Queen of Random: I don't really have much to say about this chapter, except
to apoligise for not getting out sooner. It has been hard trying to write
new bits for three different stories, watch a Stargate marathon on tv,
recover from the fact that X-Men: Evolution is not on Cartoon Network
anymore, and begin to study for exams.
Anyway, I will do my best over the next week to get as much of 'Role Reversal', 'Trial by Fire' and, of course, 'Beauty and the Beast' done as I can. Like the rest of you, I hope, I want to see this story finished before it gets to long. I have the basic storyline planned out - unlike 'Role Reversal' and 'Trial by Fire' - and so I know what I need to do, and how it will go
Beauty and the Beast
Chapter Twelve: A Declaration
Ms Reed stood in the parking zone in front of the school, staring at the place she had worked for a while now, and had given up for what she believed in. She had loved teaching there, at least, she had until she had been witness to the cruelty the students were capable of.
But now, she did not have to return. And to be honest, she was frightened of what could happen if she was not there. What would happen to the students at the school if someone like her, with sympathies to the mutants of the world, was not there, and if the students were continued to be exposed to Principal Kelly's blatant and untempered hatred of mutants? If he had felt nothing, and had not hesitated in firing Ms Reed just because she was in a relationship with a mutant, what would he do to the mutants, such as Kitty, Rogue, Amara, Bobby, Scott and Jean? Without a sympathetic spirit at the school, they would be completely alone. Even Kurt would have problems, even with Amanda standing firm at his side.
"Goodbye, Bayville High," whispered Ms Reed. "And goodbye to who I was."
"And hello to who you will become," added a voice behind Ms Reed.
She turned, and a smiled broke the sadness that haunted Ms Reed's face. "Perhaps you are right." She looked at the mutant students. "What are you doing here?"
"To help you," said Rogue simply.
"Yeah," added Kitty.
"I mean, you've always been so nice to us," said Kurt. "We could not just let him do that to you. It's not right."
"Then what do you suggest I do?" asked Ms Reed, smiling slightly. She wanted to see how outrageous the schemes would be.
"Take Kelly out!"
"I don't think that would be absolutely necessary," laughed Ms Reed.
"You could appeal the decision," suggested Rogue.
"Now that is a sensible suggestion, unlike yours, Tabitha."
"What? I still say we give Kelly a piece of our mutant minds!"
"No, Tabitha," said Ms Reed firmly. "I will appeal the decision, and I will do it through the correct channels. No blowing up Principal Kelly's car."
"Oh, man!"
Ms Reed noticed that Kitty was being unusually quiet. "Kitty? What's wrong?"
"You should talk to Mr McCoy, Ms Reed. I think he should hear about this from you. Not from us."
"You're right, Kitty. I will see him tonight, I think. Just tell him -" here Ms Reed's voice faltered, a thing which surprised some of the students, as she had always been so composed, and always know what to say "- just tell him, that I don't regret anything."
"Nothing?" asked Rogue.
Ms Reed tried to smile, but failed. "I don't regret anything. This day was coming, I just tried to ignore it. Principal Kelly hates me almost as much as he does you. If I had not been with Hank, he would have found some other excuse to get rid of me. I'm kind of glad that I gave up my career for a worthy cause."
"It was worth it?" asked Jean.
"For you?" asked Ms Reed. "It would be worth it every time. You are the future, I am the past. Principal Kelly just cannot see that." Ms Reed seemed to stare off into space as she said one final thing. "This will be my contribution to the future, as a member of a dying race, helping the new dominant species to emerge. I do not regret it. At all."
*
Upon their return to the Institute, Kitty asked Rogue, "What did Ms Reed mean by that?"
Rogue looked up. "What did Ms Reed mean by what?"
"What she said earlier. About how she is part of a dying race. What do you think she meant by that?"
"Just what she said," replied Rogue. "She is part of a dying race. Humans will be replaced by mutants. We will be the dominant species, just as she said."
Kitty was silent for a moment as she took this in. Then she spoke. "How can she be so. . . negative? I mean, we don't hate her because she's human."
"That's not the point," said Jean, who had been listening. "She knows that it is the end of the human race. And we will be in control soon, whether it will be the way Professor Xavier hopes the future to be, or Magneto's way."
Kitty tried to change the subject. "Is Ms Reed here? I thought I heard someone at the door before. Was it her?"
Jean nodded. "Yes. Roberto is taking her to Mr McCoy right now."
"I wouldn't like to be in his shoes," said Rogue.
"He'll be feeling so guilty about this. He'll think it is his fault."
"This is only one person's fault," reminded Jean. "Principal Kelly's."
*
"Thank you, Roberto," she said, after the boy had led her to the library - although, by this time, she knew her way around the mansion, after all of her frequent visits.
"Sure, Ms Reed," replied Roberto, before leaving her alone.
Jennifer just stared at the closed door in front of her. She had no idea what to say, and even if she did, she did not know whether or not she could actually bring herself to say it. After all, she had just lost her job for Hank, and she did not even know how he would react.
She was hoping that it would not be so bad.
But to put it bluntly, she was kind of afraid to have to tell him the bad news, as she had asked the students to let her tell him herself.
Jennifer took off her glasses, and put them in her pocket. They had been misting up all day, and she did not want them to be in the way when she broke the news to Hank.
Jennifer's hand was shaking as she reached for the door handle. She was not afraid of Hank - she could never be afraid of Hank - rather, she was afraid of herself. She was afraid that she could not go through with it. Like Hank, the most important thing in her life was teaching. No, that was not quite correct. The most important thing in hr life was her students, and she had proven it by treating them all equally. Of course, Kelly might have been right by saying she did show favouritism for the mutant students - she was, after all, dating one of their guardians.
"Bobby?" came Hank's voice from inside the library. "If you want to speak with me, come inside and do it. I'm not a telepath, you know."
Jennifer finally found the courage to open the door. "Hank? It's me."
Hank looked up from his book. "Jennifer. I didn't expect you. I thought it was Bobby coming to tell me he had failed another assignment."
Jennifer shook her head. "No, he hasn't." She tried to smile. "At least, I think he hasn't. I came to tell you something. My contract with Bayville High was terminated this morning."
Hank looked at Jennifer sharply. "What?"
Principal Kelly came to me during my first class, and told me that I was fired. After telling me that I was in a relationship with a monster, of course."
Hank rose from his chair. "He can't do that."
"Well, he did."
Hank put his book down and crossed the room to where Jennifer was standing. "Are you all right?" he asked, looking straight into her hazel eyes.
Those hazel eyes started to tear up. "No."
Hank did not say anything. Instead, he wrapped his arms around Jennifer, and pulled her close.
"Now I know what you were talking about when you told me about when you had to give up teaching at Bayville High. I feel - I feel as if a part of my heart has been ripped out."
"Teaching was your life," said Hank gently. "It's hard not to feel that way, Jennifer. If you didn't you would be just like Principal Kelly."
"I guess it is not so bad," said Jennifer. "I mean, it was just a job. I guess I can get another one. I don't have to be teaching to be happy."
Hank almost pushed Jennifer away. "I know you. Teaching made you happier than almost anything else."
Jennifer looked up at Hank. "Not as happy as you have made me, Hank."
"Jennifer, I think that you should stop deluding yourself."
"What?"
"This is a mistake."
"Us?" asked Jennifer. "You think this is a mistake?"
"You have given up too much. I cannot ask you to give up anything else. I'm sorry, Jennifer."
Jennifer shook her head, her eyes still teary. ""What are you saying, Hank?"
"I don't deserve to be with someone like you, Jennifer. I think you should move on."
"Move on?"
"Move on, and forget about me," said Hank.
"Are you saying it's over? Us?" asked Jennifer. "How can you say that, after all that we've been through? All that has happened?"
"I am a beast, Jennifer. A monster." Hank raised a hand and brushed a strand of brown hair away from her face. "You are human." The hand trailed down her cheek. "Perfect. Unflawed." The hand stopped at Jennifer's jaw- line, and reached for her hand. Hank led her to the window, and to the view of the town. "That is your world out there. Not mine," finished Hank.
"No!" answered Jennifer. "That is our world out there! You belong in it, too! With me!"
"People out there hate me for what I am. I accept that. But I could not bear it if the same thing happened to you."
"That is my choice!" replied Jennifer. "And I choose to stay with you!" Jennifer reached out and took his hand in both of hers, pulling it to her chest. "I choose to stay with you," she repeated, looking deep into his eyes, "the one I love."
Anyway, I will do my best over the next week to get as much of 'Role Reversal', 'Trial by Fire' and, of course, 'Beauty and the Beast' done as I can. Like the rest of you, I hope, I want to see this story finished before it gets to long. I have the basic storyline planned out - unlike 'Role Reversal' and 'Trial by Fire' - and so I know what I need to do, and how it will go
Beauty and the Beast
Chapter Twelve: A Declaration
Ms Reed stood in the parking zone in front of the school, staring at the place she had worked for a while now, and had given up for what she believed in. She had loved teaching there, at least, she had until she had been witness to the cruelty the students were capable of.
But now, she did not have to return. And to be honest, she was frightened of what could happen if she was not there. What would happen to the students at the school if someone like her, with sympathies to the mutants of the world, was not there, and if the students were continued to be exposed to Principal Kelly's blatant and untempered hatred of mutants? If he had felt nothing, and had not hesitated in firing Ms Reed just because she was in a relationship with a mutant, what would he do to the mutants, such as Kitty, Rogue, Amara, Bobby, Scott and Jean? Without a sympathetic spirit at the school, they would be completely alone. Even Kurt would have problems, even with Amanda standing firm at his side.
"Goodbye, Bayville High," whispered Ms Reed. "And goodbye to who I was."
"And hello to who you will become," added a voice behind Ms Reed.
She turned, and a smiled broke the sadness that haunted Ms Reed's face. "Perhaps you are right." She looked at the mutant students. "What are you doing here?"
"To help you," said Rogue simply.
"Yeah," added Kitty.
"I mean, you've always been so nice to us," said Kurt. "We could not just let him do that to you. It's not right."
"Then what do you suggest I do?" asked Ms Reed, smiling slightly. She wanted to see how outrageous the schemes would be.
"Take Kelly out!"
"I don't think that would be absolutely necessary," laughed Ms Reed.
"You could appeal the decision," suggested Rogue.
"Now that is a sensible suggestion, unlike yours, Tabitha."
"What? I still say we give Kelly a piece of our mutant minds!"
"No, Tabitha," said Ms Reed firmly. "I will appeal the decision, and I will do it through the correct channels. No blowing up Principal Kelly's car."
"Oh, man!"
Ms Reed noticed that Kitty was being unusually quiet. "Kitty? What's wrong?"
"You should talk to Mr McCoy, Ms Reed. I think he should hear about this from you. Not from us."
"You're right, Kitty. I will see him tonight, I think. Just tell him -" here Ms Reed's voice faltered, a thing which surprised some of the students, as she had always been so composed, and always know what to say "- just tell him, that I don't regret anything."
"Nothing?" asked Rogue.
Ms Reed tried to smile, but failed. "I don't regret anything. This day was coming, I just tried to ignore it. Principal Kelly hates me almost as much as he does you. If I had not been with Hank, he would have found some other excuse to get rid of me. I'm kind of glad that I gave up my career for a worthy cause."
"It was worth it?" asked Jean.
"For you?" asked Ms Reed. "It would be worth it every time. You are the future, I am the past. Principal Kelly just cannot see that." Ms Reed seemed to stare off into space as she said one final thing. "This will be my contribution to the future, as a member of a dying race, helping the new dominant species to emerge. I do not regret it. At all."
*
Upon their return to the Institute, Kitty asked Rogue, "What did Ms Reed mean by that?"
Rogue looked up. "What did Ms Reed mean by what?"
"What she said earlier. About how she is part of a dying race. What do you think she meant by that?"
"Just what she said," replied Rogue. "She is part of a dying race. Humans will be replaced by mutants. We will be the dominant species, just as she said."
Kitty was silent for a moment as she took this in. Then she spoke. "How can she be so. . . negative? I mean, we don't hate her because she's human."
"That's not the point," said Jean, who had been listening. "She knows that it is the end of the human race. And we will be in control soon, whether it will be the way Professor Xavier hopes the future to be, or Magneto's way."
Kitty tried to change the subject. "Is Ms Reed here? I thought I heard someone at the door before. Was it her?"
Jean nodded. "Yes. Roberto is taking her to Mr McCoy right now."
"I wouldn't like to be in his shoes," said Rogue.
"He'll be feeling so guilty about this. He'll think it is his fault."
"This is only one person's fault," reminded Jean. "Principal Kelly's."
*
"Thank you, Roberto," she said, after the boy had led her to the library - although, by this time, she knew her way around the mansion, after all of her frequent visits.
"Sure, Ms Reed," replied Roberto, before leaving her alone.
Jennifer just stared at the closed door in front of her. She had no idea what to say, and even if she did, she did not know whether or not she could actually bring herself to say it. After all, she had just lost her job for Hank, and she did not even know how he would react.
She was hoping that it would not be so bad.
But to put it bluntly, she was kind of afraid to have to tell him the bad news, as she had asked the students to let her tell him herself.
Jennifer took off her glasses, and put them in her pocket. They had been misting up all day, and she did not want them to be in the way when she broke the news to Hank.
Jennifer's hand was shaking as she reached for the door handle. She was not afraid of Hank - she could never be afraid of Hank - rather, she was afraid of herself. She was afraid that she could not go through with it. Like Hank, the most important thing in her life was teaching. No, that was not quite correct. The most important thing in hr life was her students, and she had proven it by treating them all equally. Of course, Kelly might have been right by saying she did show favouritism for the mutant students - she was, after all, dating one of their guardians.
"Bobby?" came Hank's voice from inside the library. "If you want to speak with me, come inside and do it. I'm not a telepath, you know."
Jennifer finally found the courage to open the door. "Hank? It's me."
Hank looked up from his book. "Jennifer. I didn't expect you. I thought it was Bobby coming to tell me he had failed another assignment."
Jennifer shook her head. "No, he hasn't." She tried to smile. "At least, I think he hasn't. I came to tell you something. My contract with Bayville High was terminated this morning."
Hank looked at Jennifer sharply. "What?"
Principal Kelly came to me during my first class, and told me that I was fired. After telling me that I was in a relationship with a monster, of course."
Hank rose from his chair. "He can't do that."
"Well, he did."
Hank put his book down and crossed the room to where Jennifer was standing. "Are you all right?" he asked, looking straight into her hazel eyes.
Those hazel eyes started to tear up. "No."
Hank did not say anything. Instead, he wrapped his arms around Jennifer, and pulled her close.
"Now I know what you were talking about when you told me about when you had to give up teaching at Bayville High. I feel - I feel as if a part of my heart has been ripped out."
"Teaching was your life," said Hank gently. "It's hard not to feel that way, Jennifer. If you didn't you would be just like Principal Kelly."
"I guess it is not so bad," said Jennifer. "I mean, it was just a job. I guess I can get another one. I don't have to be teaching to be happy."
Hank almost pushed Jennifer away. "I know you. Teaching made you happier than almost anything else."
Jennifer looked up at Hank. "Not as happy as you have made me, Hank."
"Jennifer, I think that you should stop deluding yourself."
"What?"
"This is a mistake."
"Us?" asked Jennifer. "You think this is a mistake?"
"You have given up too much. I cannot ask you to give up anything else. I'm sorry, Jennifer."
Jennifer shook her head, her eyes still teary. ""What are you saying, Hank?"
"I don't deserve to be with someone like you, Jennifer. I think you should move on."
"Move on?"
"Move on, and forget about me," said Hank.
"Are you saying it's over? Us?" asked Jennifer. "How can you say that, after all that we've been through? All that has happened?"
"I am a beast, Jennifer. A monster." Hank raised a hand and brushed a strand of brown hair away from her face. "You are human." The hand trailed down her cheek. "Perfect. Unflawed." The hand stopped at Jennifer's jaw- line, and reached for her hand. Hank led her to the window, and to the view of the town. "That is your world out there. Not mine," finished Hank.
"No!" answered Jennifer. "That is our world out there! You belong in it, too! With me!"
"People out there hate me for what I am. I accept that. But I could not bear it if the same thing happened to you."
"That is my choice!" replied Jennifer. "And I choose to stay with you!" Jennifer reached out and took his hand in both of hers, pulling it to her chest. "I choose to stay with you," she repeated, looking deep into his eyes, "the one I love."