Mommy Mystique (cont.)

The entire school gathered for an assembly the following morning. Rumors were already going around that Ms. Darkholme was leaving, although the reasons for doing so were so far off the mark it was laughable.

"I heard the Feds are arresting her because she works for al-Qaeda."

"No, that's not it. She's running away to marry her boyfriend in Russia . . ."
Scott saw Rogue and went over to her. "Hey, you know what this is all about?"
"Yeah. She's leaving, but it's nothin' like what they're saying. She's pregnant."
"Oh, yeah, right."
"She is!"

Scott almost fainted.

Ms. Darkholme took the microphone. "I've called you all here to make an important announcement. As of next month, I will be taking a year off from teaching, for personal reasons."
"Personal reasons?" Jean whispered.
"Betcha they fired her," Kitty whispered back.
A teacher shushed them.
"In the interim, Mr. Kelly will be Acting Principal. The school board will appoint an assistant principal within the next month."
Her eyes scanned the audience of whispering students. "Let me reassure you," she continued, "that as long as I remain here, I am still in charge. I am not--" The baby kicked her, and she had to struggle to keep her expression blank. "I am not--" Ow! Dammit, kid, take it easy!
This one she couldn't keep off her face, and a murmur went up in the audience.
"Raven, are you okay?" Kelly asked her.
"Yes, I'm fine," she said. "Take over for me while I go to the little girls' room."

"She's having a heart attack." one of the kids whispered to Toad.

"Don't be stupid! She's just . . . uh, I can't say."
"Why not? Is it some big family secret?"
"Yeah, kinda."

"Whoa!"

By the time Mystique came back, everyone had their own theory about what was wrong with her. Most of them were completely wrong.

"Can't we tell them what's really happening?"

"I don't think anyone would believe it."

"That's for sure."

Mystique took the microphone back and gave her big "my door is always open, I'm here for you, come and talk anytime" speech. Then she dismissed the assembly, went back to her office, put her head down on her desk, and fell asleep.

She didn't sleep long, however . . .

Her phone rang. She briefly thought about just unplugging it and throwing it across the room, but then decided it would be simpler just to hang up on whoever it was.

She tried to sleep again. . . .

"Yo, Boss Lady!"
Mystique nearly jumped out of her chair. Her boys were in the room, but there was no sign of Rogue.
"What do you want?" she groaned.
"You okay? You don't look so good."

"Your point being . . . ?"

"I think you should go home," Toad said. He seemed to have appointed himself her caretaker. "You're all worn out, between work and the baby, and you need rest."
"What I need," she said, her voice rising, "is you out of my office! Now!"

Toad couldn't get out of the office fast enough.

Pietro, however, couldn't resist one last smart remark. "You know," he said, "you should have thought of this before you went home with Mr. Short, Dark, and Scary--"
She threw a potted plant at him.

"Uh, never mind."

The rest of her day went fairly well. At least until she got home . . .

There was a message on the fridge:

THAT PROF DUDE CALLED HE NEEDS TO SEE YOU RIGHT AWAY. TRY TO KEEP YOUR PANTS ON THIS TIME.

"Toad, I'm going to kill you."