A/N: NEW BLOG FOR FANFICS, NEWS, BLOGGING, AND HELIX WEBSITE-RELATED SHITS! h t t p : / / helix23. blogspot. com/ (remove spaces) or check out my Author page.
Another note: Tahhdahhhhh! The chapter I've been hinting about for a while. Seriously, I wrote this ages before the Marvel comic came out bringing this character
back. I picked up the issue and went 'what the fuck?!'. Some readers may not like this character and its association to another character in the Helix series, but that's
the way it is. I've always found this character interesting and liked to use him/her in my stories. (Notice how I give you no spoilers? ;-)
Volume: 2 Arc: "Interlude of Pertinent Information" 10 Issue: 1/2 )
Chapter 66: clone!
"I wonder if we could enroll the Shrimps in the school," Laura said thoughtfully. "Maybe we could take out loans in their names, then, to buy their diapers."
She and Julian were sitting cross-legged on the bed, bills, receipts and financial statements spread amongst them. Laura was leaning a pad of ruled paper
on her knee, and was making a list of expenses to come.
They both look worried.
"I'm sure they'd appreciate that," Julian said sarcastically. "It would be the first ever toddler versus parent lawsuit."
" Maybe we could tape it and send it to some world-record thing for a double cash in." Laura grinned and scribbled something on the paper.
" What was that?"
" Therapy."
" Laura! Be serious, please."
" Oh, all right. It was 'dentist'."
Julian shuddered. "I'm scared to think that these things will have teeth. I swear, one of them bites me, we're keeping them in cages till they're our age."
" Hardly a good time to release them," Laura said mildly.
" Anyways, we could just ask Dr. McCoy about all the health stuff. He hasn't charged you for anything yet." Julian pointed out reasonably.
" I'm sure he doesn't cover everything. For example, I wouldn't want to have him as a gynecologist, for obvious reasons." Laura countered. "No offense to
Dr. McCoy, but that would just creep me out."
"..." Julian sighed. "Okay, fine."
He started suddenly. "Ow! Okay."
Laura raised her eyebrow.
" Frost wants to see me in her office," he said, getting off the bed. " She suggested I hurry. Want to come?"
...
Julian knocked on Emma's door, feeling nervous and trying not to be. What could she want?
Only Laura remembered their involvement with Quire. On her suggestion, they'd stopped to tell the Cuckoos, who were luckily in their room. The sisters had
temporarily repressed Julian's memory of the events by putting a block.
Come in, Emma instructed them. He opened the door and froze in place, his eyes wide. Laura froze too.
His parents. William and Elizabeth Keller were here.
" Uh..." Julian trailed off, dumbstruck.
" Julian," his mother said softly, her earrings swinging. They seemed to add terrifying emphasis to her gentle tones. "It's been so long. Are you well?"
" ..." Julian stared at her.
Emma Frost looked angry. "Hello, Julian."
" I have nothing to say to these people," he snapped, turning around.
" Julian-" his father.
Julian. Emma Frost. He turned around.
"I don't want to talk to them. Send them away."
Mrs. Keller watched him intently.
"Julian..." his father again. He was surprised to see that he looked apologetic.
" They are attempting to withdraw you from the school."
Julian stopped short, his eyes wide. "What?"
Mrs. Keller smiled slightly. "We've missed you, darling. The house is empty without you...and you seem to have control of your powers now. I think it
would be better if you returned."
Julian blinked. "Fuck that."
"Language," his father said, although his words lacked force. Suddenly Laura understood--he didn't want to do this. As cold as the man had been earlier--as
hurtful as his actions had been--they weren't his. She could see now, in this room, that he loved his son--despite his odd methods of expressing it--he loved Julian.
It was Mrs. Keller who didn't.
"You already disowned me!" Julian said angrily.
" We are going to put you back in the will, dear. It was a knee-jerk reaction." Mrs. Keller tilted her head, her earrings swaying.
" Well, I'm married now, and I have obligations," he said, his eyes narrowed.
"Odd, I do not remember signing any papers allowing that to happen." She paused. Mrs. Keller smiled-a true smile. It was ice cold. " You, my darling, are still a minor,
and that certificate means nothing without our signatures."
" Mom--" Julian looked afraid now, his eyes open wide; Laura had never seen him look so afraid. She had to reach back into the room to find memories of him with this
expression--something about Nimrod, and the last moments, before he became Phoenix.
Mrs. Keller stared back at him. They were silent--but Emma glanced at them sharply. Something was going on--Laura would have bet anything that his mother
was doing something telepathic.
" I--I'll get my things," Julian said uncertainly. He turned to go. Laura was speechless. She blinked. Then...
"Hello, Madelyne," Scott said, leaning on the door frame. " It's been a while, hasn't it? Tell me...how's California this time of year?"
Mrs. Keller's eyes widened. She stood up. "Scott-"
Mr. Keller looked up. "Elizabeth?" he asked, uncertain.
"Oh my god," Emma said, sitting straight up. "Madelyne Pryor! I knew! I knew there was something! Why didn't I recognize you immediately?"
Mrs. Keller was silent.
Laura was confused. "Scott? What's going on?"
" May I introduce you...to the clone of Jean Grey-Summers," Scott said grimly. "I've been waiting for her to turn up somewhere. She's quite manipulative.
I would know...I was married to her at one point."
"..." Julian stared at Mrs. Keller. "Mom?" he asked, confused.
"Oh, HAHAHA!" Laura threw back her head. "Clone!"
" Oh my god." Julian leaned against a bookcase, his head in his hands. "This isn't happening. Please tell me this isn't happening. It's not, right?"
" It is," Scott said, his arms folded. "No wonder she didn't want to come when they brought you here. Heard Jean was out, huh? Didn't realize I'm still here?"
"..." Mrs. Keller-Madelyne-stood up. "I don't have to take this treatment. It's offensive. William, let's--"
Scott held up two fingers. "Not so fast. If I'm correct, you're trying to withdraw Julian from the school. Which is not going to happen." His visor flashed, like it
sometimes did when he was angry.
" I'm his parent!" Madelyne snapped.
"You're not exactly the most suitable parent. All it takes is one call to Social Services to bring up a certain incident where you sacrificed my child to a fake god." His visor
flashed again. "Or don't you remember Rachel?"
Everyone stood up with Madelyne. "No one remembers Rachel, because I wouldn't let them," she hissed. "I'll make you forget too, dearest."
"I don't think so," Emma said. "Girls?"
" Wwwwwe're here, Miss Frost," said the Cuckoos in response, from the door.
Madelyne glared. She was telepathically outnumbered.
"I'll call the police here, if you do that," Madelyne said viciously. "I have other, non-mutant influences, you know. I've worked my way up in the world."
Scott raised his eyebrows.
" Madelyne, do you seriously think I'd explain my plan if there was the slightest chance of you affecting its outcome? I called the authorities twenty five minutes
ago, when I saw you and Mr. Keller here outside."
" ..." Madelyne looked slightly afraid now. She was in a roomful of telepaths that could completely overwhelm her; and her husband didn't look like he was going to cooperate.
And there was quite a file on her.
" What do you want?" she asked, quietly.
" Lots of things," Scott said. "The world to be a better place. A 1930's Ford Coupe. For Rachel to be alive." He paused. "I think you'd better be asking Julian that,
Madelyne. He's the victim here."
"..." Madelyne glared at her son. "Fine. What do you want, then? I thought I've given you everything you could ever want. You're quite spoiled."
Julian glared right back at her. "Right! You made me think that I was responsible for Rachel dying! You forbid me to have friends! You ruined my education--and you
disowned me! How the hell am I spoiled?!"
"Vroom vroom," Laura whispered, thinking of his BMW.
" Shut the hell up, asshole," Julian hissed at her. "What do I want, mom? I'm going to stay here. And I'm back in the will. And you're accepting Laura, and our kids, and
taking care of us. Understand? Oh, yeah, and you're not holding James prisoner anymore."
"A little late for me to do all that, if the authorities are on their way," said Mrs. Keller shrewdly.
"Not too late for Mr. Keller, though," Scott pointed out.
All eyes turned to Julian's father. He cleared his throat.
" Julian...I think you're safer if you're not in our custody anymore," he said, his voice heavy.
" What?" Julian blinked.
" This...I don't trust that things won't go back right the way they were once we step out of this office." William ignored Madelyne's glare. "I think we should give over
your custody to the school. I will...I will leave you a trust fund. But you're safer without us."
Julian looked like he was going to cry. Laura took his hand. "Do it," she told Scott. "Pick someone she can't find." She pushed him out of the office.
...
" Julian, stop," Laura said, her tone disgusted. They were in the garden, on a bench deep inside. She was sitting and Julian was pacing back and forth; he had been
crying very silently for the past ten minutes, his fists balled up.
"My fuck. Suck it up, princess. You're going to be an adult in a year, anyway."
Julian stopped. He sniffled and laughed at the same time. It sounded strange, choked. Laura always said the right thing, in the wrong way.
"Clone-son," she teased, in the same manner she'd called him whore-son a few times.
"Oh, god." He closed his eyes. "There's one in every generation, huh?"
" Hey, can't help it if the originals were popular. It just means we're good stuff." Laura looked at the window of the Headmaster's office. "They're filling out the
papers now. They have them in the school because this has happened before."
Julian looked towards the window too. "Who are they picking?"
" Emma's going to do it--for now. She told Scott she doesn't like taking children into her care after the last time she did that."
" The first Hellions." Julian sighed. "Do I have to change my last name?"
" Don't be an idiot," Laura said. " Besides, I've just adjusted to Keller myself...I am not changing it again. You're screwed if you become Frost."
Julian snorted.
"Okay...I guess...it's not so bad. I'm not happy, though." He rubbed his eyes angrily. "Who you think should be my...guardian?"
" I have an idea," Laura said. "Let me make a phone call."