author: Lucinda
Still no pairing, still PG
Disclaimer: I only own Rustling Pines, Eileen, & Opa Rosenberg
Distribution: keep my name on it, tell me where it goes
notes: season 1 Buffy, just after the X-Men movie
thanks to Domino Rose-Mystagic for beta reading this for me.
Willow had started watching the Trial of Magneto, as covered by C-Span. Her emotions were in turmoil, frightened, confused, glad to know her Opa's little Erik was alive, concerned by the fact that he was accused of trying to kill the United Nations delegates. The trial had been declared to be barred to the public, in the interest of safety, but was being broadcast on the grounds of extreme interest and legal precedent. There had never been a trial for mutant activity on this scale.
Personally, Willow suspected that he hadn't been planning to kill the delegates. She suspected that he'd made a much more complex plan, and that it had involved the now damaged device that he'd had in the torch of the Statue of Liberty. If he'd wanted them dead, he could have used a bomb, or had his minions attack the delegates, or maybe something with his mutant abilities. Willow could think of half a dozen more plausible kill the delegates scenarios, and she was only a high school sophomore. The charge of trying to kill the delegates was probably so that there would be a trial while they had people try to figure out what the device was supposed to do.
She decided to tell Opa as soon as she could. All she was waiting on was the fact that he'd had a couple medical tests done, and Willow wanted to tell him after the drugs wore off. His Doctor had wanted to run a scan on her Opa's brain, and a few tests on his liver and intestines. It bothered her to see him all muzzy headed. It also reminded her of just how old and fragile her Opa really was. He had outlived all four of his children, and lost his wife to a heart attack shortly before Willow had been born.
Saturday morning Willow pulled out her bicycle, slightly envious of those with cars and a driver's license, and pedaled her way over to Rustling Pines. She carefully parked her bike out of the parking area for cars, and off of the sidewalk so that nobody would trip on it. She went into the building and walked over to Eileen's desk.
"Morning Eileen. I wanted to come see my Opa today." Willow's greeting to Eileen lacked her usual cheer. She looked a bit subdued this morning.
" He's in his room. Is everything alright Willow? You seem a bit... unsettled today." Eileen worried a bit about Willow. She seemed like such a nice girl, and she came every week to visit her great grandfather. Willow was normally cheerful, and like a living beam of sunshine, but not today.
"Mmm. He had some tests done this week. You know I always worry about him when they give him tests." Willow tried to explain her concern that way. She didn't think trying to explain that her Opa's long lost grandson that he thought had died in an internment camp in World War 2 was actually Magneto would go over well. Besides, her Opa deserved to know first. Then, if he wanted to tell people, he could.
Willow went down the hallway to her Opa's room. The door was mostly shut. She knocked on he door. "Opa? Can I come in and visit you a bit?"
" Willow! You are always welcome to visit me. Come in." Her Opa's voice beckoned her inside. He sounded a bit quieter than normal, but not muzzy or shaky anymore. That must mean he was feeling better after those tests.
Willow walked in and sat in the chair. She had spent hours at home, carefully rehearsing her explanation, making a nice little speech. Her prepared speech had deserted her. Willow looked at her sneakers, noting absently that the left one was wearing thin, as she tried to figure out how to tell her news.
"Opa? I have something to tell you. The good news is that little Erik didn't die in Poland with his parents." Willow glanced up, worrying her lower lip a bit as she paused. Her Opa looked so happy.
" The bad news... He's Magneto. There was a disturbance at the United Nations Conference about the mutant issue, and he did something that made this silvery light, and he's on trial now. Apparently, he's a mutant, and they think he's very dangerous." Willow paused, hoping that her words wouldn't make her Opa so upset he had a heart attack or something. "For what it's worth, he looked fairly healthy as he was standing there swearing to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth."
Her Opa was sitting on his bed, looking surprised and thoughtful. He didn't look like he was having any chest pains or other sudden medical emergencies, so Willow felt a tiny bit better. He was holding an old metal picture frame, with the family portrait of Rachel and Frederick, along with their little son Erik.
"He is Magneto? The one the reporters say tried to kill the delegates? My little grandson grew up to be..." Her Opa paused, very thoughtful and quiet. "Willow? You say he is a mutant. What will this mean for his chances of a fair trial? When I was younger, people persecuted the Jewish, and the black. Now, they persecute the mutants. What do you think is going to happen to my grandson?"
Willow was quiet for a few minutes, thinking about her Opa's questions. " I don't know, Opa. I know that lots of people are afraid because of what he did. Some of the reporters are saying he had some sort of a death ray in the Statue of Liberty. I think...the media wants to portray him as a terrible monster. I think enough people are afraid that it wouldn't be safe for the trial to be open to the public. As for what happens to him... that might depend on whether or not the people looking at his device can figure out what it was supposed to do. All they are certain of is that there was a silvery light from the device, and it's broken now. I think he's going to end up in a prison somewhere."
Her Opa looked very sad. " I will have to see if I can watch this trial. I shall hope that the jury tries to be fair. What do your parents think about this? Or about the mutants?"
"My parents don't know he's related yet. I know mother said she think anyone trying to disrupt the United Nations delegates with 'something like that' has serious emotional problems, and should probably be in therapy'. Mom says that about most mutants. All the ones the news covers are in fights, and there are lots of property damages, so Mom thinks mutants are all emotionally disturbed. Dad hasn't said much about mutants in general, and only said that the whole mess with the delegates was bad news." Willow was thoughtful.
She didn't know very much about her parents' views on mutation, and was a bit worried. Especially since if mutants were caused by genetic mutation, did that mean it ran in families? Were they likely to have some sort of mutant genes also? Were there some sort of dominant genetic complex that said you will be a mutant? Or maybe it was a latent gene, passing unnoticed among the population until someone ended up with two mutant genes. Could she be a mutant? Could her parents or friends be mutants?
Obviously, she wasn't a visible mutant with scales and horns or fur or anything like that... Would a mutant with a visible mutation be classed with demons in the watcher books? Were some of the nasty things out at night actually mutants instead of demons? Did it actually make them less dangerous if they were?
Willow and her Opa had many serious thoughts as they discussed the weather that afternoon. Neither of them wanted to bring up their more worried, troublesome thoughts, each figuring the other had enough troubles to think about. Instead, they talked about simple matters and ate oranges.
end Family Tree 2: Telling Opa.
