Brenda couldn't believe she was finally talking to her grandmother, a grandmother that up until today she'd never known she had. "Why didn't you e-mail me?" she asked.
"I thought it would be more personal to speak to you directly. That is all right, isn't it, dear?"
"Yes, of course. But this call must be costing you a fortune—"
"Don't worry about it. I'm not rich, but I don't need to clip coupons, either. Besides, what's a few pounds among family?"
Family . . . up until now, the Sisters had been her family. Did she have other relatives she didn't know about?
"You must have a million questions. Go ahead, I'll do my best."
Where to begin? "Why didn't you just tell me who you were, that day at the shop? Did you think I wouldn't want your money?"
"The thought did cross my mind. It's what your mother would have said. I didn't want to risk either of us making a scene."
"You two didn't get on, then?"
"Not very well, I'm afraid. After her father died, Margaret became very moody and quiet. We hardly ever spoke anymore. Then she started going with a bad crowd . . . I thought she'd get over it, but she never did. Not before . . . ."
"Before she died, you mean."
"Yes. I thought there would be time. You always think there will be time . . . ." There was a pause as the older woman pulled herself together.
"What was she like?" Brenda asked. "Before she changed."
"Oh, she was always a handful, but it was even worse after she got her powers—"
"Powers? My mother was . . . like me?" Brenda was surprised to hear that.
"Yes, she was a telepath. Which made it even harder to deal with her. I tried to get her some help, but she wouldn't have it. Then she left, and . . ."
They talked for close to two hours. Brenda, who had known almost nothing of her mother growing up, was suddenly seeing her as a real person, with real problems, not unlike herself. She was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't even realize that there had been nothing but silence on the other end of the phone for almost three minutes now.
"Gran? Gran, are you there?"
Then suddenly there was a thud.
"Oh, God . . ." Brenda hung up and dialed the emergency number, hoping that her worst fears weren't true. After being reassured by the emergency services personnel that they would do all they could, she hung up and just sat there, staring at the phone. Had she found her grandmother only to lose her again?
At some point she fell asleep, waiting next to the phone. Someone picked her up and put her in her own bed, then took her place by the phone.
When Brenda woke up, she wasn't sure where she was at first. Then she recognized her own things, and that little blue robe in the closet caught her eye again. Where was the owner of that robe now?
She looked over and saw a note on her bedside table:
Brenda,
Got a call from the hospital a few hours ago. Your grandma's fine, she just had a bit of a fainting spell. She'll be home by tomorrow, and she'll call you then.
Scott
Brenda heaved a sigh of relief at that. See? Nothing to worry about.
"Can we go out tonight?" Todd asked the sitter.
"Define 'we'," the sitter demanded.
"Uh . . . us guys . . . you, if you want. You should get out more."
"You're grounded, remember?" the man growled.
"For how long?" Todd asked, hoping it would only be a few days or so.
"Says here you're in lockdown till she gets back. Then she'll make the decision, based on my report. You sneak out, I'll have to tell her. And don't think that I won't know if you do. I know all the tricks."
Todd gulped. "O-okay."
The guy's name, they had found out, was Mr. Creed. No first name, at least not one that he had given them. He slept on the couch, and mostly sat in the chair in front of the TV, but every time one of them made a move, he knew. It was like the guy had eyes in the back of his head or something.
"The rest of us can go out, right?" Lance asked.
"So long as you don't get into any trouble." He went back to his movie, which seemed to be about a girl running around in an old house, losing her top.
"Tough luck, Toddy," Pietro said. "We'll bring you back a slushie or something."
"Thanks," Todd said, without much enthusiasm. This being grounded thing really stunk. Why did Mystique have to do this to him now?
He hoped wherever she was, she was in the worst pain of her life. As long as she didn't die. She had gone off and left him all alone with this big creepy guy, and he couldn't stand it any more.
"I gotta get out of here, yo!" He started for the door, but suddenly there was this huge hairy form blocking his way.
"No, you don't!" the goon said.
"But I can't stay here!" Todd complained. "I'm bored and I'm all alone and it's not right that I should be punished when Mystique ain't even here . . ."
"Look, all I know is she told me to keep an eye on you kids. That means not letting you sneak out behind my back. Now get back to your room befor I beat you to a bloody pulp, you little punk!"
Todd slunk away in mortal fear of this monster, praying that Mystique would make a miraculous recovery and be home soon.