Chapter 3: Dirt and Roses
"Well then Alex, I asked you a question," she said, scooting a little closer to him, meeting his gaze.
He sighed, and opened his mouth, but she interrupted before he began.
"Sit, that must be uncomfortable."
He stood from the armrest and sat on the sofa cushions, giving them distance, which she closed in a second.
"Which question is that, exactly?" he asked, putting on an innocent face.
She smirked.
"Fine, you're stalling, but you won't be able to for long. Alex, why were you in prison?"
He sighed, and stared at his wringing hands, feeling them heat up with his nervousness. He took a deep breath and he cooled down.
"I was a freshman in high school. My brother was in junior high, we went to the same school. We had to wait to be picked up each day, our mom's shift ended late. The school left the basketball courts open late and my brother loved to play, I would just sit on the sides and catch up on comics or homework.
One day, it was just me and my brother when a few boys in the upper grades came in. They saw my brother trying to shoot hoops, and started to tease and bully him. About his size, his glasses, the way he played. My brother was standing his ground pretty well, he was a fighter like that."
Janie reached out a hand and covered both of his, halting his twiddling thumbs.
He didn't move, he just focused his attention on Janie's hand; the silver ring with an onyx stone, her varied charm and string bracelets, the dirt under her fingernails.
"But then they started pushing him around. And that's when I butted in."
She squeezed his hand. He brought one of his to rest on top of hers, and squeezed back.
"They started on both of us, realizing who we were. Our father had a reputation of his drunkenness and heavy hand throughout the school, and since I always fought him back, there was a new bruise on my face each week. The guys got worse; one of them raised a fist to my brother… and I just exploded. Nothing could've stopped me. I just felt this searing heat, and then this big red flash erupted from me."
He closed his eyes, smelling the scent of burnt bodies and his salty tears.
"I killed them all. My power… it destroyed everything. The walls were black… and everybody in the room was burned, including Finn," his voice cracked, but he continued.
"They were all dead, and I stood there, untouched in a burning room. The police dragged me kicking and screaming from Finn. I never even saw my mom again; I couldn't even attend the funeral."
He stopped, taking a deep breath, resenting that more tears were coming. This was the first time he had ever spoken of that event since it had happened.
He'd never given a confession to the police; he had practically begged them to lock him up.
"Alex," Janie whispered.
He stayed still, he couldn't bear to see her pity. Her hand reached up and grabbed his chin, turning his head to face her. She was crying too, but it wasn't pity on her face.
Just pure grief.
"Alex," she said again, and she hugged him tightly, tucking her head into his neck, her tears dripping onto his shirt. He hugged her back just as tight, letting his tears fall.
They stayed like that for a while, Alex wasn't even sure how long. But they both finally calmed down. Janie pulled back slowly, wiping her eyes, and smiling.
"Sorry about that," she muttered.
"No, it's… I'm just... relieved to have finally talked about it to someone... and I'm even happier that it was you."
She shook her head, and stood up.
"Goodnight Alex."
"Goodnight," he said, standing up. "Will you come back tomorrow night?"
"I… I don't think so," she said, walking towards the doorway. She stopped and turned. "This… I don't like having to be forced for us to know each other. It should come naturally."
"I…" Alex wasn't sure about that… but he understood. "Okay. That makes sense."
She smiled.
"Thank you, Alex. For tonight. I'm sorry about my behavior, I just always push-"
"Just stop ignoring me, and I won't ask anything more."
"Deal."
"Goodnight, Alex," she said finally, and left the room, and Alex, standing there dumbfounded and happy.
The next day, Zoey awoke late.
She walked through the house, too quiet, and too empty. She followed Simon's barks to outside, and laughed at what she saw.
The kids were all running around, avoiding the hail clouds Ori had formed overhead. Charles was in the shade of a large willow tree she had never noticed. He was off of his chair and sitting on the ground.
He smiled and gave her a "Good morning" as she sat down next to him.
"Joseph's fitting in quite well," Zoey murmured, watching as he picked up Janie to hold them both as they got pelted with hail.
"Knowing Janie and Ororo from before has certainly helped his settling in."
Zoey couldn't help but give a small huff at that.
"What?" he asked.
Zoey gave him an incredulous look.
"Really?"
"What?"
"Alex isn't too happy with the previous… experience Joseph holds with Janie. You have to see that."
"Alex? But why?"
"Charles! You have the power to read minds, yet are so dim!" she said, teasing.
"Well I haven't been reading that many since you came here!"
"What?" she asked surprised. "Really?"
He only nodded. She sighed, and decided to stay on track, though it was itching her that Charles had abandoned one of his main powers… because of her.
"Alex kissed Janie, the morning he burned her a few weeks back. That's what we had walked in on."
"Kiss- what?"
"Alex and Janie have been avoiding each other - all the while heading towards one another at mach speed. It was bound to happen sooner or later... however they still haven't realized it yet."
"But they haven't…" he coughed, and turned redder.
"They're both in denial; they decided on being friends. But with the 'experience' with Joseph, Alex has been more… tense, I guess."
Charles frowned.
"I don't want that kind of-"
"They're not there yet, don't worry."
Charles sighed.
"I hadn't realized it before, but since Joseph's arrived Alex has gone back to his quiet old self, like when I first met him. I should talk to him about it… one wrong word from Joseph could set him off-"
"Let me do it."
Charles raised an eyebrow.
"Look… these guys… you're their father, their teacher. I'm still fighting to retain the sister role… help let me keep it, okay?" she asked.
He stared at her for a few more seconds than usual before he nodded.
"I want it today though… we can't risk it. Alex is strong, but-"
"I know. Trust me, I know," Zoey said with a heavy sigh. Charles nodded.
"That leads me to another thing… about Joseph."
"Is he a problem already? He's probably just having trouble getting used to everything-"
"I need to create a blocking wall in his mind for his power, like yours."
She frowned.
"What! I mean for me it's understandable... but what about teaching the kids to accepting all of themselves-"
"Joseph's power has serious dangers. He can turn anything into stone, Zoey. That includes a human body, dead or alive. Being forced into an unknown setting, his powers can fluctuate in a second and he could kill one of us."
"Why don't we just focus on developing control for his power then-"
"I can't risk it. We don't know him well enough; we don't know his moods, his emotions."
"This is a serious breach, Charles! We invite him here so he can be himself, and we're restricting him right away-"
"Lives are in danger, Zoey!"
"It's just us! There's nothing hostile going on, he would never get to that stage of-"
"You just said yourself there's something between him and Alex. That could elevate quickly."
She sighed, knowing he was right.
As usual.
"Zoey," his voice broke her thoughts.
"Yeah?"
"Can we talk about Rebecca?"
Her heart stopped.
"Why the sudden change in subject?"
"You're… uh, you're growing petunias. Janie mentioned in passing…"
"They were her favorite," she whispered, turning to her hand where a small brush of petunias were growing and blooming rapidly. She grew them more, controlling them to grow in an arch behind her and Charles, tickling his arm.
"Why are you bringing her up?"
"When I first met you, she was in the back of your mind, the whole time Erik and I were there. You were picturing the gate of the nearest cemetery."
"Yeah, she... she passed a while ago."
"Her name was Rebecca?"
She nodded.
"Rebecca Michaels. Lover of cheesy romance novels, Sunday comics, and gardening."
"Did Janie bring that all back, with her growing powers?"
"Christ, what are you, a therapist!? Look… yes, my mom was my best friend since my dad left us when I was only a few hours old. We had each other, and yes, our best bonding moments were when we were taking care of the garden. But then she started forgetting things: her keys, the bills, the year…"
"Dementia?"
"Alzheimers. My own mother forgot me."
"It wasn't her-"
"I know, I know. The doctors had a hard time enough comforting me."
"It's a still vaguely known disease. There are already multiple studies on it, trying to find the cause, a cure."
"Her brain stopped trying, Charles. Is there a cure for the brain?"
"A cure can be found for many things, Zoey."
Even this? What I am?
She stopped, and frowned.
"Charles, I'm a … Mutant. Could that mean my mother-"
"Hank and I have only had a few months studying the gene. It's a wild card, definitely. Hank is the example; his parents didn't have the gene. However with Sean, there was a great grandmother with a mutant ability as well. For you, with the magnitude of your power, I'd say your family definitely had the gene."
"I don't… I only have distant relatives, no close bloodlines."
"Have you ever looked for more of your family?"
"Not really. I mean, it never irked me. I'd had enough with my mom."
"What did you do when she passed?"
"She didn't pass, Charles. She killed herself."
He gasped and coughed.
She looked up at him. He raised his hand, and her eyes widened. He stopped, and put it back down.
"I'm sorry… I can't, not now-"
"It's alright Zoey. I'm just happy you didn't yell at me for bringing her up."
"No… I didn't know it but that really helped, Charles. Helped me find more about me, if you know what I mean."
He only nodded, lifting himself up back on his chair.
"See you at dinner?"
She nodded, and he rolled away as the kids continued to play.
