Jean followed the two kids in silence. She still hadn't gotten their names but she didn't feel like talking at the moment; she was still trying to piece together what had happened. However, the pieces just didn't want to come together.
The two kids paused and Jean looked up to see a shack of a home. It was dirty, worn, and looked as if the slightest jar would knock it over.
Silently, the two children led her around to the back and led her in that way. The inside was worse then the outside. It was filthy and there was a slight but definite smell of decay. It was also dark. The windows were covered one way or another and there was no trace of possible outlets or light bulbs or anything of that sort.
Jean hugged herself as she looked around. Yet she followed the two kids, and as she did the smell of bad hygiene filled her nostrils and she coughed and covered her mouth with one hand. She coughed once again and as she looked into the room the two children had taken her she saw a large room filled with children.
She gaped at them, and they all stopped what they were doing to look at her. Jean fell to her knees with disbelief and grief.
The children were so skinny! She could see the lines of their ribcages on the shirtless males or the really young females who didn't need to wear shirts. They must not have eaten much in weeks; their skin seemed stretched across their tiny frames. Their skin and clothes were just as dirty (if not more so) then the walls. Their hair obviously hadn't been cut in a long time (or brushed) and the thin, nutrient deprived dead cells hung down in permanent tangles.
"A-are you okay?" A little girl asked.
"Who are you?" Another questioned.
"We saved her from Shilleen, and then she saved us." The little boy that had led her here said with a broad grin.
Jean got to her feet and smiled slightly at them. "What's your name?" She asked.
"I'm Nare, and this is my sister Teffle." He said. Teffle waved at her with a smile that seemed to strain her face. Not that she didn't want to smile, for she was sincerely happy, but that her skin clung so tightly to her body that it seemed to resist the movement.
"You showed her where we live?! Hinko won't be happy!" An older boy said stepping forward. Glancing over all the children, this boy appeared to be the oldest.
"She said she'd protect us." Nare replied, suddenly frowning.
Jean stood up and looked down at the oldest boy who was near Nare. He looked fourteen; defiantly the oldest. The others seemed to range from four to eight or maybe even nine.
He looked up at her and stepped back nervously. She was a couple heads taller then him. "How can she protect us?" He asked, his voice wavering only once.
Nare shook his head and Teffle's face lit up. "She lifted him right off his feet! She lifted Shilleen right off his feet and smashed him into the wall! And you know what? She did this all without touching him!"
The oldest boy stepped back suddenly and looked at her with wide eyes. "Magic?" He questioned hoarsely.
Jean's face softened and she shook her head. "No, it's not magic. I promise I won't hurt you." She said softly. _I want to help you. What do you eat?!_ She asked into the boys head. He seemed to be the one in charge, but she didn't like the sound of Hinko or whoever.
The boy's eyes widened. "You swear you won't hurt any of us then?" Jean nodded only once and he relaxed. She winced, thinking about how easily he was trusting her. He was so young! "Alright then." He said, suddenly leading her through the crowd of kids who looked at her with awe. She would have liked to go into their minds, see what they were thinking, but these kids appeared to be so severely oppressed that she feared for the grief that would come to her if she linked her mind with one of them.
What he brought her to disgusted her. It was their food. There was a plate of moldy bread, just enough for one of the kids to eat each. There was some meat, and she didn't allow her eyes to linger on it for long it was so gross. Then lastly there was a bucket of water. It looked to Jean like a bucket of muddy water.
She diverted her gaze to the boy and he was itching his head. Jean stepped back realizing that they probably all had lice. She shuddered and the boy looked at her curiously. "What's wrong?" He asked her.
Jean shook her head. "You eat this?!" She questioned.
The boy nodded. "It's all we've got."
"Who provides it?" Jean asked, suddenly feeling angry.
"Hinko does. He's the one who set up this place. He says it's for our good. We're orphans. Many having lost our fathers to the battles this kingdom fights, then our widowed mothers to various things. Hinko's pretty wealthy and he can pay for us to live here." He replied.
"Almost anyone could afford to let you guys live here and on things like this!" Jean said outraged.
The boy flinched. "You do not like it here?"
"I hate it! How can you live like this? You deserve better! You'd be better off on the streets!" She took a deep breathe to calm herself. "And what does this Hinko ask in return?"
The boy bit his lip and didn't reply. Jean read his mind and her eyes widened. How could he?!
"I'd like to see this man." Jean said seething.
The boy opened his mouth to say something but his eyes suddenly looked past her.
"What man?" Came an older voice, older then anyone she had seen so far. Jean whirled around.
Jean swallowed then pushed her shoulders back and stood her tallest. "Hinko, the man who claims to be helping these children."
The man laughed. "I am Hinko, and I am helping these children. Without me, they have no home."
Jean narrowed her eyes. "No home would be better then this!"
"Really now?" Hinko asked, making his way toward her. The kids parted for him, pressing themselves as far from him as they could. "And the harsh temperatures of winter? They could survive that in the streets?" He asked when he stood merely feet away from her. He had an evil glint in his eyes as he looked at her with amusement.
"Is this food that you offer then? I'm surprised this alone hasn't killed them!" She growled.
Hinko laughed. "These days, we don't have much money. Many of us feed under much the same conditions. Of nobility miss? And by the way, who are you?" He asked, reaching out to touch her hair.
Jean slapped his hand away and glared at him. "I am Jean Grey, not that you'll recognize the name." She growled.
The man laughed, bowed, and took a step back; that amusement still in his eyes. "And what may I do for you Miss. Grey?" He asked.
"Leave these children be and stop feeding them poison!" Jean yelled.
Hinko laughed and shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't do that. See, they appreciate the food and shelter I give them." He turned to the kids. "Do you not?"
"We do." The older boy said.
"See." Hinko said, looking at Jean again and still smiling.
"They know no better!" Jean yelled.
"Please Ms. Grey, not many know of the children's whereabouts. Trust me, they'll be worse off if they are found out." He said, still in that odd amused and luxurious voice.
Jean narrowed her eyes again but couldn't think of anything else to say. She couldn't think for she was so angry.
Hinko turned to the boy. "Sery, I expected better of you. You allow strangers into the home now?" Hinko asked.
The oldest boy, Sery, looked at his feet. "I am sorry. She saved some of the kids from Shilleen and…" He shook his head.
Hinko's smile finally faded and he just looked at the boy blankly. "Saved them from Shilleen?" He looked at Jean, for once narrowing his eyes on her accusingly. "How?"
"Like this!" She growled. She thrust out her arm and he was lifted right off his feet and rammed into the wall.
Sery's eyes widened and he put his hands on her arm. "You promised not to hurt us!"
Jean looked at him, her eyes softening. "But he's not one of you. He hurts you, he…" She choked on her words. These poor kids!
Hinko got slowly to his feet, the edges of his mouth twitching. "A witch! You're a witch aren't you?" He demanded.
Jean lowered her arm for Sery's sake, though she still glared at him. "No, not a witch, a mutant; and if you don't leave now I cannot promise I can control my anger." She threatened.
Hinko glared, but she could tell he was afraid. His eyes flickered toward some of the kids and they backed away slightly.
"Leave!" Jean growled her hair flailing in nonexistent wind.
Hinko turned his back to her as if to leave, but then looked over his shoulder at her. "I'll leave, and they'll starve." He growled.
"Go!" And he left.
Jean calmed down and looked around. Some of the kids were smiling gratefully, some were frowning, and some looked scared.
"You said you wouldn't hurt us." Sery murmured, sitting down on the rotten floor.
Jean looked hurt. "I'm not hurting you, I didn't hurt you! That food, it's old, it's going to make you sick!"
"Look around! We're already sick. You can't make us better. Hinko was our only way for food. We can't get jobs, we can't steal, and there's no one else to take care of us." Sery pointed out.
Jean frowned. "I'll take care of you. I won't even ask for anything in return."
Sery looked up at her doubtfully. "How? How will you take care of us?"
"I'll… get a job." Jean replied.
He laughed. "As what? There is nothing open to take. You grow into your jobs by your parents. If you haven't gotten a job or a husband who works already, you don't have much hope. Merchants get business from peasants that live in the surrounding villages and farm."
"But they must sell more then just crops. I'll get a job, and I'll take care of you." Jean said.
Sery sighed. "You can try." And he got to his feet, grabbed a piece of bread and took a bight. Jean felt like gagging and turned away and walked into the small room as the kids gathered around to eat and Jean didn't feel the least bit hungry. Nor did she feel tired, so she sat awake for long hours as the kids slept. If, at least, they were well enough to sleep. Sery had been right; they were sick, very sick.
When morning came (and Jean hadn't gotten an ounce of sleep) she told Sery she was going out to look for a job and that he should stay here with the kids and not let them go out.
Sery hadn't liked the idea of confining the kids but Jean looked so worried, that Sery agreed. None of them were used to being cared for and her doing what she had done (despite the possibly hazardous consequences) he was grateful and felt an odd warmth in his chest.
He provided her the cleanest piece of cloth he could find so she could tie up her hair and even hide the color. 'No use drawing attention.' As for her uniform, she'd quickly have to find something to substitute for it.
And so, Jean reluctantly put the piece of clothe on figuring it would take a long time to get the lice that were surely to now be on her scalp, out, she went out to find a job.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
. I know I know I've taken forever again. I can't help it, I'm SO busy. *pants* Hopefully that'll stop. Lol. I'm trying!
Rogue77- You weirdo! :P lol Though you might be disappointed, I don't think I'm going for a love triangle. lol.
UnknownSource- Well, sorry you don't have any ideas. I could really use some for Storm and the professor. I can't think of much more for them. But I think I've got ideas for most of the others. Hear dat peoples? I need ideas for Strom and the Professor. Let me know if you've got any! Okay, back to you. Why the minstrels accepted her? My reasons are this: they're considered as lowly people and are often treated as outcasts, in the past they had been magic gypsies and now they're just gypsies considered that and all, and lastly, they've been many places and entertained for more then just humans so they would by now be used to magic in human looking creatures. I know I haven't explained this in the story yet, but I will try to.
Mixed the ITG- Well, if you wished you came up with the idea you can see in my response to UnknownSource that I need some. lol. But I have thoughts for the most part. But thank you. *bows jokingly*