The X-Project

Paige stood near one of the medlab chamber doors. She'd be pacing in front of it moments before but had paused to rub her face with her hands. She knew that Angelo couldn't have visitors and she understood that perfectly but the fact that he was so close, just past that door, and in pain made her heart clench and tears that she promised she wouldn't shed spring to her eyes. Clenching her hands into fists she turned and fled back up the stairs; no one had to see her like this.

Unfortunately for her, someone did see; Bobby was leaning against the wall, waiting for news about John, although he'd only admit to it under pain of torture. After all, they hated each other--right? But he straightened, frowning, as Paige ran up the stairs. "Paige? Hey..." He took a step toward her.

"Oh!" Paige spun, rubbing at her eyes as innocently as she could. trying to smile. "Hi, Frosty. Hi. I'm just... going upstairs, so I'll see you later."

"Paige, wait!" Bobby jogged a few steps to catch up with her, grabbing her arm. "I don't think so."

Paige laughed at him grabbing her arm, but it came out almost a sob. "Didn't we already do the hello goodbye thing, Bobby? What's up?"

"I'd ask you the same thing, but I think we both know the answer." And without another word, Bobby pulled her into a tight hug. She needed to let some of that pent-up emotion out before she exploded, and he was willing to be there to weather it with her--if she'd just let go.

"Bobby, don't." She didn't yank away but held herself very still, eyes closed tight. "I'm fine. Just a little tired is all. Didn't get much sleep last night."

"That's bullshit, and we both know it. You're not fine, Paige. You know, it is okay to be upset, after everything that's happened." He wasn't just referring to last night, either, although he wasn't going to come out and mention the whole mess with Jono and Angelo, not in the current situation. He slowly rubbed his hand along her spine, trying to get her to relax, drop her ironclad mask of 'fine'.

Paige pulled back suddenly at that, nearly tripping over the stair. There was too much Jono in that touch, the way his hand moved to her spine and too much Angelo in the soothing tone of his voice. "I can't, Bobby. I can't fall apart. I don't know how to mope and I don't know how to put myself back together again."

"Stop it, Paige," Bobby told her sternly. "Don't worry about putting yourself back together. Stop pretending like you have to always put on a brave face for everyone." He didn't pull her back into an embrace, but his hands lingered on her forearms, his fingers feeling like he'd just come in from outside without wearing gloves.

"Stop what? I can't stop! If I stop I'm just going to fall down and I don't know if I'm going to get back up!" Paige's voice had risen and she winced as it bounced down the halls. "I have to be there when Angelo wakes up, don't you get that? If he wakes up. And don't say 'of course he's going to wake up' because yes he probably is but he might not and I don't think I could handle that! I can't handle anyone else leaving on me!"

"And what'll happen to you if you don't stop, Paige?" Bobby asked quietly, pulling her toward him again. There was really nothing he could say about the rest of it, because he didn't want to make empty promises. She was right, Angelo might not wake up. All he could do was be there for her, and he was trying, but boy, she was stubborn.

Paige hopped up a stair, a head taller than the older boy. "I don't know, Bobby. And that scares me. I don't know. This way makes sense and I'm sorry if I'm hurting you and everyone else but nothing else does."

"It doesn't make sense." Bobby shook his head, letting his hands drop to his sides. "It's hurting you, Paige. I don't care about what you're doing to me, or anyone else. I care about what you're doing to you."

"What's hurting me is the one place I'm supposed to feel truely safe was attacked by men with guns last night, one of my boyfriends, if I can even call them that, is possibly on his deathbed and I'm not allowed to see him and the other is not, but doesn't want to see me! Not only that but I have lost the respect of most of the people here all within a very short time period. That's what's hurting me!" Her hand had made a death grip on the railing. "If you're trying to tell me that going off crying in a corner is going to solve that you have another thing coming, Bobby."

"Of course it won't solve it." Bobby's voice was starting to rise slightly, his hands fisted at his sides to try to minimize the waves of cold pulsing from them. He took a deep breath and went on, managing to quiet himself again. "But neither is walking around with a smile while you're coming apart inside, Paige." He sighed. "What good are you going to be to Angelo when he wakes up, if you're too broken to be his strength?" It was harsh, and he hated to say it, but he had to snap her out of her steadfast denial of her need to have her own moment of weakness, somehow.

"I am not broken!" Paige replied, and it came out almost as a shriek. She shook a little, trying to lock her knees. "I'm fine. I am much more used to me like this than a simpering puddle of self pity. At least this way some work is getting done."

"Right. And then tomorrow? Or the next day? When you're exhausted from not sleeping, worn out from keeping the facade up...what then?" Bobby spoke quietly, and with a grim certainty, because he was rather too familiar with the whole 'keeping up appearances' routine, since his own experiences with the FoH. He also knew how horrible it felt to finally break down, and not have anyone you felt you could turn to, and he was determined not to let Paige go through the same thing.

Paige looked away, unable to come up with an answer to that, an answer that made sense even in her head anyway. "I... I never slept to begin with."

Bobby rolled his eyes. "Oh, then that makes it all okay." He sighed, moving in close again, looking up at her. "God, Paige...it wouldn't be the end of the world to let yourself have a moment of weakness, you know. You're only human." Sort of. Or whatever they were.

Paige closed her eyes against the shaking that was coming back. Working all day lifting things that were really much too heavy for her and then not deciding to eat wasn't probably the smartest thing she had done in a while. "But I'm supposed to be more than that," she said weakly.

Bobby reached out and rested a cool hand on her forearm. "Says who, you? Because I doubt anyone else expects you to be superhuman all of the time." Granted, the nature of who they were meant that superhuman figured into their daily lives more than the average teenager's, but beneath the mutations, they were still just teenagers.

"You were..." Paige replied and there's a sad tone to it. It usually doesn't bother her; she knows that Bobby is older and has been here longer but sometimes she feels so useless.

Bobby shook his head. "Nope, sorry. Not me, either." And he believed the truth of his words, at least. He's certainly never felt superhuman.

Paige nodded back and suddenly had to grip the banister a little tighter as the world swam. "Yes, yes you. They... they were horrible to you, Frosts. And... you never said a word."

Bobby bit his lip and looked into Paige's eyes. "That's why I want you to. Because I wish I had." He hated talking about it, hated thinking about it, but for Paige, he would. "I went through it all alone, and I didn't have to. And trust me, I wasn't superhuman. I just spent a lot of nights alone and...and scared," he ended in a whisper, tempted to look away with that admission, but not letting himself.

"Then you're going to have to catch me," she murmured, too tired to think about her words. "I don't think anyone else will."

Bobby frowned, confused. "Catch you?" he asked gently, looking concerned.

Paige gave him a pale smile. "I don't feel very well." With that, her knees unlocked and she crumbled.

Bobby's eyes widened and he moved quickly to catch her as she went down, sinking to sit on the step she'd just vacated and cradling her against him carefully. "Shit." He looked down at her worriedly. "Paige, hon?"

With sobbing breaths, Paige rested against Bobby, trying to hold onto his shirt with numb hands. Her tears frosted slightly on her cheeks, damp tracks turning white. "I'm just tired. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize," Bobby said quietly, holding her. He thought about getting Hank, or someone, but didn't want to leave her alone like this, so he remained on the step, his frigid hands doing their best to comfort her, trying to control his own worry for the moment.

"Can we go sit by the door? I'll stay out of the way, I promise," she asked, her voice hardly above a whisper. It was suddenly apparent as how tiny Paige actually was, she always managed to pretend she was otherwise.

Bobby nodded and stood, getting his arm under Paige's legs, somewhat surprised by how easy it was to pick her up. He carried her over to the door and slid down the wall, settling her in his lap as he got comfortable on the floor. "Better?"

Paige made something like a nod in reply, eyes already sliding closed. "I'm sorry. For this." She tucked her legs up, ankles crossing, and let her hand rest on the collar of his shirt.

"Stop apologizing, Paige. You've been pushing yourself too hard." Bobby's voice was both chastising and gentle at the same time. He sighed and leaned his head back against the wall, his eyes closing.

"Mm..." Paige hummed, starting to find words difficult. "Try to wake me before Jono beats you up, okay?"

"Er...yeah. Sure." Bobby grinned slightly. He wasn't too worried about the angsty Brit lighting into him. That was just a minor blip, compared to everything else going on. "Just rest, sweetie," he whispered, stroking her hair comfortingly.

"Kay." Paige sighed, almost a content noise. "Don't molest me in my sleep now."

Bobby snorted quietly. "I'll do my best. But you know how teenage boys and their hormones--" He trailed off, looking down at Paige, who had fallen asleep. Giving her a sad smile, he relaxed against the wall, determined not to disturb the sleeping girl unless he was given a very good reason to.