A/N: Rated T for language and threats of violence.
She sometimes wondered if she was making a mistake. Since the tragic day, seven months ago that had left her widowed and scarred for life, she'd been struggling through this pregnancy alone. Their few friends had seemed to drift away, unable to handle a person so encased in grief, she barely remembered how to take care of herself, let alone interact with anyone else.
Now she was giving birth with no one to support her and no idea of how she was going to manage motherhood, rent, and her lack of a job. But this baby was the last piece of Steven left to her. It had been the discovery of her pregnancy that had finally broken her out of her depression and given her something to live for. One of her friends had suggested she give the baby up for adoption, that it would be too much for her. She'd driven that idiot out of her apartment, screaming in her face in a fury she didn't know she was capable of before. But that tiny seed of doubt had been planted.
Susan Powell was twenty-four, an orphan since she was seven, passed through foster home after foster home. Always in search of some kind of stability. She had been married for two amazing years to a man who had been just as insular and guarded as her. Together, they had promised to forge something new, something better. Steven couldn't be here to help her but the second she heard her daughter cry, she knew she'd made the right decision. The labor had been quick, a mere six hours after she'd been admitted to the hospital. The epidural they'd administered had helped with the pain.
She only caught a glimpse of a red-faced squalling infant before the doctor cut the umbilical cord and the nurses took the newborn to be cleaned up and assessed. But she thought her new daughter was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. She was too tired to notice the whispers and the stares at first but when even the doctor left her to cross the room and examine the baby, she began to suspect something was wrong.
"What's going on?" She demanded, heedless of the fact she was still half-naked and smeared with blood and bodily fluids. The doctor glanced at the nurses and then walked back to her side. He put on an obviously fake smile.
"Nothing major, Mrs. Powell. We just need to assess her completely. Let's get you cleaned up and then we can get you two acquainted."
Fuming, she nonetheless kept quiet as the medical staff helped her discharge the placenta and the nurses cleaned her up and gave her water to drink. Finally, everything seemed to be taken care of and one of the nurses approached hesitantly with a tiny bundle in her arms. The doctor stood by her side and she waited impatiently for them to hand her over.
"There's something you need to know, Mrs. Powell. It appears your daughter is a…mutant." There was an odd tone to his voice and for a moment she didn't really register his words. Then that same fury rose up inside her. They were keeping her daughter from her, they were judging her and acting like she would care what her baby looked like.
"Give her to me." She demanded, reaching for that long-awaited arrival. The nurse reluctantly nestled the newborn into her mother's arms. Susan loosened the blanket to get a better look at her daughter and realized exactly what they were talking about. Her daughter's skin was rose-red. It looked like a full-body blush. The skin almost looked scaled too but when she brushed her finger over that tiny cheek, the skin was smooth, not rough.
The infant opened her eyes at her mother's touch and gazed blearily at her while she made a tiny sound of protest at being woken up. Her eyes weren't the blue that most babies sported but a deep, emerald green. Her fingers and toes looked elongated, more like a monkey's. But there were ten of each and everything else about her looked normal. Her hair was dark like her father's had been. She looked healthy and felt solid in her mother's arms.
"Look at you, baby. You're so beautiful"
Two days later, mother and daughter had been discharged from the hospital. The doctors and nurses would probably be happy to see them go. She'd been fiercely attached to her baby, snapping at anyone who looked at her askance and not wanting to let her out of her sight. The doctor had assured her that little Victoria was perfectly healthy despite her appearance and there was no reason to keep them any longer.
So she'd gotten out and loaded Vicky carefully into her car seat before driving to her empty apartment. If only Steven could have been with them, everything would have been perfect. Getting out of her car, she extracted the baby from her car seat with the utmost care. Her bag was slung over her shoulder as she maneuvered her way into the apartment building. In the lobby was an older woman with thick glasses who smiled brightly at them.
"Mrs. Powell! Welcome home and this must be the little dear. Can I have a look at her?" Mrs. Canton lived on the floor below her and had always been friendly and helpful so it never occurred to Susan not to show off her new daughter. She held the fragile bundle where Mrs. Canton could see the tiny face and saw the smile die off the older woman's face.
"Oh, oh my. I didn't realize…I mean she 's one of those." Her neighbor seemed at a loss for words and Sue blinked and then realized what the problem was.
"One of what? She's a human being just like you and me and she's amazing." The fury was there again and she had to bite back stronger words, angrier words that probably wouldn't go over too well. Mrs. Canton looked taken aback.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything. Um, congratulations." The old woman looked away and scurried off as quickly as she could. Sue felt the rage turn to unease. Mrs. Canton was kindly but she was also a huge gossip. It wouldn't be long before everyone knew about the mutant baby in their midst. There were a lot of mutant-haters out there and they wouldn't care that she was only a baby.
Unease turned to fear and she hurried up the two flights to her apartment and closed the door. Vicky was fast asleep and didn't even stir as her mother laid her in the crib she'd set up a month ago, all by herself. Sue let her bag drop on the floor and went to splash water on her face. She found herself trembling as she looked in the mirror.
The car accident that had killed Steven had almost killed her too. Plastic surgery had alleviated some of the damage but there were still visible scars on her face as well as more on her arms and torso. She'd learned to ignore the stares and whispers from strangers when she went out in public but now she realized her daughter was going to get just as many stares except that many of them would be hostile rather than just curious or pitying.
There was a pain in her chest and she realized she was close to having a panic attack. She had to protect her daughter, she would do whatever it took. But what could she do? Even if she moved, someone would find out and then she'd have to worry about their reactions as well. She didn't want to keep her baby hidden. Vicky shouldn't be treated like a monster but that's exactly how some people would see her.
Krakoa. The word jumped into her mind unbidden. She'd been busy for months with physical therapy, doctor's visits, and legal matters after the crash and hadn't kept up with world events but the creation of a mutant island had been so huge that even she was aware of it.
Could she go there with Vicky? There was no way that she was going to give her baby up to be raised by strangers but maybe they let a few humans on the island if it was for a good reason? With renewed determination, she powered up her laptop and began researching this new mutant paradise. Twenty minutes later, she was cautiously optimistic. There was mention of a famous Canadian mutant living on Krakoa with his non-mutant husband. Surely they would take her and her mutant baby too?
There was an official website and it included a place to send questions. Taking a deep breath, she composed an e-mail trying not to send as desperate as she felt, and sent it off. Then Vicky woke up and Sue went to feed her and she had to focus on the baby and hope there would be a reply later when she had time to check.
The rest of the day passed as she catnapped between feedings and diaper changes and making quick meals she could eat quickly. It was dark out before she dared to check her messages only to find there wasn't one from Krakoa. It was disappointing but who knew how fast they read their messages? They probably got hundreds or thousands of messages every day from around the world. She just had to be patient.
Two days later, there was still no reply and exhaustion meant she hadn't left her apartment in all that time. But it was a beautiful day out so she decided to take Vicky for a walk. She walked down the stairs with Vicky and went to get her stroller out of the car. It was a good thing she'd practiced with it before because it was much harder to get it set up with just one hand.
But soon enough, she got it open and carefully got Vicky strapped into it. The infant cooed and waved her hands around aimlessly. It was warm out but not too hot and there was a nice breeze blowing as they set off towards the park two blocks away.
When they reached the park, she strolled around, trying to make the time last as long as possible. The park wasn't very big. She could see from one end to the other end of it. There weren't many people around either but as soon as she saw the gang of young men moving towards her, she knew something was wrong.
There were five of them and they seemed to be heading right towards her. Part of her tried to reason that they wouldn't try anything, not in broad daylight with other people around. But she had to think of Vicky's safety too. As she watched them approach, her hand dipped into her purse and closed over a can of pepper spray.
"Well, well, look at the freaks." The lead one said, smirking at her as he sauntered up, trying to look tough. He had a hat on that read "Friends of Humanity." She knew that was some idiot anti-mutant hate group from the research she'd been doing. The other four spread out to surround her in a loose circle.
"Fuck off, asshole. Get the hell out of my way." She really wished she had a gun right now. The pepper spray might take out some of them but there were too many. She knew how to fight but she had to protect her baby. She couldn't leave her unguarded to attack any of them.
"Get the picture, bitch. No one wants your kind here. Why don't you go crawl off to your little island with all the other abominations? Or maybe we'll make you leave."
"I'm not a mutant, dumbass. But even if I were, it's none of your damn business. Move or I'm calling the police."
"You think they'll get here in time? I hear babies skulls are pretty fragile. One little fall might be all it takes to make sure there's one less freak in the world."
She saw red. How dare he? She'd throttle the life from them all with her bare hands. Her whole life had been a struggle and now this felt like the culmination of every indignity she'd ever suffered.
"Hey! Get the hell away from them." She startled when she realized a small crowd had gathered nearby. They were glaring at her harassers and the man who had spoken, a large, gray-haired man had stepped forward. "What kind of cowards threaten a baby?"
"They're both freaks. They shouldn't be allowed in this park with normal people." The leader sneered at her but he was a little more uncertain now that there was an audience.
"The only freaks are you. I'll be damned if I fought for my country only to have it ruined by people like you. Leave or I'll make you leave." Several other people in the crowd responded in agreement and the atmosphere was becoming increasingly volatile.
"Whatever. This isn't over, bitch." The punks backed off and sauntered away trying to make it look like they were leaving by their own choice and not because they were afraid of the crowd. She felt tears prickle in her eyes as she realized it was over. All that anger-fueled adrenaline seemed to wear off all at once, leaving her weak-kneed at the thought that Vicky could have been hurt or worse.
"Thank you." She managed to stammer out. The older man just nodded and smiled.
"No problem, ma'am. You and that beautiful little girl take care." The crowd dispersed, many of them smiling and waving at her before they left. Trembling, she headed back to her apartment and didn't stop until she was safely behind locked doors. Putting Vicky back into her crib, she sat down on the couch and cried for a good five minutes before she could bring herself to calm down.
They would never be safe. Every time they went out, they would be a target. Those bastards didn't even have to confront her in person again. They could do anything-sabotage her car, set the building on fire, shoot them both from afar. She didn't want to live her life in fear.
Wiping away tears, she checked her messages again only to find one that appeared to be from the immigration office of Krakoa. Clicking on it, she read the words with a tiny, growing feeling of hope. The e-mail said she had three options. She could send Vicky to live on the island to be cared for by an adoptive couple. This was rejected immediately.
She could apply for citizenship on the island but this would be a long process. Her claim would have to reviewed and voted on by the ruling council and it could take weeks if not months. Even if they agreed to it, how safe would they be there? Krakoa had already come under several attacks and there would likely be more in the future. She was an ordinary human despite her scarred appearance and Vicky would be vulnerable for years. She could very well face prejudice there as well although she could put up with that for her daughter's sake.
The final suggestion was more intriguing. Krakoa operated facilities run by humans and they could arrange for her to get a job at one of them. It would involve moving to a new state but it would give her proximity to one of their gates. In the event of an emergency, she could send Vicky through the gate to safety. It sounded perfect to her. This would allow them both a new start, a new career, and a semblance of safety for little Victoria.
Her only concern was that a place known to be connected to Krakoa might be a target for bigoted terrorists as well but it was a better opportunity than what she had now. Sending a reply, she asked them to arrange for option three.
Two months later…
Susan was proud of the work she was doing. Her division helped coordinate the distribution of the life-saving drugs that Krakoa offered to the world. Her days were taken up by spreadsheets and shipping labels but the pay was good and she felt like her job was making a difference. Best of all, there was free daycare right on site so she could have Vicky with her while she took her lunchbreak.
The workers at the daycare always told her how good Vicky was, what a calm and happy baby she was. Susan had coworkers who cooed over her daughter rather than looking at her in disgust or fear. They had a nice little house on the grounds of the compound and she finally felt some semblance of safety. Among other benefits like comprehensive healthcare and free lunches, she'd also been able to take self-defense courses and felt more confident about her ability to defend herself and Vicky if she had to.
Some day, when her daughter was old enough to understand what was going on, she would bring her to visit Krakoa. It would be wonderful for Vicky to have a whole island to explore instead of just the isolated little town they were living in. Life here was still hiding in a way but in much more pleasant and secure surroundings. Until that day, they would make the best of their new life. Vicky would grow up surrounded by love and that was all Stephen and her could have ever hoped for their family.
A/N: This is sort of the bookend to the first chapter. There will still be regular humans who give birth to mutants and moving to Krakoa may not be feasible or even desirable for them. This is the result.