I turn to you

By Todd fan

Dislaimer: Okay, you guys know by now that i own nothing but my own characters. I can't be bothered listing them, but you already know who are mine. I don't own Sherlock Holmes, 'A study in scarlet' or 'The hound of the Baskervilles', they were written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, not me.

And i want to thank, as always, the good, brilliant people who review my work:

Silver wolf girl - Hey another new reviewer! Awww shucks thanks, but i think i preffer writing for fun.

Capslock - Yeah, so do i. It's brill when these enamies have to get along, or try to at least. Yeah, Sid heals quick, in fact, by this chapter, she's fully healed. Yep Sabertooth has healing powers, i like Sabertooth (you never would have guessed would ya?).

Pixiechick - Good, i'm glad you liked Sid's point of view. Yep, Morgan is as dead as a door nail, but her 'children' aren't....

Eileen - Don't worry, it hasn't ended yet, heck even I don't know where this fic is going to end!

Chapter 16 - An unexpected visitor.



The Brotherhood had moved into the Xavier insititute without much trouble. As they had already been living there for just over a week because of Sidney's injury, most of the unpleasantness of the two groups living together had already happened. Evan and Pietro still had major problems, and it seemed as if Lance and Scott would tear at each ohters throats at any second. Other than that, everyone was getting on fine, even Todd and Kurt were making an effort to get along. A few weeks had passed and Sidney healed fine. Sabertooth had refused to stay at the mansion as soon as she was healed, he was a wanderer by heart and didn't like to stay in one place for a long period of time. He appeared every now and again, but everyone knew he was looking for Pickles. The whole group were now gathered at the bus stop. A school trip to some sort of wilderness retreat had been planned for the entire student body, except the freshmen class. Sidney was the only exception, she had been allowed to go on her scholastic achivement and was the only freshmen going on the trip. This meant, to the utter joy of the adults, the Xavier mansion would only have three students for four days, Kitty, Todd and Evan. These three were now seeing off the rest of the students. Sidney gave Todd a hug and a kiss goodbye.

"Try not to destroy the house while i'm gone", she said with a chuckle.

"Hey, i've already had one house burn ta the ground", said Todd, "i really don't need another one goin' down".

"Will all students please get on the buses", shouted principal Kelly through his loudspeaker, "they leave in five minutes".

"Theres my beep", said Sidney, picking up her bags and waving goodbye, "have fun you guys".

"Oh yeah", said Evan rolling his eyes, "extra training seesions with Logan, we'll have lots of fun".

Everyone got on the busses and they drove off. Leaving Bayville behind for the next four days.

"And then there were three", said Kitty with a sigh.

"Errrrr two", said Evan with a nervous chuckle, "i'm going to go skating, if Logan really meant we had more training, i really don't want to be arround the mansion".

"Oh gee thanks Daniels", said Todd, crossing his arms, "ya do realise that the guy can track ya down don't ya?".

"He'll have to catch me first", said Evan, jumping on his skateboard and going as fast as it could carry him.

"Huh. He makes you feel like he deosn't want to be near you", said Kitty, crossing her arms.

"Welcome to MY world", said Todd with a chuckle, "people stay away from me twenty-four-seven. I'm gonna go get a pizza".

"Hey could you get me one and fetch it back to the institute?", asked Kitty, "please?".

"Yeah, yeah", said Todd with a sigh, "veggie, right?".

Kitty nodded and both teens went their seperate ways.



A long black limousine pulled up into the insititute's driveway. This, being an unusual occurence, brought Logan out. A chauffer stepped out from the drving seat and walked over to the end of the car, opeing the door. A tall man in his mid fifty's stepped out. He carried a walking stick and wore a buisness suit under a long coat, a hat was on his head. The man smiled up at Logan, his blue eyes a huge contrast to his pale complexion.

"Good day my man", he said in a smooth accent that sounded something between a British and and American one, "i trust this is the Xavier institute for.....gifted youngsters".

"Ya got the right place bub", said Logan with a sigh, "can i help ya?".

"Yes, i would like to see Professor Xavier if that is at all possible", said the man with a smile.

"Sure thing", said Logan, walking into the institute, "follow me".

The man nodded.

"Thank you", he said and followed Logan in.

The man stopped by the coat rack and put his coat and hat on it, revealing his dusty-blonde hair, slicked back and showing more than a few grey hairs. Logan surpressed an indignant snort, the guy certainly made himself at home without asking. Logan walked over to the professors studay and opened it.

"Some guys here wants ta see ya Charles", he said.

The man smiled and walked into the study, pushing past Logan.

"I'm pleased to meet you Professor Xavier", said the man, walking over to Xavier and holding out his hand, "i have heard much about your institute".

The professor blinked then took the mans hand and shook it. He gave looked over to where Logan was still stanbding and gave him a nod, telling him he coud go back to whatever he was doing. Xavier then turned and looked at this newcommer. He narrowed his eyes for a second, just to get a brief mental reading off him. He nearly gasped in shock this guy was.... He shook his head, he had better act unknowingly anyway, just in case.

"Thank you", he said, "Mr...."

"Daniel", said the man with a smile, "Daniel Toynbee".

The professor nodded.

"And may i ask what you want here?", he asked.

"I'm here to visit a student of yours", said Daniel, "Todd Tolenski?. I belive he moved here a few weeks ago?".

"Yes, he did", said the professor, "he isn't in right now".

"Oh", said Daniel, looking slighty upset, "do you know when he will be home?. Is it possible for me to wait for him?".

The professor narrowed his eyes, if this man was who Xavier thought he was, he wasn't exactly sure if Todd would want to talk to the man. But, it wasn't his buisness, it was Todd's.

"Yes, you can wait in the libary if you like", he said, "third door on the right. I will send Todd into you when he come home".

"Thank you", said Daniel and stepped out of the study.

He walked over to the libary and let himself in. Kitty was curled up in a chair by the fireplace with a book, he head drated up when the stranger came in.

"Oh", she said, jumping up, "err..hi who are.you?".

"Theres no need to stand up for me young lady", said Daniel with a chuckle, "i'm here to see a student, please, go on with your reading, miss.."

"Huh Kitty Pryde", said Kitty with a nervous chuckle, "who are you, like, here to see".

"Todd Tolesnki", said James, pointing to a seat, "may i?".

"Huh, yeah sure", said Kitty, how could such a regal and obviously wealthy man know Todd, who was the total opposite of the man talking to her, "so you know Todd?".

"Lets just say we are old....acquaintances", said Daniel with a sigh, sitting down, "thats better, i'm not as young as i used to be. Ahhhh 'The hound of the Baskervilles', a chillingly good read if i remember rightly".

"Huh?", said Kitty, the realsied that the man was talking about the book in her hands, "oh yeah, it's great. I like Sherlock Holmes".

"Yes Doyle is an ecceoptionall writer is he not?", said Daniel with a smile, "i have all of his work. Tell me, have you read 'A study in scarlet?".

"No, whats that about?", asked Kitty ,sitting up.

Her and Daniel Toynbee were soon talking all about their favorite books.



Todd sighed, as he walked towards the institute, it would be quiet with just three kids there, but hey, at least it gave him some time to just chill. As he got to the top of the driveway he noticed a limo parked outside, he shrugged, must be a freind of the professors. He jumped up the steps with one leap and opened the door. He was heading towards the common room when Storm stopped him.

"Todd, the professor want's to speak to you", she said with a smile, "he's in his study".

Todd blinked. Why would the professor want to see him?. Last time he checked he hadn't done anything wrong, he nodded.

"Yeah, thanks Storm", he said, putting Kitty's pizza on a table and heading to the professors study. He stopped in front of the door, before he even had chance to knock...

*Come in Todd*

Todd gave an invoulntary shudder, it always creeped him out when the telephaths spoke to him. He sighed and opened the door.

"Ya wanted ta see me professor?", he asked.

"You have a visitor Todd", said the professor, looking up from his desk.

"I...do?", said Todd, surprised, "who would visit me?. Everyone i know lives here".

"He's in the library", said Xavier, "he arrived while you were seeing Sidney and the others off. Brace yourself".

"Okay", said Todd, hopping towards the libarly, his mind racing, trying to figure out who his visitor was and why the professor had warned him to brace himself.

He got to the liabary door and entered. Kitty was sitting on a chair, deep in conversation with....

"You?", said Todd wide eyed, he felt angry and shocked at the same time, how could it be?

"Ahhhhh hello...errrr...Todd", said Daniel, smiling from his chair, "i was just having a delightfull conversation with miss Pryde here...".

"What are YOU doin' here?", asked Todd, trying to keep his temper in check.

Kitty sensed the tension and gave a nervous laugh.

"Err i'll, like, just head out", she said, phasing through the floor, making Daniel give a double take for a second.

"Fasinating", he said, rubbing his chin.

"I'll ask ya once more", said Todd, narrowing his eyes, "what are ya doin' here?".

"Why, can't a father visit his son anymore?", asked Daniel with a smile.

"Father?", Todd sneered, "i thought ya got rid of that 'father' title when ya abandoned me".

"Ahhhh i see you are still a little bitter", said Daniel, nodding, "well that could be expected. It was very hard for me to find you son. Why, you even changed your name, even if it is to your mothers maiden one, and i must admit, that Brooklyn accent of yours is quite a nifty trick".

"Drop dead", muttered Todd, crossing his arms, "why are ya really here?. Huh?. 'Cause it sure ain't ta see me, thats fer sure".

"Well Mortimer.."

Todd was in Daniel's face in a flash.

"DON'T call me THAT!", he said angrilly, "my name's Todd, use it".

"Okay then...Todd..", Daniel said with a sigh, "as you can probably tell, i am not getting any younger, and, well, when i am gone, there will be no one to inherit the family estate".

"So this is what this is about?", Todd sneered, "money?".

"Mor..Todd, if you don't take the estate when i die, then it will go to", Daniel gave a shudder, "lower class people".

"Oh boo hoo", said Todd sarcastically, "if ya wanted me ta inherit the family estate, ya shouldn't of abandoned me".

"Son, i did not know what to do", said Daniel, "with your mother gone. And, well, your...condition. I had no other alernative".

"Condition?", said Todd, shaking his head in disbelief, "if ya got off ya pompus butt fer five seconds ya'd realise that it's not an illness. It's a natural part of my gene pool".

"Yes be that as it may if any of the social ladder around out family knew we had a...mutant", Daniel whispered the word as if he was afraid of it, "..in the family. I'd be ruined".

"And ya expected me ta understand that?", shouted Todd, "i was three years old. THREE. An' you were the only family i knew. Ya left me on the steps of that Brooklyn orphanage on thanksgiving!. I was just a kid, an' you didn't even have the guts ta walk inta the orphanage ta hand me over. Did ya?".

"You make it sound worse than it is son", said Daniel, putting a hand on Todd's shoulder.

Todd jerked away from his father.

"Don't touch me", he said, narrowing his eyes, "listen 'pops' i don't wnat ya money. I don't want ya estate. I couldn't care less if it's all stripped down ta make tolilet seats. I don't want ya in my life".

"I am your father and i do not deserve to be talked to in such a manner", said Daniel, knocking his walking stick on the ground, "i should be talked to with respect".

"Ya lost my respect fer ya when ya walked outta my life", said Todd, turning his head away from Daniel, "ya can't just walk back in. Now, would ya just leave already?, 'cause nothin' ya say is gonna make me go with you".

Daniel looked at Todd for a second before nodding his head and walking towards the door.

"Fine, but you are making a big mistake", he said, some shuffling was heard on the other side of the door, the man ignored it, "this offer will not come your way again".

"I don't care" muttered Todd closing his eyes.

Daniel looked like he was about to say something else, but instead just huffed and opened the door. He stepped out to see Kitty reading a book, trying to look inocent.He closed the door, grabbed his hat from the coat stand and put on his coat. He then tipped his hat to Kitty.

"Good day miss", he said then strode out of the institue's main main door.

Kitty heard the sound of a the limo diving away. She sighed, she hadn't MEANT to eavesdrop, but her curiosity had gotten the better of her. She could hardly belive what she had heard. Todd, the Toad, was heir to a massive estate, worth who knew how much!. She shook her head, Todd sure was good at hiding his past. She felt she should talk to the guy, he must feel pretty rough after that. Kitty stood up and phased through the closed libary door. Todd was sitting in a chair with his head in his hands.

"Hey Kitty", he said, not even looking up.

"Oh, hey Todd", said Kitty, "errrr..how did you know it was me".

"Ya the only one in the mansion at the moment who can come in without openin' the door", said Todd.

"Oh...", said Kitty blinking, Todd was smarter than she'd given him credit for, "sooo..what, like, just happened?".

"Why are you askin'?", said Todd, looking up, "ya were behind the door the whole time".

"No i..", Kitty began, then sighed, "okay you must have, like, good ears. Are you..okay?".

"Mmmmm, let me think", said Todd, rubbing his chin, "i've just been visited by a father i hate, who abandoned me and who wants me ta take over his estate. Do you think i'm okay?".

Kitty blinked, surprised at Todd's bitter tone. Todd sensed this and sighed.

"Sorry", he said, "it's just a bit much fer me ta handle. I didn't mean ta snap at ya like that".

"Hey it's okay, no harm done", said Kitty with a smile, then looked at Todd, concerned, "do you, like, want to talk about it?".

"Like i have a choice?", said Todd with a sigh, "as ya guessed by now, that guy is Daniel Toynbee, my..father".

Todds eyes narrowed at the word 'father'.

"He lives in uptown New York in some big plush mansion with servants ta tend at his every whim. He abandoned me when i was three years old", Todd said with a sigh, "my mutant powers manifested early. He didn't want a mutant in his family. He thought i'd stain his perfect regal bloodline".

"But what about you mother?", asked Kitty, "i mean, like, all mothers want to protect their children, so why would she let that happen?".

"She died giving birth", said Todd, closing his eyes sadly, "i've never had the chance ta meet her".

"Oh Todd, i'm sorry", said Kitty, for the first time since she met him, she felt so sorry for the frog-like mutant. He'd always been so cheerfull and upbeat...she had no idea.

"Don't be", said Todd with a wave of his hand, "ya can't change the past, so it's not worth cryin' over".

Todd frowed.

"Huh, after years of tryin' ta avoid it, i still sound just like my father", he said with a sigh, "i just wish i knew how he found me".

"Maybe he, like, looked you up through the adoption agency?", said Kitty, "they can usually do that really easy. I mean, he only needed to find out the surname of the family that adopted you and then its kinda easy from there".

"I wasn't adopted", said Todd with a sightly bitter tone, "no one ever wanted me. Why have a freaky lookin' frog-boy when ya can have a perfect, nice lookin' kid".

"But how did you get..."

"My name?", said Todd, "Tolenski was my mom's maiden name, i just made up Todd, i might have only been three, but i wasn't stupid. I knew that moneybags had dumped me, so why should i keep my old name, it'd just be a reminder of how much i hated the guy. An' how much he hated me".

"Oh", said Kitty nodding.

Kitty had come from a nice steady home, and it was now that she realised how lucky she was. Her parents had accepted her mutant power easily. They wanted her to learn to control it and they loved her. They were always there for her, no matter what. She had taken all of this for granted, she made a mental note to call her parents later, just to talk. Todd still looked throughly depressed, she decided she should try to lighten the mood a little.

"Well", she said with a slight giggle, "with a name like Mortimer, i don't blame you for changing it".

Todd looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh gee, thanks", he said with a chuckle, "by the way, if you tell anyone my birth name's Mortimer, i may have be forced ta kill ya".

"I promise i won't tell a soul", said Kitty, holding up a hand.

"Good", said Todd with a grin, "'cause i get beaten up enough as it is, i could do without everyone knowin' that too, heck i'd never be left alone".

"Yeah, so, are you going to be okay?", asked Kitty.

"Yeah", said Todd with a sigh, "i just need some time alone, i'll befine. Thanks fer takin' the time ta listen".

"Hey don't mention it", said Kitty, getting up, "does Sid know?".

"Of course she knows", said Todd with a chuckle, "she's my best friend, there ain't much she don't know about me. But other than that, ya the only one that really knows anythin' about my past, the Brotherhood included".

"Wow, do you have trust issues", said Kitty, shaking her head and smiling, "then again, i can't blame you. I'll, like, see you later Todd. And, hey, don't worry too much about it, from the look on Logan's face he doesn't like your dad either, i don't think he'll come back".

"I hope not", said Todd with a sigh.

Kitty nodded and started to pahse through the door, the popped her head back in.

"Okay, just, like, a quick question", she said, "this estate that your turning down, well how much is it all owrth. You know, your entire inheritance?".

"You really want to know?", said Todd with a sigh.

Kitty nodded.

"Three and half million dollars", said Todd with a sigh.

Kitty stumbled back.

"Whoah", she said, shocked, "thats...alot. Okay, i'm leaving before i try to talk you into taking it".

With that she phased quickly through the door.

Todd sighed and leant back in his chair, he needed time to just be alone and collect his thoughts. He hopped Kitty was right, and that his father wouldn't step foot near the insititute again, Todd doubted he could handle another sitiutation like that as calmy as he had done again.



So what do you think of my take on Todd's past? It's kinda a mix between the original Toad (who in case you didn't know, which i doubt, was called Mortimer Toynbee, they changed his name for Evolution for some unknown reason), and a bit of my own thrown in. Like always, if you review, i'll be really, really greatfull. Until next time readers....