FIC: What a Way to Say Goodbye

by bozzalev

bozzalev@aol.com

Fandom: XMen

Character: Chamber

Pairing: Various m/m, m/f

Rating: PG

Note: For those of you who keep up with Walking Dreams, I'm still writing it, but I had to take a quick break!

Disclaimer: Not mine. Marvel owns. I make no money from this, just the satisfaction of getting it out of my head so it'll leave me alone.

Notes: This takes place after the Holy War story arc, but before the whole Weapon X thing. I was kinda inspired to do a weird dream sequence by Twin Peaks and the final episode of season 4 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Weird dream sequences are always fun. It's kinda silly and I had a lot of fun writing it, so don't take it too seriously!

Summary: Jono has a brutally honest and sometimes Freudian dream.

Warnings: Character death, slight conversation of death and dying.

Rating: PG


What a Way to Say Goodbye
by bozzalev

I had to get outside. There was something important I had to do there. What was it? Why couldn't I remember? From the feeling in my gut I knew it was something important. I tossed my sheets to the side and stood up. There was someone I was supposed to meet...? I pulled on a pair of black sweat pants and walked to the door. I stepped out into what I thought would be the hall, but instead took me to my old room at the Academy. I was in the basement of the boy's dormitory. What was I doing here?

I felt oddly at home here. Safe. I would have never admitted it to the others, but my time with Generation X was my happiest after my powers manifested. They helped me forget sometimes...

But this wasn't where I was supposed to be. I walked upstairs, careful not to trip on the video game controller cords lying about. I opened the door and found myself back at the X Mansion. I was in the TV room. It was bare, except for the TV. Bobby Drake was standing in front of it, watching cartoons and eating a Twinkie very slowly, as if trying to savor every sugary bite. Northstar was beside him, gazing at him longingly. He casually reached over and cupped one of Bobby's butt cheeks. Bobby sighed and removed Jean-Paul's hand, never taking his eyes from the screen. After a few seconds, Jean-Paul's hand went back to Bobby's ass.

"I'm not gay. How many times do I have to tell you?!" Bobby said as he removed Jean-Paul's hand again.

Jean-Paul just smiled and said, "Once more," as he put his hand on Bobby's ass. Bobby said nothing else.

I turned to go to the main hall that led outside. I saw Jubilee and Wolverine in the corner. They were sitting on the floor, talking quietly to each other. Jubilee, as always, was in her obnoxiously yellow jacket with her large sunglasses stuck on top of her head. They both had something in their hands which seemed to be amusing them. I was curious what it was, so I walked up to them. As I approached, I saw something that would haunt me the rest of my life. They were playing with dolls. Dolls! The feral, unpredictable force that is Wolverine was playing with a small blonde-haired doll, gently combing the golden locks and smiling wistfully.

So, Jubilee I could understand. After all, I had found her somewhat strange and mostly annoying, childish. But, Wolverine?! What the hell was going on?!

"Teach me how to braid her hair," Logan said to Jubilee. She sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Fine, but after that you have to teach me how to kill," she said, wrinkling her nose.

Logan grunted. "Deal. Small price to pay." Jubilee smiled widely.

Kill? Braiding?? I couldn't take anymore. I inched out of the room and found myself in a different hallway than I'd expected. I was down near the garage. How the hell did I end up here? I turned around, trying to find a way outside, and ran into Scott.

"Oh, Jono. Have you seen Henry? I need a doctor." I shook my head. "Damn it!"

*Something wrong?* I asked.

Scott looked over both shoulders, and when he was satisfied that no one was around, he leaned in close and said, "I think I have something stuck up my ass. Don't tell anyone else. That's an order." And with that he walked away, very stiff and slow. I had to keep myself from laughing as Scott made his exit. Something stuck up his ass?? Now THAT was an understatement!

The urgency to get outside made all humor leave me. I walked down the hall and turned the corner. I ended up in the Med Lab.

*Bloody hell,* I said, throwing my hands in the air. Henry was by my side in an instant.

"What's bloody?" he asked, looking me over.

*Nothin' mate. I think Scott was looking for you earlier.*

"Yes, well, blah blah blah Scott. Blah blah blah blah Jean. Blah blah and big words."

I just stared at him dumbly, then asked, *Wot are you going on about? * Henry looked at me inquisitively.

"You blah blah blah and blah? Oh blah blah stars and garters."

*Uh. Right. I gotter go.* I turned and left very quickly. When I stepped out of the Med Lab, I found myself in the hallway right outside the Danger Room. Warren was several feet away, standing in the doorway of what appeared to be an open jail cell, looking inside. He was wringing his hands and his wings were fluttering nervously. I frowned and walked up to him, wondering what was making him so agitated. Warren didn't even acknowledge my presence.

Inside the cell was Paige. But not the Paige that I was used to. Not the all-American, sweet as pie, southern peach that I knew. She was wearing what some would call a teddy, but I thought of it as string. See-through string. She was beckoning Warren seductively, calling his name in a breathy whisper.

"I-I just don't know, Paige. Is it right? You're so young--"

"And sexy," she added, licking her lips suggestively.

"--and sexy," he agreed, watching her tongue wantonly.

*Please, yer making me sick, here!* I said, my expression one of disgust. Neither of them turned to me.

"The age difference doesn't matter to me one bit," she told Warren. That was all the encouragement he needed. He entered the cell slowly and the door clicked shut after him. He embraced her and they proceeded to grope and kiss.

"I told him," a voice said from behind me. I jumped and turned to see Bobby standing just behind me, looking sadly into the cell.

*Where did you come from?* I asked, surprised. Bobby hadn't been there a few seconds ago.

"The kitchen," Bobby replied, keeping his eyes on the couple. "But I told him. Sixteen'll get you twenty."

Paige broke away from Warren long enough to say, "I'm not sixteen anymore. I'm nineteen now."

"Same difference," Bobby said as he unwrapped another Twinkie. "Now all that's missing is Jean-Paul's hand on my ass." He took a slow bite of the junk food and continued to watch the couple.

I felt my eyes roll sarcastically. I turned to leave, but caught Paige saying to Warren, "Will you buy me a pony?" as I walked away. God in Heaven, what was happening around here?!

Outside. I needed to get outside. I left the Danger Room hall and was suddenly in the main hall. My excitement was short-lived when I saw what was going on. There was a table set up by the door. On the table were several books. Kurt was sitting behind the table, signing books for people who were lined up to see him. I raised a questioning eyebrow and walked over.

"Guten Tag, Jono!" Kurt said. I nodded and picked up a book. There was a picture of a brightly smiling Kurt on the front.

The Bamf and You was the title. Reading further, it said, "A close look at how the Bamf can change your life for the better." I gave a little snicker.

*You kidding me?*

Kurt smiled. "No! It's been on the New York bestseller list for eight weeks now. I'm hoping it'll break the record of my other book."

I had to ask. *Wot other book?*

Kurt picked up a different book and handed it to me. He was on the cover of this one as well, but looking almost distraught.

Embracing the Bamf: One man's struggle with accepting the Bamf in his life.

I laughed so hard I had a stitch in my side. The other people around, apparently fans of Kurt's books, were looking at me with rude expressions. That just made me laugh harder, and I squeezed my eyes shut, dropping the book. *Oh, priceless,* I said once I could get my thoughts together. I opened his eyes, but there was no one there. No Kurt. No books. No adoring fans. The hallway was dark and seemed so...empty.

*This is getting really strange.*

The main door of the mansion was in front of me, calling to me. It looked a bit off, like the door was much larger than it should have been. I walked slowly to it. That same urgency from before was gripping my gut and tugging. I reached for the door knob, turned it, and finally stepped outside.

It was dark out, but the moon was large and full in the sky, bathing everything in a silvery light. And there, several feet in front of me, was Angelo. He was still hanging on his cross, crucified for all the world to see. I ran to him, knowing that it was too late, but I had to try.

Angelo had been my best friend at the Academy after Penance went away. We'd had a lot in common, like video games and certain music, and most days we'd just watch television in my basement. And now Angelo was hanging on a cross, killed by fanatic humans who simply went too far. I couldn't leave him up there like that. I felt an overwhelming need to get him down as soon as possible.

I reached up and started to pull him down. "Eh, it's no good, amigo," someone said from behind me. I turned to see Angelo standing there. I frowned, confused, and looked back to the cross. Angelo was still there. But he was standing just a few feet away, too. "Just leave me up there. I've already been taken down, anyway."

*I-I don't understand,* I said, looking from one Angelo to the other. The standing Angelo just shrugged.

"Came to say goodbye, vato?" he asked, smiling. I just stared at him, having a hard time believing that Ange was right there in front of me. Ange looked up at his crucified self and nodded to his own question.

*Yer...yer dead?*

Ange grunted and said, "Looks that way." He sighed and patted the pockets of his jeans. "Damn. Could use a smoke right now. You got any?" I shook my head.

*Stopped that habit when I lost my mouth and lungs.*

"Eh, just as well. Cigarettes'll kill ya, right?" Ange laughed at his own joke. We were both quiet for a while. I kept staring at Ange, who was staring at his counterpart. I had so many questions. But where should I start?

*Wot's it like?* I finally asked after several moments of debating with myself about if I should ask.

"Death?" I nodded. "It's quiet, 'mano. Quiet. And...lonely. I think maybe..." He trailed off, as if trying to search for the right words. "...I think maybe I missed my train."

*Train?*

Ange smiled a sad smile and nodded. "You'll understand one day, vato."

I looked down and was quiet. There were so many more questions about death I wanted to ask. Was it painful? Was there a light at the end of a tunnel? Do loved ones lead you through the light? And most importantly, was there really a God? A Heaven? A Hell?

"How's Jubes?" Angelo asked, pulling me from my thoughts.

*Sad. She tries to pass it off, you know, being all overly annoying. But she's sad. She keeps talking about you.* I stopped and narrowed my eyes at him slyly. *What happened between you two while you were on the road anyway?*

Ange laughed. "I don't kiss and tell, amigo!" He paused for a few seconds, deep in thought. "She was one of the few people left in the world I cared about."

*So...why'd you come to ME?* I asked, trying to make sense of it all.

"I care about you, too, hombre!" he said with a smile, putting an arm around my shoulders. We had a brief moment of bonding before he pulled his arm away and stepped back. "But...I don't think I *did* come to you. I just...ended up here. I think *you* came to *me*. Like, called me here or something."

*Huh? And how would I do that, mate?*

He shrugged. "Dunno. All I know is that I was...well, I don't remember what I was doing before I got here, but suddenly here I was." He looked up to the sky, which was starting to lighten up. "I don't have much more time. Just...tell Jubes...I'll be waiting." I nodded and felt a lump form in my throat, which was odd since I no longer had a throat. "It was good to see you one last time, you mopey bastard." I laughed, despite himself.

*You too, mate.*

"Oh, Jono, one last thing. Look up," Ange said, pointing to the sky. I did, following the direction of Ange's finger, but saw nothing important. I frowned and looked back to Ange, but he was gone, no where to be found. I looked to where the cross had been, but it was gone as well. I shook my head.

*What a way to say goodbye,* I said quietly.



END