Chapter 9: Road Trip
By: Galadeidre
A/N: To all of you wonderful readers, thank you so much for waiting ever so patiently. I am sooooo sorry it took so very very long this time. School has been an absolute 'wonderful' chaos (sarcasm). The musical is taking up most of my time, but it's almost over, and we finally had one free day of no musical practice. Hallelujah! There was finally a lull within my busy schedule, so I've finally been able to write. I'll try updating sooner, but I can't promise you all. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Also, since I have had a specific request to keep it K plus, I'll keep it that way. If anything changes, I'll keep you all posted! Thanks for the input!
Galadeidre
Len felt the car slow down to a halt and opened her eyes. Fluorescent lights filtered through the closed car windows and onto her lap, illuminating the textbook and papers that she had left as she dozed off into a dreamless sleep. She heard the car door close gently and closed her eyelids once more.
She awoke as she heard the door open, someone come into the vehicle, and the door close once again. This time, she blinked a few times before shifting in her seat, stretching as she did so.
"Good morning, Len," Conner replied cheerfully. He started the engine. "Sorry. Did I wake you? I had to stop for gas."
"S'okay." Len closed the textbook and looked out through the window. The sky was still black. Len frowned, "It's morning?"
"Early morning. It's 1:40, see?" He tapped the digital clock under his dashboard. True enough, it said 1:40.
Len raised an eyebrow. For a moment, genuine concern replaced her fear of him. "Haven't you slept?"
Conner shrugged. "I found a rest area and took a twenty-minute nap." As he turned out of the gas station and back onto the highway, he glanced at her, slightly cocking an eyebrow. "Why do you ask?"
"No reason." She quickly turned away as her fear came back, and she began to pile the papers together and into the backpack that was by her foot. She could feel Conner's eyes on the back of her head as she avoided him. "I…I finished correcting your homework, by the way. Your math. Do you want me to finish correcting your English?"
"Didn't have any homework." He shifted his eyes back to the road. "Thanks a heap, though. Seriously, you should become a teacher."
Len gave a small smile. "Maybe I will." She settled back into her seat and looked out the side window.
The uncomfortable silence continued until Conner broke it.
"You've gotta be hungry. Want a midnight snack?"
Len was about to say no, but her stomach answered for her. She looked down at it as she gave an uneasy smile "If you have anything edible, that'll be fine."
Conner had heard the growl and had chuckled. He reached behind him into a plastic bag on the backseat, his eyes keeping a careful watch on the road. "Here. Bought this back at the station for ya. I had a feeling you'd be hungry. You like sour cream 'n' onion, right?" He handed her a can of Pringles.
Len's eyes lit up as she eagerly opened the can and began to eat. "Wow. It's been a while since I've had Pringles. Thanks."
Conner just smiled and they soon fell back into the silent routine, except for the occasional munch of a Pringle.
Len glanced at Conner after a while, beating herself up for not asking him sooner if he wanted a few Pringles. She held a chip up towards him. "Want one?"
Conner made a face. "I only like original."
"Oh, sorry. I forgot." She sheepishly remarked as she popped the chip into her mouth and began to beat herself once more. Of course she should've known that he only liked original.
Conner grinned. "That's all right. I'm not that hungry anyway. I just had a sandwich and M&M's less than an hour ago. Hey, you want the radio on?"
"That's fine." Conner flipped on the radio and tuned it to a station playing some music. He kept the volume low.
The song finished and the two djs of the evening started conversing. They talked about several different subjects before one certain topic caught both Conner and Len's attention.
"So, the President's become more soft-hearted, don't ya think, Phil?"
"Mm hmm. He gave a speech last night didn't he?"
"Yeah. Talking about nothing else but our favorite topic of the decade."
"No kidding. I'm kinda surprised that the Mutant Registration Act didn't pass."
"Maybe a few more pro-mutants in Congress that we thought."
"Not to mention the new turn-around of Kelly."
"That, too. That must've come as a blow to the anti-mutants. I, for one, have never met a mutant before. I wonder what it's like."
"Couldn't tell you. But that brings another question in mind. I'm going back to the Kelly-thing. D'ya think he met a mutant or something? Would that be the reason why he's changed his point of view about mutants?"
"It's a good possibility."
"I wonder what the mutant did to him to change his mind."
"Maybe he brainwashed him."
"Oh, come on. Do you think some mutants can actually brainwash people?"
"Well, we've got mutants who can enter our minds. I mean, who's to say that they can't…"
Conner switched the radio off and gave an uneasy chuckle. "Sorry."
Len shook her head. "It's not your fault." She sighed and looked out the window. "It's just how the world is like these days…"
"You don't…" Len could hear the uneasiness in his voice as he tried to find the right words. "You don't think that I…that I…do that, do you?"
"You mean, like, 'brainwashing' me?" Len glanced back at him before returning back to her gaze out the window. "No," she answered softly.
"Really?" Conner frowned. "Why?"
Len shrugged and shook her head. "I'm not so sure why. It's just like some weird feeling I have. I dunno." She fell silent.
Conner glanced sadly at her. Normally, she was never this quiet, and if she was upset about something, he could usually comfort her easily…of course, he had used his mutant powers to help ease the pain most of those times. Now, he was afraid to even come near her, for fear of losing her further.
"Len?"
"Hmm?"
"Is being a mutant that horrible to you?"
Len shook her head. "No, I guess…I was more afraid of losing the life that I had lived."
"Have you lost it?"
"I don't think I have. Maybe…maybe it'll be better now…I mean, the Shelter houses so many mutants. More than I thought were enrolled at the high school. Look at their lives. Some do have pretty good lives. Maybe, once I get used to these powers, I'll be able to have as good as a life as them…"
Conner knew her better than that. He pressed on. "But?"
Len didn't answer for so long that Conner thought she hadn't heard. He was about to say her name when he heard a sniff. He gave a quick glance to Len and noticed that she was silently crying, the tears slowly running down her cheeks.
"Len?"
"Conner, am I ever gonna see my family again?" Not waiting for a reply from him, she drew her knees up to her chin, wrapped her arms around her legs, and continued. "I…I left without saying goodbye…I mean…I know I can't tell them I'm a mutie…but…but I might not see them ever again. I may never see Sanny grow up…" Her voice broke and she buried her face between her knees, hands trembling.
For the first time, Conner couldn't find a single thing to say that was reassuring to her. He knew well enough what kind of a life a mutant led. He knew that it wouldn't be easy, and that many families ended up separated as a result of a mutation. He also knew how much it hurt Len that she would probably never see her family again. He, just like the other mutants, including Len, knew that in her situation, she would probably have to stay away from her family for the rest of her life and let them believe that she had disappeared for good. So for the time being, Conner stayed quiet and listened to her softly cry until she finally fell asleep once more.
For the next few hours, Conner drove on, thinking of the good times that he had had with Len. He had a hunch that it would change…and he was afraid. He feared for Len. He feared that he, too, would never see her again. Once he brought her to their destination, he would have to leave her there and trust that she would be taken care of. He had doubts…and there was a dread deep within him that said that it was his fault that she had turned mutant. There was something in the way that the mutation had formed that worried him. He didn't know who he was worried for more: himself, the other people that encountered Len, or Len herself.
He slowed down to a stop at a lone stoplight at the edge of a city and looked at the sleeping form of Len.
Whatever happens, Len, Conner thought to himself, Somehow, I'm gonna make things right for you. I promise.
