Chapter Ten
"Xavier Scott for the Gifted, student speaking." Savanna greeted into the moth piece of the phone in the front hall, the next day.
"Hello, this is Sean Cassidy. May I please speak to Professor Xavier?" A thick deep Irish accent drifted through the phone and Savanna blinked a couple times in response.
"Uh.. Sure, one sec. PROFESSOR! PHONE!" Savanna yelled at the top of her lungs, not bothering to cover the mouthpiece of the phone. "He'll be along in a moment." She added to Sean in the sweetest voice possible.
"That's one set of lungs you have on you, girl." Sean laughed.
"Thanks!" Savanna chirped as The Professor rolled into the foyer. "Here's The Professor." She added, handing Xavier the phone.
"There ARE quieter ways to contact me Savanna." He stated, tapping his head lightly.
"Meh." Savanna said with a shrug. "My way is more fun." She added with a grin.
Shaking his head slightly, The Professor took the phone from her hand.
Savanna excused herself without a word and headed into the rec room. She rolled her eyes at Allesandre and Alexis who were fawning over Warren's wings.
"Miss Braddock!" Alexis called over to Betsy.
"Yes?"
"Do you use Mr. Worthington's wings as a pillow?" Thora asked with a grin.
Scott and Jean managed to cover their laughs with coughs, but the rest of the occupants weren't so lucky, and the room erupted in laughter.
"Betsy regarded Thora coolly. "I don't believe that is any of your business, child. However, I will tell you this; angel feathers are VERY soft." She said with a hint of a smirk.
Everyone went quiet, except for a few stray chuckles, when The Professor rolled into the room. "That was Sean on the phone." He stated.
"Banshee?" Jean asked, raising an eyebrow. "What was he calling about?" She asked at his nod.
"There is a young mutant in his area. She just manifested two weeks ago, her sisters and neighbours are afraid of her and her parents want to 'rid themselves of their disgrace'. She is currently with Sean, but he fears that her parents will go to drastic measures. He believes that she has psionic powers to control people like they are her puppet, so Jean, Betsy is you wish, Allesandre and Alexis, we are going to talk to her parents, and see if she would like to study here."
"Where is she?" Allesandre asked curiously.
"Ireland." Over half the group said at once.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
~*~
"Why do we have to wear out uniforms?" Alexis asked, shucking off her gloves and tossing them on the empty seat next to her.
"Why do I have to wear my old uniform?" Betsy muttered.
Jean grinned at the brits. "We need to wear our uniforms because we need to look imposing with these people." She stated to Alexis. "And you." She shot a particularly evil grin at Betsy. "You would probably give them a heart attack with your normal uniform."
Betsy stuck her nose up in the air. "I have a good body, and I intend to show it off."
"Oh wow." Allesandre breathed, her face practically plastered to the BlackBird's window. "It's so green." She murmured.
"Buckle up. We're landing." The Professor called back to them.
Xavier set the BlackBird down in the middle of a large field behind an old manor. A man with curly red hair stood on the grass, his hand shielding his eyes from the wind.
"Sean! It's so good to see you again!" Jean greeted, hugging the man.
"Good to see you too Lass." Sean said, hugging her back. "Betsy, Professor." He greeted with a nod of his head.
"SEAN!!!" A shrill cry came from the manor, followed by an even louder scream. "SEAN!" The voice yelled again, fear tingeing it.
Jean, Betsy and Sean were off running towards the manor before anyone had a chance to say anything.
"Siobhan!" Sean yelled, skidding to a halt next to the back door, spotting Sean, the girl quickly made her way over to the trio. "What's the matter Lass?"
Jean had to blink to make sure she was seeing correctly. When The Professor had told them about Siobhan Abernethy she had expected a simple, frightened 14 year-old. This girl was nothing like the girl Jean had expected. Decked out in a short red and black plaid pleated skirt with a studded black leather belt latched around her waist, huge black boots with buckles, and a black tank-top with 'I hate the world' in red on the front. This girl was even more of a Goth than Rogue had been.
"There are people at the front gate." Siobhan explained breathlessly. "They're yelling and screaming and trying to get in. My parents are with them."
"Siobhan, take these girls to your room. Don't come out until we tell you that it's safe." Sean instructed.
Siobhan nodded and motioned Allesandre and Alexis to follow her, her boots clunking loudly on the paving stones.
"Interesting outfits you got there." Siobhan commented as the trio made their way up the stairs.
"Yes, quite the fashion statements aren't they?" Alexis agreed with a hint of a smile.
"You're a brit." Siobhan stated, looking slightly surprised.
"And you're Irish."
"If it bears any news worthiness, I'm, Italian." Allesandre put in before a high-pitched shriek made them cover their ear in pain.
"What the bloody hell is that sound!?" Alexis yelled. She felt like her ears were going to burst.
"Sean. It's his mutant. thing." Siobhan explained when the shrieking stopped.
The trio almost jumped a foot in the air when the first sounds of gunfire began.
Allesandre was cursing a blue streak in Italian as they crawled past a window that looked out onto the front yard, and ran to Siobhan's room that was placed strategically at the back of the house.
"So." Siobhan began casually. "Come here often?"
Alexis rolled her eyes and shucked off her gloves and belt, dropping them on Siobhan's bed.
"So, how long have you been staying with Mr. Cassidy?" Allesandre asked, dropping down onto the floor.
"Just over two weeks. He was going to teach me to control my gift, himself. However my parents found out where I was. They think that mutants are the scum of the universe, and to have one as a daughter was just too much for them to handle. They've tried to break in here five times and I was almost shot when I was out shopping with Sean last week."
"That's horrible." Allesandre breathed.
"Yeah, well. You get used to it." Siobhan said softly.
The trio sat in silence, listening to the sounds of the fight outside.
"I feel like I'm imposing when I'm here. Like I don't belong." Siobhan said quietly.
The sounds of the fight died down at the red head's declaration.
"Ever since I decided to think for myself, and dress like this." She motioned to herself. "I've been shunned by my parents, my friends, people at school, even strangers on the street. I refused to change to meet society's wants of me though. Now my own parents don't only shun me, but try to kill me because they think the devil had made me the way I am."
"Siobhan, you are not the devil's creation. God is the creator, and if he made you the way you are, then that is the way you are meant to be." Allesandre said, looking the Irish girl straight in the eye.
"Guh, religious psycho-babble." Alexis muttered, wrinkling her nose.
Allesandre chuckled lightly. "Sorry Lexi." She cocked her head to the side slightly as if listening. "The fight is over." She stated. "There is a great deal of pain coming from the front yard, however our four are fine. Tired, but fine."
"This is all my fault." Siobhan whispered. "If I had never come here none of this would have happened."
"I don't blame you Lass." Sean said from the doorway. "Your Professor needs to speak with you two downstairs." He added to Alexis and Allesandre. The pair nodded and left the room silently.
"This isn't your fault." Sean stated, coming to sit next to her on the bed. "Your parents are the ones who are in the wrong here."
"If you say so." Siobhan muttered, as she continually clasped and unclasped her spiked wristband.
"The reason why The Professor and the others are here is because I called them. Professor Xavier runs a school for kids like you. He knows better how to help you, and he has other students with psionic powers that can help you."
"My parents don't want me back do they?" Siobhan asked, looking at him with sad eyes.
"The Professor is trying to talk some sense into them, but to be honest with you. no I don't think they do."
Siobhan sniffled and dashed away the tears that refused to stay in her eyes. "You know what?" She demanded. "Screw them! If they're ashamed of me that's their problem! 'Cause I'm fucking ashamed of them too!" She let out a small sob and dove at Sean's chest, crying into his shirt.
"Hey Lass, it's okay. I'll look after you. Don't worry. Everything will be fine."
"It isn't fair, Sean. I tried so hard to please them, and all my work is blown to shit because of something THEY probably passed down to me!"
"I know Lass, but it'll be okay. I'm going to come with you to New York."
"Thank-you." Siobhan mumbled into Sean's shirt.
A loud knock drew both their attentions to the door. "Sorry to interrupt." Allesandre apologized. "But you are both wanted downstairs." She said quietly.
"Have my parents made their decision?" Siobhan asked.
"Si." Allesandre said with a sad smile.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
~*~
Siobhan let out a small hiccup as she strapped herself into her seat on board the BlackBird.
"Hey love, don't worry. It'll be okay." Alexis said, patting the younger girl on the shoulder on her way to her own seat. "You have us now, and we look after our own."
"Do you. do you think I'll be allowed to come back an visit Ireland?" She asked.
"I don't know. Maybe if you come back with Sean and stay with him. We're allowed to go home for holidays and such."
Siobhan nodded, and pulled out her c.d. player out of her backpack. "Thank- you." She mumbled.
"Xavier Scott for the Gifted, student speaking." Savanna greeted into the moth piece of the phone in the front hall, the next day.
"Hello, this is Sean Cassidy. May I please speak to Professor Xavier?" A thick deep Irish accent drifted through the phone and Savanna blinked a couple times in response.
"Uh.. Sure, one sec. PROFESSOR! PHONE!" Savanna yelled at the top of her lungs, not bothering to cover the mouthpiece of the phone. "He'll be along in a moment." She added to Sean in the sweetest voice possible.
"That's one set of lungs you have on you, girl." Sean laughed.
"Thanks!" Savanna chirped as The Professor rolled into the foyer. "Here's The Professor." She added, handing Xavier the phone.
"There ARE quieter ways to contact me Savanna." He stated, tapping his head lightly.
"Meh." Savanna said with a shrug. "My way is more fun." She added with a grin.
Shaking his head slightly, The Professor took the phone from her hand.
Savanna excused herself without a word and headed into the rec room. She rolled her eyes at Allesandre and Alexis who were fawning over Warren's wings.
"Miss Braddock!" Alexis called over to Betsy.
"Yes?"
"Do you use Mr. Worthington's wings as a pillow?" Thora asked with a grin.
Scott and Jean managed to cover their laughs with coughs, but the rest of the occupants weren't so lucky, and the room erupted in laughter.
"Betsy regarded Thora coolly. "I don't believe that is any of your business, child. However, I will tell you this; angel feathers are VERY soft." She said with a hint of a smirk.
Everyone went quiet, except for a few stray chuckles, when The Professor rolled into the room. "That was Sean on the phone." He stated.
"Banshee?" Jean asked, raising an eyebrow. "What was he calling about?" She asked at his nod.
"There is a young mutant in his area. She just manifested two weeks ago, her sisters and neighbours are afraid of her and her parents want to 'rid themselves of their disgrace'. She is currently with Sean, but he fears that her parents will go to drastic measures. He believes that she has psionic powers to control people like they are her puppet, so Jean, Betsy is you wish, Allesandre and Alexis, we are going to talk to her parents, and see if she would like to study here."
"Where is she?" Allesandre asked curiously.
"Ireland." Over half the group said at once.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
~*~
"Why do we have to wear out uniforms?" Alexis asked, shucking off her gloves and tossing them on the empty seat next to her.
"Why do I have to wear my old uniform?" Betsy muttered.
Jean grinned at the brits. "We need to wear our uniforms because we need to look imposing with these people." She stated to Alexis. "And you." She shot a particularly evil grin at Betsy. "You would probably give them a heart attack with your normal uniform."
Betsy stuck her nose up in the air. "I have a good body, and I intend to show it off."
"Oh wow." Allesandre breathed, her face practically plastered to the BlackBird's window. "It's so green." She murmured.
"Buckle up. We're landing." The Professor called back to them.
Xavier set the BlackBird down in the middle of a large field behind an old manor. A man with curly red hair stood on the grass, his hand shielding his eyes from the wind.
"Sean! It's so good to see you again!" Jean greeted, hugging the man.
"Good to see you too Lass." Sean said, hugging her back. "Betsy, Professor." He greeted with a nod of his head.
"SEAN!!!" A shrill cry came from the manor, followed by an even louder scream. "SEAN!" The voice yelled again, fear tingeing it.
Jean, Betsy and Sean were off running towards the manor before anyone had a chance to say anything.
"Siobhan!" Sean yelled, skidding to a halt next to the back door, spotting Sean, the girl quickly made her way over to the trio. "What's the matter Lass?"
Jean had to blink to make sure she was seeing correctly. When The Professor had told them about Siobhan Abernethy she had expected a simple, frightened 14 year-old. This girl was nothing like the girl Jean had expected. Decked out in a short red and black plaid pleated skirt with a studded black leather belt latched around her waist, huge black boots with buckles, and a black tank-top with 'I hate the world' in red on the front. This girl was even more of a Goth than Rogue had been.
"There are people at the front gate." Siobhan explained breathlessly. "They're yelling and screaming and trying to get in. My parents are with them."
"Siobhan, take these girls to your room. Don't come out until we tell you that it's safe." Sean instructed.
Siobhan nodded and motioned Allesandre and Alexis to follow her, her boots clunking loudly on the paving stones.
"Interesting outfits you got there." Siobhan commented as the trio made their way up the stairs.
"Yes, quite the fashion statements aren't they?" Alexis agreed with a hint of a smile.
"You're a brit." Siobhan stated, looking slightly surprised.
"And you're Irish."
"If it bears any news worthiness, I'm, Italian." Allesandre put in before a high-pitched shriek made them cover their ear in pain.
"What the bloody hell is that sound!?" Alexis yelled. She felt like her ears were going to burst.
"Sean. It's his mutant. thing." Siobhan explained when the shrieking stopped.
The trio almost jumped a foot in the air when the first sounds of gunfire began.
Allesandre was cursing a blue streak in Italian as they crawled past a window that looked out onto the front yard, and ran to Siobhan's room that was placed strategically at the back of the house.
"So." Siobhan began casually. "Come here often?"
Alexis rolled her eyes and shucked off her gloves and belt, dropping them on Siobhan's bed.
"So, how long have you been staying with Mr. Cassidy?" Allesandre asked, dropping down onto the floor.
"Just over two weeks. He was going to teach me to control my gift, himself. However my parents found out where I was. They think that mutants are the scum of the universe, and to have one as a daughter was just too much for them to handle. They've tried to break in here five times and I was almost shot when I was out shopping with Sean last week."
"That's horrible." Allesandre breathed.
"Yeah, well. You get used to it." Siobhan said softly.
The trio sat in silence, listening to the sounds of the fight outside.
"I feel like I'm imposing when I'm here. Like I don't belong." Siobhan said quietly.
The sounds of the fight died down at the red head's declaration.
"Ever since I decided to think for myself, and dress like this." She motioned to herself. "I've been shunned by my parents, my friends, people at school, even strangers on the street. I refused to change to meet society's wants of me though. Now my own parents don't only shun me, but try to kill me because they think the devil had made me the way I am."
"Siobhan, you are not the devil's creation. God is the creator, and if he made you the way you are, then that is the way you are meant to be." Allesandre said, looking the Irish girl straight in the eye.
"Guh, religious psycho-babble." Alexis muttered, wrinkling her nose.
Allesandre chuckled lightly. "Sorry Lexi." She cocked her head to the side slightly as if listening. "The fight is over." She stated. "There is a great deal of pain coming from the front yard, however our four are fine. Tired, but fine."
"This is all my fault." Siobhan whispered. "If I had never come here none of this would have happened."
"I don't blame you Lass." Sean said from the doorway. "Your Professor needs to speak with you two downstairs." He added to Alexis and Allesandre. The pair nodded and left the room silently.
"This isn't your fault." Sean stated, coming to sit next to her on the bed. "Your parents are the ones who are in the wrong here."
"If you say so." Siobhan muttered, as she continually clasped and unclasped her spiked wristband.
"The reason why The Professor and the others are here is because I called them. Professor Xavier runs a school for kids like you. He knows better how to help you, and he has other students with psionic powers that can help you."
"My parents don't want me back do they?" Siobhan asked, looking at him with sad eyes.
"The Professor is trying to talk some sense into them, but to be honest with you. no I don't think they do."
Siobhan sniffled and dashed away the tears that refused to stay in her eyes. "You know what?" She demanded. "Screw them! If they're ashamed of me that's their problem! 'Cause I'm fucking ashamed of them too!" She let out a small sob and dove at Sean's chest, crying into his shirt.
"Hey Lass, it's okay. I'll look after you. Don't worry. Everything will be fine."
"It isn't fair, Sean. I tried so hard to please them, and all my work is blown to shit because of something THEY probably passed down to me!"
"I know Lass, but it'll be okay. I'm going to come with you to New York."
"Thank-you." Siobhan mumbled into Sean's shirt.
A loud knock drew both their attentions to the door. "Sorry to interrupt." Allesandre apologized. "But you are both wanted downstairs." She said quietly.
"Have my parents made their decision?" Siobhan asked.
"Si." Allesandre said with a sad smile.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
~*~
Siobhan let out a small hiccup as she strapped herself into her seat on board the BlackBird.
"Hey love, don't worry. It'll be okay." Alexis said, patting the younger girl on the shoulder on her way to her own seat. "You have us now, and we look after our own."
"Do you. do you think I'll be allowed to come back an visit Ireland?" She asked.
"I don't know. Maybe if you come back with Sean and stay with him. We're allowed to go home for holidays and such."
Siobhan nodded, and pulled out her c.d. player out of her backpack. "Thank- you." She mumbled.