Careless Moment, Lifetime Regrets

by Kerri

Part 10

Jazz opened the front door of the Manhattan apartment with his key. Jubilee and Angelo followed him in silently.

They'd waited up all night for Logan to come back, then finally decided to sneak out and go into New York and check for themselves.

"Y'sure she came here?" Jubilee questioned, looking around the two story living area. The place looked like no one had been there for a while. It had an empty feeling to the air.

"No where else she would go," Jazz answered. "I hope she's okay."

Angelo moved around, looking into the other rooms. "This is some place."

"Mom bought the building not long after it was built. She's the original owner, some of this stuff's been here 100 years. She's not big on redecorating." Jazz peeked into the kitchen. The coffee maker had been used, the pot sitting half-full on the table with two cups. "She's here."

A yell from upstairs got his attention, as well as the other two. He dashed up the stairs two at a time, Angelo close behind him, Jubilee cursing her shorter legs as she brought up the rear.

~*~*~*~*~

Charlotte left the bathroom clutching the towel wrapped around her, Logan tugging on the end of it to tease her.

When she succeeded in her efforts to keep her cover (he wasn't really trying), he let go and rushed at her, knocking her back on the bed and landing on her. He grabbed her wrists and held them above her head with one hand, using the other to tickle her as he pulled the towel away from her body. She twisted and yelled threats, laughing, trying to move out of his reach and still stay covered.

The bedroom door burst open, slamming back against the wall, twisting off two of its hinges and hanging on by a mangled third. Jazz barreled into the room and made a flying leap at the two bodies struggling on the bed. Logan had just enough time to see what the fuss was about before the impact of an enraged boy struck him, the momentum carrying both father and son off the other side and onto the floor with a crash.

"Goddamn kid, get off me!" Logan's voice demanded.

Charlotte wrapped the towel back around herself calmly, she thought it was very calm for the situation, and smiled at a shocked Jubilee and Angelo in the doorway. "Would you two mind waiting downstairs? Help yourselves to whatever's in the fridge."

The sounds of fighting, fists smacking against flesh, were loud. Charlotte continued to look at the other two, waiting for an answer.

Angelo recovered himself first. "Si, we go." He pulled Jubilee out with him.

"But..." she disappeared around the door, "...weren't they tryin' to kill each other yesterday?" floated back from the hall.

She let them fight while she hunted for a robe in the closet. The crash of a body rolling into the side table against the other wall, accompanied with the breaking noises of fine crystal, made her wince. Those were some of her favorite pieces. They were definitely paying for those.

Yanking the belt tight, she 'grabbed' Jazz away from Logan and tossed him against the other wall, her irritation giving her TK extra strength.

"Mom!" He hit the wall hard, sliding down to land with a thump on his rear end.

"Jess, I'm fairly certain I raised you to knock on a door before you tear it off the hinges."

"I heard you screaming!" He snarled at Logan, seeing for the first time the other man was naked.

"What are you doing here?" Charlotte moved to stand in front of him, hands on her hips, clearly put out with his behavior. "You're supposed to be in Westchester. Does Thomas know where you are?"

"I was worried." He was on the defensive, still confused and not really knowing why, just sure he was in the right.

Logan got into his pants, watching them argue. The situation was almost funny.

"Worried about what? I told you I was coming here."

"Yeah, but Gambit said he came with you," he bared his teeth at Logan, "and when he didn't come back -"

"You thought we were off somewhere fighting again?"

"How was I supposed to know what was going on? I said I wanted you both to act like grown-ups, but I didn't think you'd be acting like grown-ups." He was sinking fast and Mom didn't look like she was going to save him from this one.

The look on the boy's face had Logan chuckling. Talk about having a tiger by the tail! He couldn't save him, either.

Charlotte turned an irate face on him. "Go downstairs if you can't be helpful."

"Seems to me this is b'tween the boy an' you, darlin'." He found his shirt and gave her an unholy grin. "Take it easy on him, he's just tryin' to protect ya."

"Next time that sword goes through your heart," she promised.

He chuckled all the way out.

She sank down on the cedar chest at the foot of the bed. Could things get any worse? "Anyone else coming? You know how much I like company, especially in the mornings."

"No." Jazz got up from his seat on the floor and sat down next to her. "I'm sorry."

Charlotte took his hand and sandwiched it between hers. "Don't be sorry. I know this whole situation is confusing to you, it's hard for me, too." In more ways than he could guess. Just to be 56 years old again and have everything so black and white....

"It's just that ... when I heard you scream, I got scared. I make a decision to leave and the very next day you're in trouble."

"I see."

"He didn't come back, and I thought you two had gotten into it again."

"I think that fight would have made the late night news. Either that, or I would have called you and Thomas to bail me out."

Jazz smiled reluctantly. "So, what's going to happen now?"

"You're going back to Westchester the same way you got here."

"I mean between you and him?"

She didn't have an answer for that. "I don't know. We'll talk soon about what your father," the word had a bad taste, "being a part of your life will mean to us, but you've got to know that no matter what happens, I love you and I'm here for you."

"I always knew that, Mom. I just don't want you to get hurt." He looked at her with puppy dog eyes begging forgiveness, hoping she wouldn't be mad at him.

I'm going to hurt one way or the other, she thought to herself. "Don't worry. I take care of me best." Hurting was better than the numbing ache that made her doubt she was alive.

End Part 10.

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