After The Fall

Julian grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge before walking over to Josh and handing him a glass of scotch. He flopped down into the next chair, head lolling against the back as he sighed and closed his eyes.

"You okay?" Julian quietly asked. "That was a long night."

Julian sat in the dark at the end of the bar, nursing his first cup of coffee of the night. He liked this job, he really did, but he was grateful for the breaks, too. He blew on the coffee to cool it off slightly and looked around. Break though it was, Julian was still on guard. Not for trouble from patrons though. Some of the staff had taken to slapping his ass when they thought he wasn't looking. It didn't bother him, much, but they tended to favor the right cheek and it was getting a little sore.

When it had come down to it, the whole operation had been a lot easier than Julian had thought it would be. A few nights of coming in regularly, sitting quietly at the bar, paying his tab and leaving had allayed most suspicions regarding his intention as 'Josh's Ex'. So when, on the last night, Julian handed his driver's license to the bouncer he'd met that horrible night at the hospital, when everything had gone even more to shit, the man just looked at him, a question on his face.

"Can you ask your boss if he's got a minute to talk? I'd like to ask about a job. Just give him that," Julian nodded at his license. "I'll have a seat at the bar."

Julian hadn't even been sitting for 10 minutes when a club employee came to escort him to the offices. Another 5 minutes and Julian laid it all out. Who he was, his powers, what he could offer. He left with a promise to get back to him the next day.

Two days later, there he was, looking intimidating while a whole lot of desperate guys flowed through the door, all hoping to catch a glimpse of a real, live mutant and never knowing they just passed one by.

Julian looked around at the assembled instruments and took a deep breath. Just being a mutant wasn't enough, in his opinion, to make it to the top; he needed a hook. One more breath and he wiped suddenly sweaty palms on his jeans before taking his acoustic guitar in hand and beginning to sing.

"I am just a poor boy though my story's seldom told. I have squandered my resistance for a pocket full of mumbles such are promises; all lies and jests. Still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest."

As he reached the end of the verse a deep blue electric bass lifted into the air behind him. The strings began to vibrate as if plucked, deep notes underpinning the second verse.

"When I left my home and my family I was no more than a boy in the company of strangers in the quiet of a railway station running scared. Laying low, seeking out the poorer quarters where the ragged people go, looking for the places only they would know."

Julian sat at the kitchen table, damp dishcloth in his hand, scrubbing at a particularly crusty spot of dog drool on Mahalo's shell. Truth be told the scrubbing hid his shaking hands at the thought of seeing Josh again. It had been a long time since he had to confront a guy who broke his heart.

Julian sped through the red light, not caring at all for the law. A 2a.m. call from Josh's manager had set his heart racing and it wasn't going to calm until he'd seen the healer. And maybe not even then.

Anything that could have happened to Josh that was bad enough that he'd not only been sent to the hospital but not able to fix it himself AND necessitating a call to his emergency contact (which Julian would be shocked about, if he wasn't already at max adrenalin) had to be BAD.

Once he got to the hospital complex Julian did slow down, carefully obeying all stop signs and speed limits, although just barely. It'd be just his luck to get pulled over now. Finding a parking spot was even less fun but he managed, thankfully remembering to lock the door of the car he'd "borrowed" from the garage.

Running flat out, Julian burst into the emergency room, skidding to a stop and looking around. "Josh? I'm looking for Josh F-Harrison," he yelled, stumbling for a moment over Josh's 'official' last name.

Julian knelt next to his bike, carefully wiping the road grime and smashed bugs off the body and fenders. He'd needed the time away, despite the fact that he looked worse now than when he'd left. Three days of sleeping rough, not eating much and driving for hours tended to do that for a guy. But after what had happened with Josh, Eddie and Ford what Julian had needed most was time. Time to think and just...focus. Or refocus. He wasn't quite sure. In any case he felt, if not better, then definitely calmer. He'd finish up here, take a shower, maybe get some breakfast and then send a message to Josh. They needed to talk.

Kevin didn't have any real idea what it was Foley expected him to learn, or why it was necessary to do it in the Danger Room, or who the hell he was supposed to be doing it with, but he wasn't about to argue. It never seemed to do any good with Foley, so he followed him through the house, sticking close, head down and one hand hovering near the nape of Foley's neck just in case. Once they reached the sub-basement he fell back just a little, watching Foley and Eddie walk on hand in hand.

They hadn't bothered with any of the fancy zoo themed carriages - nice as they may be - for the same reason they hadn't brought one to start with. Eddie would be in and out of it and crying over the entire process, and Josh would end up having to carry him anyway, so they'd just skipped all of that entirely. Eddie had never been to a zoo before. It wasn't a luxury they could afford back home. So everything was new to him. He was very much his father's son, in that, even at so young an age, his large blue eyes would soak in the world around him as if everything was inspirational. He was incessantly curious, and entirely fearless - which Josh was grateful for because he was clearly not traumatized by their lifestyle and his environment. At the same time, it caused him grief, because Eddie was everywhere, in everything. Having to touch and taste and smell and get absolutely covered in life. Sometimes he wondered if Ford had been the same way as a child. If what had happened to him would happen to Eddie. And if anything Josh did would be enough when the time came.

Eddie gave a shriek, pointing across from them and Josh looked. "You can feed the giraffes?" He shifted Eddie as the toddler leaned forward. "I have never been to a zoo this incredibly cool."

He didn't like it, but he had no choice. Eddie liked the kind Rogue who was a mother and she had taken very good care of him while Josh had been unconscious. He didn't want to owe anyone, and he didn't like the feel of leaving Eddie with strangers. He still didn't trust anyone, but they'd proven themselves more than capable, and if he were being honest with himself, he needed the break. He wasn't used to taking care of a baby twenty-four seven. To being alone, save for said child, and the eerie, uncomfortable presence of Ford that prowled about his consciousness like a predator.

He'd figured out Ford's pattern though, and it was getting easier to do without. The more contact they had, the more he craved, but the longer he could go without it. He imagined in a month or two, he might very well be fine. And that was comforting.

( It wasn't that he hated the contact. )

It was uncharacteristically warm for this time of year. Warm enough that the change in temperature wouldn't damage his newly acquired violin, so Josh had taken it outside with him, to a picnic table near the edge of the woods with a clear view down to the lake that he'd noticed a few days ago. He'd dropped his coat on the table top, settled on top of it tailor-fashion, then taken out his violin and set to carefully tuning it.

It was warm and bright and Alex was grateful for the shade of the woods as they ran. Grateful for the solitude, as well, as he tried to nerve himself up to ask Julian the question he had in mind. For the time being, though, he ran in his usual silence, gaze fixed on the trail while Julian mostly talked enough for both of them in fits and starts.

"A minor, B seventh, C, E minor," Julian said, fingers moving from chord to chord as he sat on the piano bench, notebook open on the music stand in front of him. He paused, taking a pencil from behind his ear and making a notation before playing again. "D, D, A minor, C, G G, B seventh."

It was about 4am in New York, but on Genosha, it was already 11, and Anna had dragged Julian out an hour earlier. They had cleared the obstacle course, parts of which had already become more overgrown than Anna was comfortable with in the weeks since it had last been used. Overall, it was holding up pretty well, and Anna smiled as she tossed Julian a water bottle.

"I'm feeling generous today," she nodded, pushing herself up onto the crossbeam of one of the hurdles. "So I'm going to let you pick what we do first."

The trails were there for safety. Nice, scenic trails. Peaceful and serene. Which was why Sean never used them. He'd grown up in ranch country. Long stretches of land that went on forever and nothing but the cattle and the sun to out distance. He'd loved spending time with his Grandfather. Loved time in the saddle.

He was also glad that the horses were communal and someone had had the sense to stable a few with length and real spirit. Probably for the more advanced riders, which was just fine with him. A long run, a shared spirit, and plenty in the way before the break out always relaxed him.

He'd seen to the stallion before heading back toward the mansion. Tugging his shirt over his head, he tossed it over one shoulder and dragged his hat lower over his face, pausing when he passed the pool.

Somewhere around 2200, Disney decided that it was about time that they expanded. Really expanded. They bought the entire country of Iceland at a relatively cheap price and began to construct the amusement destination to end all amusement destinations: Disney Universe.

DU is made up of six main parks, four water parks, two virtual reality theme parks, and countless other entertainment options ranging from movie theaters to mini-golf. There's even whole park full of night clubs that run 24 hours, for the grown-ups.

The Magic Kingdom is the biggest park at the resort. At it's center stands a replica of the Genoshan palace. It is here that castle shows take place at least six times daily, featuring live musical performances from the princesses Wanda and Lorna, as well as their adventurous brother, Prince Pietro. If you're lucky, they'll even be out signing autographs and taking pictures!

The rest of the park is made up of a number of lands.

Mutantland, not surprisingly, is dedicated to mutants. Costumed versions of the X-Men (toned down a bit from their accepted historical appearances so as not to scare the kiddies) wander, and once you step through the entrance (through the palace), congratulations! You're a mutant! We're all mutants in Mutantland, and we're all friends, too. Take a spin on the BEAST, a stomach-twisting whirling coaster adventure, or stop and have your hair done like a real mutant in the Princess Lorna Hair Salon.

Classicland features all of your Disney favorites. Here you can find such attractions as the Haunted Mansion, The World Famous Jungle Cruise, The Mad Tea Party, Pirates of the Caribbean, Space Mountain, and It's a Small World, among others.

Coasterland, as the name suggests, is dedicated to the fine art of roller coasters. There are 6 coasters in Coasterland, and each one is a tribute to modern technology. They are faster, bigger, scarier, and more fun than any coaster really has a right to be. Make sure you get a Fast Pass, because the lines are long.

Adventureland is the place to be if you like exploring. It is home to Disney Universe's very own mountain, Mount Wundagore. There, you'll find The Knights of Wundagore, a thrilling coaster ride. Hop into an antique 23rd century mining car and travel deep into the heart of Wundagore's uranium mines... but be careful, for the mountain is guarded by mystical warriors who will stop at nothing to keep you from depleting their home's precious resources!

Villainland is home to the biggest, baddest baddies that ever called Disney home. From classic bad guys like Maleficent to modern villains, they're all here and they all want your help to take over the goodness of the Magic Kingdom and fill it with pure evil! Stop by the Witch's Candy Apple Cellar for a custom made caramel apple!

Fantasyland is themed as an ancient carnival, with what was known in the 20th and 21st centuries as a midway. You can win prizes and test your luck at a number of games! See a man be shot from a cannon, or feast your eyes on the Carnival of Curiosities, a thrilling side-show. Four times daily, there is a performance under the big top, with acrobats, clowns, and a whole menagerie of performing animals! If you're one of the lucky Guests, you'll get picked from the audience and taught a simple trick on the trapeze, which you will then get to perform for the entire crowd! You may even see an elephant fly!

In true Disney fashion, there are numerous gift shops scattered throughout the park, and you can go home with your choice of souvenirs. From dolls to dresses, from hats to hoodies, it's all there, and it's all very heavily marketed for each park.

Costumed characters, both new and old faces alike, roam the property daily and do autograph signings and photo ops.

Go nuts, and most importantly... HAVE A MAGICAL DAY!

After the night they'd had Kurt and Anna gave Julian the day off but he wasn't going to laze in bed, no sir. He'd been able to go back to sleep after the panic had died down, but it was restless at best. He woke again with the need to get out, to do something and the gym seemed to be the perfect solution.

Julian set himself up with several dumbells of varying weights and then piled the weights onto one of the specialized barbells. The maximum the bar was rated for was 2000 lbs so he figured that would be a good gentle exercise for his TK.

After fifteen minutes Julian had worked up a good sweat with the free weights and was aiming for fifteen more before switching to some cardio. Damn. Gonna take a while to get back to where I want to be, he thought as he began to breathe harder.

Julian was feeling like shit, but at least he was clean now. It had been a rough week and he knew this was only the first step on the road to being a better person overall, but it was a step he was glad he'd taken and, most importantly, glad that it was OVER.

Right now though he wanted Frosted Flakes. Or, rather, this century's equivalent. Which he was sure was all sorts of healthy and crap which was why he didn't read the nutritional panel as he set the box on the table. It was better to not know, since they tasted just the same. Actually, they tasted PERFECT and Julian dug into the overfull bowl with gusto, dribbling milk down his chin and scattering flakes everywhere.

Kevin was throwing caution to the wind. He had to get used to this, at least within the house. The people here were nice. It was fine. Nothing bad would happen here.

He was downstairs, sans hoodie. Almost sans clothes, really, for him, anyway. He was wearing shorts and a tank top. Although he kept rubbing his arms. They itched without sleeves and gloves. Not really, but it was so odd that it felt wrong. He headed to the kitchen to find something to occupy his hands and found a bag of cookies. Kevin sat directly on the wooden table and dug in.

They were chocolate with nuts and things inside. Someone was going to have to buy more of these.

Anna dropped the glove into the drawer, shutting it and frowning as she picked up one of the trading cards on her dresser. She shook her head, dropping it back on top of the pile and heading into the bathroom to put away the towels. Laundry was such a boring task, but there was some kind of strange comfort in the simplicity. Not nearly enough comfort, but it would have to do. Some things never changed. The dullness of doing laundry was one of those things. Anna paused as she passed the mirror on her way back into the bedroom, taking a good look at herself. It was unfair, in so many ways, that she still looked the same when she'd been changed so violently. Turning her head, she leaned in to take a close look at the cuts on her cheek. They were healing. Not as fast as she would have liked, or even as fast as they would have healed before, but she could tell that there was a small change in their appearance.