Queen of Random: Don't you love a good cliff-hanger of an ending? I know I
do. Granted, this one is nothing to the ones 'Shortland Street' has at the
end of every year. I doubt many of you know about 'Shortland Street',
unless you live here in New Zealand. One of the great things about New
Zealand is 'The Lord of the Rings' and 'Shortland Street'. But the best bit
is being able to play the 'Spot the Shortland Street characters/actors'
game. See, what you do is look for old 'Shortland Street' characters of the
past. The two main ones are Karl Urban, who was Lionel on 'Shortland
Street', but is now Éomer, and Craig Parker, who was Guy on 'Shortland
Street', but was Haldir, the elf. Blonde wig alert! Also, when you go see
The Return of the King (go see it! If you read the Ultimate X-Men comics,
you'll know that both Toad and Cyclops like Lord of the Rings) look out for
a black haired elf who has one line. That's Figwit. He's got his own little
following, too. Figwit stands for 'Frodo is great, who is that?'. You see,
when you watch the Council scene in The Fellowship of the Ring, he's
sitting there, too. When Frodo says, "I will take it," you're thinking,
'Frodo is great', but then you see this really good-looking elf with black
hair, and you think, 'Who is that?'. That's Figwit! I don't remember what
the website devoted to him is, but it's something like www.figwitlives.com,
but don't trust me on that. You'd be better off going to Google and doing a
search for Figwit.
To make this simple, I own none of the stuff mentioned above.
Beauty and the Beast
Chapter Twenty-One: I Forgive You
As soon as Jennifer revealed to Xavier and Hank who her attacker was, she went to the phone and called the local police, to tell them of the new developments.
However, she left out a few details, mainly the fact that she was able to remember through the assistance of a mutant telepath.
The detective in charge of her case, a man who went only by the surname McPhearson (as he did not like his first name, which was Emmett) was very, well, for lack of a better term, excited about this new information, although his form of excitement was really just a bland, 'that's excellent'.
The very next day, he asked Jennifer to come down to the station, where they were interviewing a suspect, although the suspect had not been arrested at that point in time.
Hank, disguised with an image inducer, and Ororo went with Jennifer down to the station.
The fact that Ororo offered to come down to the station with Jennifer did not surprise her. Now that they had spent time together, helping the students (although Jennifer's was a more academic role, and Ororo's more of the mutant nature), and of course, and sort of bond had formed between the two. They were, after all, the only two adult females in the Institute, and neither of them could very well associate with humans on the outside anymore.
As an officer warily led the three of them to where McPhearson was waiting - which just happened to be outside the small room with the viewing area next to where the suspect was waiting. After a brief conversation with the detective, Jennifer was given the chance to speak to the suspect, as she and the others suspected that something was not right with the fact that this was the person who had broken into Jennifer's home, and had inadvertently caused the fire.
As Jennifer was about to wheel herself into the room, where she would speak to the suspect alone, she warned Hank to be sensible, and not do anything stupid.
Then she asked Ororo to keep an eye on him, as she was not sure that he would be able to keep his bestial nature under control.
This was, after all, the person who had nearly killed the woman he loved.
Who could blame him for getting a little riled up?
*
The suspect looked up when Jennifer entered the room, eyes blearily focusing on the woman in the wheelchair.
Jennifer spoke first. "Hello, Duncan."
Duncan Matthews had changed a lot since the last time she had seen him - charging down the school field during football practice. He was out of his element, and there was a look of fear about him.
Even though she knew what he had done to her, Jennifer could feel no hatred in her heart as she looked at him.
Instead, she felt only pity.
"Ms Reed," said Duncan, finally speaking. "I - I - didn't mean to. . ."
Jennifer appeared to remain as untouched as she had been through her time as a teacher - but in reality, she did not want to have to do this, mentally torture this boy in front of her, using his guilt against him.
Yes, his guilt. Jennifer could tell that it had been eating at him, and the sight of her, the victim, and living proof of his crimes, caused it to become at least ten times worse. As much as this boy had hurt her, she had no desire to hurt him back.
She was not a monster, and she had not real desire to become one.
But she wanted something from him.
A piece of information, only he could give. And it could not be extracted by a telepath, because then it would be useless. After all, it would just be viewed as a mutant using its powers to hurt a human, and invade their privacy.
It was Duncan who had to come out and say it.
She got straight to the point. "Duncan. Why did you do this?"
"I didn't mean to start the fire. It was an accident."
"Duncan, look, I understand that it was an accident," Jennifer said after a brief pause.
"You do?" Duncan's voice was almost pleading at this point.
"I do."
He looked down at the wheelchair. "But. . . you can't walk."
Jennifer was silent, deep in thought. There was only one thing she felt she could do. Duncan was distraught, and she knew that he could not move beyond the point he was at mentally. He could only see the damage in front of him, not the hope that lay beneath the surface.
Besides, Jennifer needed to move on, too, and so did everyone else she knew and cared about.
Firm in her resolution, she gripped the sides of her wheelchair. . .
And stood up.
She stood up straighter than she felt she could have stood up. Perhaps it was just the thought that it was a victory that meant that she felt stronger than she normally would have.
The fact that she could now stand on her own, unaided by anyone, meant that she could take her first steps towards her independence.
And what first steps they were!
They were like the first steps of a child, of an infant. Which was true, in a strange way. These were the first steps of Jennifer's new life, living with those at the Xavier Institute.
Carefully, as if she was unsure of what she was doing, Jennifer walked slowly from her position by the doorway, ignoring the gasps from behind the one-way mirror, and finally came to stand next to Duncan, who was staring at her, his eyes full of wonder, even though a part of his spirit had been broken.
"See?" she asked gently, as if she were speaking to a child. "Everything's all right. I'm not that hurt, and I can walk." She pulled out the chair that was next to Duncan, and sat down. "Can you do something for me, Duncan?" she asked, still in that same gentle voice, the one that made you want to trust her with everything.
"What?" he asked eventually.
Watching from behind the safety of the glass, Ororo whispered, more to herself than to anyone else, "What is she doing?"
She did not expect an answer, so when she heard Hank's voice, almost as in awe as hers, she was surprised. "I don't really know. She's just. . . getting him to trust her."
"Why?"
Hank shook his head slowly. "She's always been like this, for as long as I've known her. She just. . . doesn't feel hate. It's as if she's risen above it. Sure, she feels anger, but that is just a weakness to her. She's willing to give almost anyone a second chance. It's quite amazing, actually."
"But why Duncan?"
"He must have something she needs from him. A piece of information. She's also been able to read people - not like she can read their minds - but she's acutely sensitive to their personalities, their emotions, their needs. And she can use that."
Ororo was just silent after that.
"Duncan, I want you to tell me why you did this. Why did you come into my house?" Jennifer's voice neither rose nor fell: it was perfectly even.
"It was not my idea. He just said that we had to give you a little fright, that was all. Make you see sense. He said you had no idea what mutants could actually do, how bad they really are."
"What did he want you to do?"
Duncan let out a breath that rattled. "He just wanted me to go into your house, and give you a little message. But you fought me, and I couldn't - I'm sorry, Ms Reed."
"I know you are, Duncan," Jennifer said gently. "And I forgive you for that."
"You do?"
"I do," she said simply. "I just want to know one thing: who was it that told you to do that to me?" Not that I can't guess, she thought to herself.
Duncan was silent for a moment, almost too afraid to say the name. Then his face crumpled like that of a child, and for a moment Jennifer thought that she had lost him, that he had reverted back to a child-like state, and could not tell her the name of the man who engineered the plan.
But he spoke. "It was Principal Kelly." Tears welled up in his blue eyes, before he grabbed Jennifer around the mid-section, burying his face in her shoulder. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he murmured.
Jennifer managed to keep her composure on the outside, but on the inside she was crying as loud as Duncan. As she gently stroked his blonde hair, and whispered reassuringly to him, she could not help but feel sorry that he had come out worse because of the fire: she had lost the temporary use of her body, while Duncan could possibly have lost his soul.
To make this simple, I own none of the stuff mentioned above.
Beauty and the Beast
Chapter Twenty-One: I Forgive You
As soon as Jennifer revealed to Xavier and Hank who her attacker was, she went to the phone and called the local police, to tell them of the new developments.
However, she left out a few details, mainly the fact that she was able to remember through the assistance of a mutant telepath.
The detective in charge of her case, a man who went only by the surname McPhearson (as he did not like his first name, which was Emmett) was very, well, for lack of a better term, excited about this new information, although his form of excitement was really just a bland, 'that's excellent'.
The very next day, he asked Jennifer to come down to the station, where they were interviewing a suspect, although the suspect had not been arrested at that point in time.
Hank, disguised with an image inducer, and Ororo went with Jennifer down to the station.
The fact that Ororo offered to come down to the station with Jennifer did not surprise her. Now that they had spent time together, helping the students (although Jennifer's was a more academic role, and Ororo's more of the mutant nature), and of course, and sort of bond had formed between the two. They were, after all, the only two adult females in the Institute, and neither of them could very well associate with humans on the outside anymore.
As an officer warily led the three of them to where McPhearson was waiting - which just happened to be outside the small room with the viewing area next to where the suspect was waiting. After a brief conversation with the detective, Jennifer was given the chance to speak to the suspect, as she and the others suspected that something was not right with the fact that this was the person who had broken into Jennifer's home, and had inadvertently caused the fire.
As Jennifer was about to wheel herself into the room, where she would speak to the suspect alone, she warned Hank to be sensible, and not do anything stupid.
Then she asked Ororo to keep an eye on him, as she was not sure that he would be able to keep his bestial nature under control.
This was, after all, the person who had nearly killed the woman he loved.
Who could blame him for getting a little riled up?
*
The suspect looked up when Jennifer entered the room, eyes blearily focusing on the woman in the wheelchair.
Jennifer spoke first. "Hello, Duncan."
Duncan Matthews had changed a lot since the last time she had seen him - charging down the school field during football practice. He was out of his element, and there was a look of fear about him.
Even though she knew what he had done to her, Jennifer could feel no hatred in her heart as she looked at him.
Instead, she felt only pity.
"Ms Reed," said Duncan, finally speaking. "I - I - didn't mean to. . ."
Jennifer appeared to remain as untouched as she had been through her time as a teacher - but in reality, she did not want to have to do this, mentally torture this boy in front of her, using his guilt against him.
Yes, his guilt. Jennifer could tell that it had been eating at him, and the sight of her, the victim, and living proof of his crimes, caused it to become at least ten times worse. As much as this boy had hurt her, she had no desire to hurt him back.
She was not a monster, and she had not real desire to become one.
But she wanted something from him.
A piece of information, only he could give. And it could not be extracted by a telepath, because then it would be useless. After all, it would just be viewed as a mutant using its powers to hurt a human, and invade their privacy.
It was Duncan who had to come out and say it.
She got straight to the point. "Duncan. Why did you do this?"
"I didn't mean to start the fire. It was an accident."
"Duncan, look, I understand that it was an accident," Jennifer said after a brief pause.
"You do?" Duncan's voice was almost pleading at this point.
"I do."
He looked down at the wheelchair. "But. . . you can't walk."
Jennifer was silent, deep in thought. There was only one thing she felt she could do. Duncan was distraught, and she knew that he could not move beyond the point he was at mentally. He could only see the damage in front of him, not the hope that lay beneath the surface.
Besides, Jennifer needed to move on, too, and so did everyone else she knew and cared about.
Firm in her resolution, she gripped the sides of her wheelchair. . .
And stood up.
She stood up straighter than she felt she could have stood up. Perhaps it was just the thought that it was a victory that meant that she felt stronger than she normally would have.
The fact that she could now stand on her own, unaided by anyone, meant that she could take her first steps towards her independence.
And what first steps they were!
They were like the first steps of a child, of an infant. Which was true, in a strange way. These were the first steps of Jennifer's new life, living with those at the Xavier Institute.
Carefully, as if she was unsure of what she was doing, Jennifer walked slowly from her position by the doorway, ignoring the gasps from behind the one-way mirror, and finally came to stand next to Duncan, who was staring at her, his eyes full of wonder, even though a part of his spirit had been broken.
"See?" she asked gently, as if she were speaking to a child. "Everything's all right. I'm not that hurt, and I can walk." She pulled out the chair that was next to Duncan, and sat down. "Can you do something for me, Duncan?" she asked, still in that same gentle voice, the one that made you want to trust her with everything.
"What?" he asked eventually.
Watching from behind the safety of the glass, Ororo whispered, more to herself than to anyone else, "What is she doing?"
She did not expect an answer, so when she heard Hank's voice, almost as in awe as hers, she was surprised. "I don't really know. She's just. . . getting him to trust her."
"Why?"
Hank shook his head slowly. "She's always been like this, for as long as I've known her. She just. . . doesn't feel hate. It's as if she's risen above it. Sure, she feels anger, but that is just a weakness to her. She's willing to give almost anyone a second chance. It's quite amazing, actually."
"But why Duncan?"
"He must have something she needs from him. A piece of information. She's also been able to read people - not like she can read their minds - but she's acutely sensitive to their personalities, their emotions, their needs. And she can use that."
Ororo was just silent after that.
"Duncan, I want you to tell me why you did this. Why did you come into my house?" Jennifer's voice neither rose nor fell: it was perfectly even.
"It was not my idea. He just said that we had to give you a little fright, that was all. Make you see sense. He said you had no idea what mutants could actually do, how bad they really are."
"What did he want you to do?"
Duncan let out a breath that rattled. "He just wanted me to go into your house, and give you a little message. But you fought me, and I couldn't - I'm sorry, Ms Reed."
"I know you are, Duncan," Jennifer said gently. "And I forgive you for that."
"You do?"
"I do," she said simply. "I just want to know one thing: who was it that told you to do that to me?" Not that I can't guess, she thought to herself.
Duncan was silent for a moment, almost too afraid to say the name. Then his face crumpled like that of a child, and for a moment Jennifer thought that she had lost him, that he had reverted back to a child-like state, and could not tell her the name of the man who engineered the plan.
But he spoke. "It was Principal Kelly." Tears welled up in his blue eyes, before he grabbed Jennifer around the mid-section, burying his face in her shoulder. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he murmured.
Jennifer managed to keep her composure on the outside, but on the inside she was crying as loud as Duncan. As she gently stroked his blonde hair, and whispered reassuringly to him, she could not help but feel sorry that he had come out worse because of the fire: she had lost the temporary use of her body, while Duncan could possibly have lost his soul.