cough) wants you to stay (shiver) at the mansion, while Hank (chatter) delivers the cure."
Rahne nodded. "You came all the way out here to tell me that?" she asked, surprised.
Jubilee got a warm fuzzy feeling. So, I'm not always selfish, she thought, pleased with herself.
"Well...yeah." She stepped foward to give Rahne a hug. And slipped in the mud.
Splash
"Damn it!!!!!" Jubilee whined.
Snickering, Rahne pulled Jubilee out of the muck. "It's the thought..." she said as gave Jubilee a hug.
"Can we go home?" Jubilee asked as she spit the mud out of her mouth.
Rahne looked back to the grave and then together they returned to the mansion.
(About a Week Later)
The sun entered Rahne's room with complete disregard for the werewolf's mood. Rahne gave the light a dirty look and rolled onto her stomach, fully prepared to ignore the new day. It wasn't that she couldn't cope with Moira's death. Rahne had almost forced herself to believe that her mum was gone. What stopped her from getting up was the fact that Xavier would ask her how she was doing, or other annoying questions. Rahne realized that the Professor asked because he cared and not to bother her, but the truth was that she didn't feel like speaking to anyone.
Rahne half-sleep was interupted by a loud cry for help. Rahne sat up, in her half-transformed state, trying to figure out where the sound came from. Another cry. It sounded like it was coming from the kitchen.
"Help!!"
*Help*
Rahne's groggy mind concluded that Xavier was in trouble. Rahne bolted down the stairs and into the disaster scene. Kitty and Pete were already there fighting a newly freed Sabertooth. Rahne briefly wondered whose idea it was to keep the crazy mutant caged. But that didn't matter now. He was out and doing damage. With Rahne fully transformed, the three mutants attacked Sabertooth. The battle was a short blur, but the outcome was not a good one.
Sabertooth lay slain, in a dark pool of blood. Pete had passed out from blood loss. Kitty appeared dead, fallen by a lucky claw swipe. Rahne attempted to stop the gushing blood coming from her leg. But Professor X was another story. The founder of the X-Men, the beloved Professor, Charles Xavier, was positively dead.
Five minutes after the brawl, Jubilee came home from early morning shopping. The overwhelming stench of blood greeted her at the door.
"Hello?!" Jubilee called out.
Silence.
Jubilee set down her bags and tried again.
"Hello? Rahny? Professor? Anyone?"
A groan.
Jubilee swallowed. Who was that? She went toward the sound. It lead her to the most awful scene in her world. Four friends, soaked in blood, appearently dead.
"Oh, God," Jubilee muttered, "They're all gone..."
