Beauty and the Beast
Chapter Nine: An Offer of Support
Jennifer almost collapsed into Hank's arms when Kelly left. "Are you all right?" asked Hank, worried.
Jennifer buried her face in Hank's massive chest and did not answer.
"Jennifer?"
"I'm so sorry," came the muffled reply. "I did not mean to let him know about us." She looked up at Hank, tears in her eyes. "I just got so mad at him for saying all those horrible things about mutants. He is a racist, you know that."
"I know. How could I not," asked Hank, "when I look like this?"
"Don't say such things, Hank! There is nothing wrong with you!"
Hank bowed his head. "Not everybody is as understanding as you, Jennifer, you must understand that."
"I know."
"You're an idealist, Jennifer," said Hank. "You think that we can all live in harmony, but that will not come without sacrifice. I'm afraid that you have just made one."
"What?" she asked, startled.
Hank sighed. "The moment you step through the school gates, you will be different from everyone else. You will no longer be just Jennifer Reed, a teacher who shows no dislike for the mutant students, but you will instead be someone who is different from everyone else - neither human or mutant, but caught in between."
"Like Amanda Sefton."
"Yes," said Hank sadly. "Just like Amanda, except her feelings for Kurt can be waved away as a mistake of youth, unlike yours for me."
"What are you saying, Hank?" asked Jennifer.
"You are an adult woman of high intelligence. You knew the stigma attached to associating with mutants, and you chose to ignore it. You do not have parents who can attempt to punish you as Amanda's have, and forbid you from seeing me. You made this choice, knowing full well the effects it could have on you and your life.
Jennifer did not say anything, as she was still trying to come to terms with what Hank was trying to tell her.
"Wait until you go to school tomorrow, and see what happens there," suggested Hank. "You will then learn the costs of being with one of us."
"Hank -" began Jennifer, but she did not say anything else.
"I will be returning to the Xavier Institute now," added Hank. He made his way to the door, and took his coat and hat from the rack at the entrance. "And, Jennifer?" he asked, just as he was about to leave. "Be careful. The students at the Institute will be watching out, but they won't be there to stop every attack launched at you."
Jennifer did not say anything - she was like a statue, neither living nor dead.
"Goodbye, Jennifer."
*
"Mr McCoy?" asked Kitty, when Hank came home that evening earlier than expected. "Is everything all right?"
"No, Kitty, everything is not all right," replied Hank.
"Like, what happened? Did you guys have a fight?"
"No, Kitty. But we think our secret is out."
"What happened?" asked Tabitha, who was sitting next to Kitty. "Did you go crazy and climb a tall building with her in your King Kong sized hand?"
"Tabitha!"
"What? I was just joking!"
"I don't think that Mr McCoy needs that right now," interrupted Jean, who had been listening to the conversation.
"Jean's right."
"Oh, shut up shades. Why are you even listening to this conversation?"
Scott ignored Tabitha, and asked Hank, "What happened?"
Hank looked as if he was not going to answer, but it seemed that he changed his mind. "When I was at Jennifer's, Principal Kelly showed up at her house."
"Uh oh," said Jean. "I think we can all guess where this is going."
Hank nodded. "He came to tell her about some complaints that had been laid against her by some parents."
"About her treatment of us?" asked Kitty. When Hank nodded again, Kitty added, "That's not fair! How can they do that?"
"Quite easily, I'm afraid," replied Hank. "But when they were talking, tempers flared, and words were exchanged."
"What did she say to him?" asked Tabitha. "I hope it was something good."
"Jennifer called him a racist."
"That's all?" Tabitha looked kind of deflated.
"Principal Kelly then said that she should be careful about what she says and does when at school, or else people will think that she is a mutant herself."
"But she's human, right?" asked Kitty.
"Yes, she is," replied Hank. "That would have made no difference to some people, she would be considered a mutant-lover."
Normally, Tabitha would have made a joke about the fact that the teacher was a mutant-lover, but - wisely - decided to remain quiet.
"And then what happened?" asked Jean.
"She made her biggest mistake," answered Hank. "She said she sometimes wished she was a mutant, so that she would have nothing to hide."
"Oh."
"Principal Kelly obviously wanted to know what she had meant by that, and in the argument that ensued, he took hold of her arm."
"And that was when you became involved," finished Scott.
"Yes. He did not recognise me at first, but then when Jennifer called me by name. . . well, he understood what was going on. Kelly mentioned that the board would be hearing about the reason for her 'blatant favouritism' for you."
"Oh, no," said Kitty.
"Ms Reed is not going to be welcomed tomorrow morning when she goes to school," said Scott. "And, unlike us, she cannot defend herself."
"And she doesn't have the element of fear on her side, either," added Tabitha.
"I think we should all keep an eye out for Ms Reed," said Kitty. "She deserves it."
"I agree."
"Then it's decided," announced Scott, standing up. "We will all be there tomorrow to support Ms Reed."
Chapter Nine: An Offer of Support
Jennifer almost collapsed into Hank's arms when Kelly left. "Are you all right?" asked Hank, worried.
Jennifer buried her face in Hank's massive chest and did not answer.
"Jennifer?"
"I'm so sorry," came the muffled reply. "I did not mean to let him know about us." She looked up at Hank, tears in her eyes. "I just got so mad at him for saying all those horrible things about mutants. He is a racist, you know that."
"I know. How could I not," asked Hank, "when I look like this?"
"Don't say such things, Hank! There is nothing wrong with you!"
Hank bowed his head. "Not everybody is as understanding as you, Jennifer, you must understand that."
"I know."
"You're an idealist, Jennifer," said Hank. "You think that we can all live in harmony, but that will not come without sacrifice. I'm afraid that you have just made one."
"What?" she asked, startled.
Hank sighed. "The moment you step through the school gates, you will be different from everyone else. You will no longer be just Jennifer Reed, a teacher who shows no dislike for the mutant students, but you will instead be someone who is different from everyone else - neither human or mutant, but caught in between."
"Like Amanda Sefton."
"Yes," said Hank sadly. "Just like Amanda, except her feelings for Kurt can be waved away as a mistake of youth, unlike yours for me."
"What are you saying, Hank?" asked Jennifer.
"You are an adult woman of high intelligence. You knew the stigma attached to associating with mutants, and you chose to ignore it. You do not have parents who can attempt to punish you as Amanda's have, and forbid you from seeing me. You made this choice, knowing full well the effects it could have on you and your life.
Jennifer did not say anything, as she was still trying to come to terms with what Hank was trying to tell her.
"Wait until you go to school tomorrow, and see what happens there," suggested Hank. "You will then learn the costs of being with one of us."
"Hank -" began Jennifer, but she did not say anything else.
"I will be returning to the Xavier Institute now," added Hank. He made his way to the door, and took his coat and hat from the rack at the entrance. "And, Jennifer?" he asked, just as he was about to leave. "Be careful. The students at the Institute will be watching out, but they won't be there to stop every attack launched at you."
Jennifer did not say anything - she was like a statue, neither living nor dead.
"Goodbye, Jennifer."
*
"Mr McCoy?" asked Kitty, when Hank came home that evening earlier than expected. "Is everything all right?"
"No, Kitty, everything is not all right," replied Hank.
"Like, what happened? Did you guys have a fight?"
"No, Kitty. But we think our secret is out."
"What happened?" asked Tabitha, who was sitting next to Kitty. "Did you go crazy and climb a tall building with her in your King Kong sized hand?"
"Tabitha!"
"What? I was just joking!"
"I don't think that Mr McCoy needs that right now," interrupted Jean, who had been listening to the conversation.
"Jean's right."
"Oh, shut up shades. Why are you even listening to this conversation?"
Scott ignored Tabitha, and asked Hank, "What happened?"
Hank looked as if he was not going to answer, but it seemed that he changed his mind. "When I was at Jennifer's, Principal Kelly showed up at her house."
"Uh oh," said Jean. "I think we can all guess where this is going."
Hank nodded. "He came to tell her about some complaints that had been laid against her by some parents."
"About her treatment of us?" asked Kitty. When Hank nodded again, Kitty added, "That's not fair! How can they do that?"
"Quite easily, I'm afraid," replied Hank. "But when they were talking, tempers flared, and words were exchanged."
"What did she say to him?" asked Tabitha. "I hope it was something good."
"Jennifer called him a racist."
"That's all?" Tabitha looked kind of deflated.
"Principal Kelly then said that she should be careful about what she says and does when at school, or else people will think that she is a mutant herself."
"But she's human, right?" asked Kitty.
"Yes, she is," replied Hank. "That would have made no difference to some people, she would be considered a mutant-lover."
Normally, Tabitha would have made a joke about the fact that the teacher was a mutant-lover, but - wisely - decided to remain quiet.
"And then what happened?" asked Jean.
"She made her biggest mistake," answered Hank. "She said she sometimes wished she was a mutant, so that she would have nothing to hide."
"Oh."
"Principal Kelly obviously wanted to know what she had meant by that, and in the argument that ensued, he took hold of her arm."
"And that was when you became involved," finished Scott.
"Yes. He did not recognise me at first, but then when Jennifer called me by name. . . well, he understood what was going on. Kelly mentioned that the board would be hearing about the reason for her 'blatant favouritism' for you."
"Oh, no," said Kitty.
"Ms Reed is not going to be welcomed tomorrow morning when she goes to school," said Scott. "And, unlike us, she cannot defend herself."
"And she doesn't have the element of fear on her side, either," added Tabitha.
"I think we should all keep an eye out for Ms Reed," said Kitty. "She deserves it."
"I agree."
"Then it's decided," announced Scott, standing up. "We will all be there tomorrow to support Ms Reed."