Chapter Twenty-Six:
From the mansion's elevator, Henry McCoy ducked slightly as he stepped into the ground floor hall, followed quickly by his formerly unconscious patient. Mary had recovered from her recent visions with an uncanny serenity, as if the seemingly traumatic event that had knocked her out cold had little other effect on her. She seemed nervous now that she may finally be meeting some of the others, but otherwise was alert and chatting pleasantly with the doctor.
"So, about how many other students live here?" she asked looked slightly upwards to meet Henry's grinning face.
"Oh, about thirty or thirty-five, I think," Henry replied, strolling along next to her with his hands held behind his back.
Mary noticed that his movements would occasionally become almost ape-like as he walked casually around the lab. The motions were quiet natural, given his immense body shape and long arms, but whenever he was around others, he seemed to make a conscious effort to walk upright, forcing his body to march with unnatural stiffness.
"Oh," she replied, and then added quickly, "Will they all be at dinner now?"
Henry chuckled, but smiled sympathetically at the girl's anxiety. From the way Scott had described it, she came from a town that probably only had about thirty people total, and now she was in a solitary, albeit large, house with over two dozen lively children.
"No, I don't think so," Henry replied, "I imagine most of them are already fed and off again, though some have been asking about you. Any new student is met happily. You're one more person in the world who's just like them..."
Henry accompanied his very serious statement with a playful wink.
"And they love showing new arrivals exactly what make them mutants."
Mary smiled, "Big change from home. Most people in my town were suspicious of new people. Of course, considering I was the youngest person most of them saw every day...well, I'm not exactly the hyperactive type..."
"For which I'm sure the Professor is very happy," Henry replied, "We rather count on the older students to set a good example for the younger students…"
Mary paused in mid-step and Henry looked slightly back at her.
Before he could ask her why she stopped, Rogue came running around from the other way, tearing through the mansion at full speed. She skidded to a halt in surprise as she noticed them, and grinned.
"Oh," Rogue said, breathing heavily, "Hi, Dr. McCoy…"
Henry greeted her, and she frowned curiously at the girl next to him before continuing.
"Are you Mary?" she asked and when the girl nodded, she held out one gloved hand, "Hi…I'm Rogue. How're you feelin'?"
Mary blinked in surprise and then grinned, "Ok, thanks. I'm sorry if I scared anyone last night."
Rogue's eyes darkened a bit as she glanced between Mary and Henry, "You didn't. We're sort of on guard all the time since…well, before what happened a few months ago. Besides, the Professor sent us all a message that everything was under control…and we had a little extra security come into town last night too."
Rogue began to smile as she finished speaking. The expression was warm, but also held a strange, almost intimidating, pride. For a second, Mary thought she looked a lot like the man Logan she had encountered only briefly the night before. Not a clear kinship, but as if Rogue held almost an echo of Logan behind her eyes.
As quickly as it was there, the look faded and her cheerful mood reappeared.
"Storm said you're in one of the single rooms in the east wing," Rogue said, almost as a question to which Mary shrugged.
"I haven't actually been there yet," Mary replied, "But I hear my luggage thinks the room has a great view…"
Rogue grinned, "Well, view or not…it's better than the student dorms, believe me. Bobby and I got upgraded to our own rooms last winter so we'll be right down the hall."
Mary narrowed her eyes, and tilted her head, as if she was listening to an unheard whisper.
"He's there now…" Mary said quietly and then added quickly, "At least…that's where you'll find him when you find him…"
Rogue stared at her a moment with some confusion. Henry gave both girls a sideways grin and shook his head with polite amusement.
"Oh, was that…" Rogue began, looking up towards the stairs and then back to Mary before continuing, "That's what you can do…so you are precognitive?"
Mary nodded, looking a little embarrassed, her raven dark hair hiding part of her face.
"I'm sorry," Mary said, "I…I do that without thinking about it. Back in town, people sort of just expected me to tell them where they would find something or when they would meet who they were looking for…"
"Were you looking for Bobby, Rogue?" Henry asked, entering the conversation for the first time.
Rogue nodded, "Yeah…I was…"
Suddenly, Rogue nudged Henry with one gloved elbow.
"Maybe she can help you find your keys next time, Doc," she said, and McCoy chuckled but seemed to be seriously considering Rogue's suggestion.
Mary felt a strange relief run through her. The unexpected ease at which they accepted what she could do was a pleasant surprise.
Though she had spoken about how her townspeople would expect Mary to know things, she did not add that those same people were usually afraid of her at the same time. Even the Elders, who had traditions of invoking visions of the future, would systematically ignore her gift, and her questions about it.
"Do you mind showing me where my room is?" Mary asked, and then added, "I mean…if you are going upstairs…which you don't have to but…"
"Come on…" Rogue said, "I'll introduce you to Bobby too before dinner. It really won't take you long to get to know everybody...see you in a bit, Doc…"
"Take your time…" he called as they walked away, "The longer you make the hours of a Sunday evening, the longer you make the time until your chemistry exam!"
Rogue paused remembering her forgotten text out on the lawn. Mary knew the other girl was ready to go looking for it, and decided she did not need to disguise her power anymore.
"Don't worry…" she said to Rogue, "The man with the cards brings it back into the house. He'll leave it on the table near the steps."
Rogue looked back at her, "Oh…ok…"
Mary glanced back at Henry with a mimic of his sideways grin, "Oh, and Dr. McCoy? They're in the inner left pocket…"
Rogue laughed as Henry pulled a jingling set of keys from his lab coat and scratched his head. She spun around to Mary and gave her a wicked grin.
"So…can you tell me how I do on that chem. test?" she asked, and Mary laughed.
"Now, what fun would that be?" Mary replied, and followed Rogue up the steps.
Henry could hear Rogue presenting Mary with her reasons why it would be fun to know her future grade (and the future answers to future exam questions), as they disappeared around the corner on the second floor. Henry McCoy spun his keys on his fore finger and whistled happily as he walked away.
About ten minutes later, Remy enters the hall with a chemistry textbook under his arm. He puts it down on the table near the steps, figuring that Rogue will see it there when she comes by.