Once things around the mansion started to regain a sense of normalcy, Bobby decides to get out of the mansion. Rather than enjoying the weather, swimming, or tanning, he is lying next to the pool practicing his powers. His brows are furrowed in concentration as his fingertips are barely grazing the waters surface. He is trying to lower the temperature of the water as close to freezing as he can without turning the pool to ice.
Hes focusing so intently that he doesnt hear the approaching footsteps. Bobby is completely oblivious, even asthey kneel beside him.
Is than an icicle in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?
Huh? What? Bobby says startled. He jumps and loses concentration. The entire pool turns to solid ice.
Emma! Bobby says, clearly surprised to see her.
I couldnt resist. Emma says rising to her feet.
I didnt even hear you creep up.
I made sure you didnt. Emma says with a smirk.
Guess that explains it, Bobby says, wiping his hands on his pants after rising to his feet. How was your trip?
Boring and uneventful.
Youre back early.
Caught an earlier flight. I have lots of work that needs to be done here.
Sounds fun.
Oh yes, Emma says sarcastically. Now that Im back I cant wait to tackle the mounds of paperwork on my desk. Looks like youre going to have to find something else to occupy your time as well.
Looks that way . . . Bobby agrees, surveying the frozen water.
With that, Emma turns and walks away leaving Bobby confused.Emmas behavior today is in stark contrast to how she behaved in the kitchen a few nights ago. Shed been distant and unsociable, where as today she seemed almost playful and in good spirits. The only other person he knows of that can switch moods as quick is Rogue, but even then her hot and cold tendencies were nowhere near Emmas level. Emma could switch from being soft to shutting down and putting her walls back up faster than anyone he ever knew.
Bobby looks at the frozen pool and sighs. It will take a long time for it to melt, and while he could go get one of the X-Men to use their powers to defrost it for him, he isnt in the mood to practice anymore. He looks down at his watch and then decides to go see what Hank is up to.
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Later that evening, most members of the X-Men are sleeping soundly. Bobby is one of them. Hes enjoying another peaceful sleep until the environment of his dream changes abruptly like so many times of late.
His dream scape transports him to another environment and he finds himself on a cot-like bed in a small dimly-lit room. The door of the room slowly opens and a man in uniform enters. Bobby stands and tries to speak, but his mouth is covered and he is thrown back against the bed with force. He tries to stand again, but the uniformed man once again pushes him back down. As Bobby resists, a fist comes down against his face and he tastes blood in his mouth. He spits out the blood only to be backhanded again. The bedsprings creak as Bobby is pressed down into the mattress, the weight of the man crushing him . . . and now Bobby is on the other side of the room facing the opposite wall. All hints and tastes of blood are gone. Confused, he turns around and faces the bed
The man in uniform is still pinning someone down against the bed, but it isnt Bobby. No matter how much they try to resist, they are easily being overpowered by the much larger and stronger man. Bobby cant see whos on the bed due to the position and bulk of the man, but he can hear the muffled screams of protest through their hand-clamped mouth. He tries to run over to help but he is met by some type of invisible barrier preventing him from doing so. Bobby punches and scratches at the barrier, but he is unable to break through.
CLANK.
The guard drops something and bends down to pick it up. Momentarily free, the victim sits up and screams for help. Bobbys eyes widen in horror when he sees the victim. He fights harder than ever to get past the wall, but his attempts are futile. The guard backhands the person and clamps a hand back over their mouth, but somehow the screams continue.
Psychic screams erupt from every corner of his mind and while the dream scape vanishes almost instantly, the screams continue in the darkness. Bobby tries with all his might to will his self awake and finally succeeds. As soon as he wakes, Bobby bolts off the bed and darts out of the room. His bare feet hardly make a sound as he sprints down the empty hallway.
When he finally reaches his destination, he tries to open the door but finds it locked. Concentrating, Bobby places his hand over the lock and carefully uses his powers to make an ice key to unlock it. With success, he quietly opens the door and hurries in, shutting it behind him.
He rushes to the bedside where shes thrashing wildly in her sleep.
Emma. He calls out, trying to wake her.
After repeating her name over and over with no luck, he leans over and puts a hand on her shoulder, softly shaking her as she thrashes. Suddenly her eyes snap open and she jumps up from the bed, wrapping her arms around his neck. The shock of her actions and the force with which she clutches onto him nearly knocks him to the floor. She squeezes him tightly and he puts his arms around her in an attempt to calm and comfort her.
Emmas body is shaking and she is breathing heavily. Bobby can feel the heat and the wetness of her cheek against his. Her choked sobs catch against his neck. He gently smooths her hair and holds her, saying nothing but comforting words until she stops shaking.
H-How . . . did you know?
I heard you in my head.
She remains silent for a while, her posture tightening but her grip doesnt loosen. Her face is still against his neck, but her breathing is much more controlled. She hasnt looked at him yet.
Are you ok? Bobby asks concerned.
Emma loosens her grip on him and abruptly breaks contact. Thank you for waking me. She answers coldly, her icy facade returning.
Emma, your nose . . .
Emma raises a hand to her nose and feels the blood on her fingertips. She rarely had these anymore.
IF youll excuse me a moment, Emma says, rising and entering the bathroom so quickly he doesnt have a chance to respond.
Bobby chalks the nose bleed up to being dream-related and takes a look at his surroundings. Hes never seen the interior of Emmas room before. The room is dark, the only light coming from beneath the bathroom door and the faint moonlight entering through the window. Despite the darkness, the large expanse of white that is her bed seems to give off a glow of its own.
Bobby notices the disarray of the tangled sheets and pillows and tidies up the bed for her. Its obvious she has not had a peaceful rest. He thinks of the coldness she addressed him with prior to going into the bathroom and knows he should leave quickly once she returns. This is not a state shes comfortable being seen in and with how quickly she put her walls up, he does not want to make things difficult for her. Its not long after he finishes making the bed that she emerges.
Emma has changed her clothes and her hair and face are flawless. If Bobby hasnt seen her just minutes before, hed never have been able to tell she had been crying or that her nose was bleeding. Despite this, her body language shows that she is still shaken up. Bobby respects her attempts to cover it up, and not wanting to make things awkward, says nothing about it.
Ill head back to my room now. Call me if you need anything ok? Gnite Em.
As Bobby turns from her and heads toward the door, Emma has to will herself from grabbing him. As he gets closer to the door, she struggles with her pride, and for once, pushes it aside.
Wait, Emma says, reaching out for his arm.
The sensation of her touch makes him realized for the first time that he is hardly dressed. With the urgency to get to her room, he hadnt stopped to put anything else on. The look in Emmas eyes and her expression silences every thought he has.
Will you stay here Bobby? Please? In a true moment of vulnerability, her insecurity and pleading go against everything shes known for, but right now she doesnt care. She doesnt want to be along right now.
Bobby is shocked at Emmas request. He is even more shocked to hear her call him Bobby. Theres no way hed say no.
Y-yeah Ill stay. No problem. He stammers at first, then tries to cover up his nervousness.
Emmas shoulders visibly relax and she has regained her composure. She walks over to her bed, and being a gentleman, Bobby sits on the floor, preparing to get comfortable.
What are you doing?
What? He asks confused.
You dont have to sleep on the floor. Emma says, a small hint of amusement in her voice.
Bobby takes a deep breath and stands, walking to the other side of her bed. He carefully lies down and remains completely still. Hes almost too nervous to breathe. He never thought that when he went to bed earlier that evening that he would find himself hours later in Emmas bed. He doesnt know what to make of what he saw in her nightmare and he hasnt a clue if he should even mention it. Her behavior tonight has been rocky at best, flipping between the two extremes so fast it nearly made his head spin.
Goodnight. She says, turning on her said with her back facing him.
Goodnight Emma. Bobby says back.
He glances over at her, watching the moonlight reflect off her shoulder and then proceeds to stare at the ceiling. With as many questions as he has floating around in his head, he doubts hell fall asleep any time soon.
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