I'm glad to see that some people are catching on, even if they don't think they're right. All I can say is, you are! If you're still puzzled about what's going on, this chapter will explain things nicely for you. I'll try to do two chapters a week from now on, but I can't promise anything. Once again, thanks for all the great reviews, they make me oh so happy :)
But this chapter is anything but happy. It's dark, sad and angsty. You may even need to break out the tissues.
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"But I don't understand..." Emma began. Everyone turned round to look at her. She was still standing in the doorway, looking very confused.
"What do you mean Emma?" Adam asked.
"...no, it can't be." She shook her head. "But I know it is."
"What Emma?" Shalimar asked, wondering what all this was about.
"He's the boy from my visions." She pointed a Mason with some unsureness. Adam and Shalimar looked surprised. Mason simply looked at her severely.
"Explain yourself, Miss DeLauro." He demanded.
Emma wasn't sure what to say. She looked to Shalimar for support, but she looked utterly puzzled.
"I've been having visions." She said matter-of-factly. She paused and bit her tongue to prevent herself crying again. "I saw a little boy in horrible situations. He was at a funeral...then...in a mental hospital...and...he saw a dead woman lying on a bed..."
My mother, thought Mason. How he missed her. She was one of the few people who he ever loved. He tried to repress these memories, and told them to no-one. He had hoped desperately that he would never have to face them again.
"...I realise now that boy was you." She looked at him questioningly, waiting for some kind of confirmation.
"How dare you." He said, forcing himself to glare at her. He wasn't angry, he almost expected something like this. He just used the anger to cover up his real feelings. He hated people knowing his secrets. It made them think he was weak, or even worse, pity him. But perhaps it was pointless, Emma DeLauro was a telempath. He couldn't hide anything from her.
"I'm sorry." She said. She could feel tears welling up in her eyes again. Not wanting to let herself cry again, she clenched her fists and dug her nails into her palms. "It wasn't my fault. I didn't want to see those things. It wasn't as if I wanted to see them."
"Are you implying that this is my fault?" He said incredulously.
"No." She said. Everything she said he turned against her. "I'm sorry you had to go through those things, I can imagine how you feel."
"Miss DeLauro, my feelings are none of your concern. And I would thank you to keep out of my mind." He said coldly.
"I try to be sympathetic and this is what I get. I don't know why I even bother." She yelled tearfully, almost running out of the room.
"Emma..." Shalimar began, but she was already gone. She shot a concerned glance at Adam, then went off after her.
"Why did you never tell me about this Mason?" Adam asked after she was gone.
"There are many things that you do not know about me, Adam. And frankly I would like it to stay that way."
"How could you live keeping all that to yourself?"
"As you well know, I am not one to wear my heart on my sleeve. Those incidents are merely scratching the surface." He looked at Adam intensely. "I do not plan on sharing the rest with you. That is unless Miss DeLauro decides to pry into my memories again." He paused for a moment. "I would like some time to myself if you do not mind." He was aware that his voice was quavering. He couldn't keep up this facade for much longer.
Adam promptly left. He was glad to get out of Mason's way.
***
He found the girls sitting by the reflecting pool. Emma was sitting with her head on Shalimar's shoulder and she was obviously very upset.
He crouched down to their level. "You alright Emma?"
She lifted up her head and nodded slightly. She sniffed and dried her eyes. "I just don't understand how he can be so heartless and insensitive. Those were his memories, I wouldn't expect anyone to react like that. All I wanted to do was help."
"I know, Emma, I know." He shook his head. "I feel so responsible for this. I'm sorry for everything I put you through."
"Thanks Adam, but it's not your fault." She paused and looked down into the pool for a moment. "Adam, what's going on? I've never seen anyone's memories before."
Adam sat down next to her and put his hand on her shoulder. "I'm afraid that I have no simple answer for you. As I said before, it seems that your powers are evolving and growing in ways that even I can't predict."
"Adam, I can't take any more of this. There must be something you can do." She said with hopeful desperation.
"I don't have any quick fix. I'm sorry, Emma. You're just going to have to learn to control them, just like you did with your telempathic visions. I know you Emma, I know you're strong enough to get through this."
She looked down and let out a sorrowful sigh.
***
Mason sat swirling the water round in the glass. Everything was flooding back to him. All his childhood memories, but with the minor good events omitted. He felt a horrible sick, empty feeling inside of him.
He had lived in constant denial of his childhood. He tried not to dwell on it, but every so often the memories came to the surface.
The loss of his brother at age seven taught him an early lesson in the injustices of the world. By age thirteen, his mother had taken her own life, leaving him with his abusive father who didn't give a damn about anyone but himself. He made a conscious effort to not to become like his father, the only role model he had. But he couldn't help but think that he had failed.
He took a gulp of water to calm himself. Then another. Before he knew it he had almost emptied the glass. Insisting that it be bottled water had simply been for show. Besides, he was past caring.
He sat, deep in thought, for a long time. He was glad to be alone again. But he was far from happy.
He was only disturbed when Adam appeared in the doorway. Mason looked at him and inclined his head to acknowledge his presence.
"Have you finished with the glass?" He asked with a note of hostility. He nodded and passed it to him. Adam took it, but did not leave immediately. This made Mason uncomfortable, so he tried to make conversation.
"Do you have any idea what variety of new mutant I am?" Mason asked simply to break the air. That was a relatively pleasant thought.
"I really don't know, Mason." Adam said impatiently. "Perhaps you have the ability to really piss everyone off." He turned and left.
Adam probably meant to talk to him about something, but thought better of it. Perhaps he should have kept quiet. Though considering the possible topics, maybe it was for the best.
***
Shalimar wandered up the stairs to check on the boys. She was still worried about Emma, but she'd let her go to her room to have a lie down.
"Hey Shal, where's Emma?" Brennan asked. He was still reading the same book.
"She's gone to have a rest." She told him. "Oh, we know who the boy is."
"Really? Who?" He asked, letting the book drop to the floor.
"It's Eckhart." She said.
"What?" Jesse exclaimed.
Brennan started laughing. "You have got to be kidding right?" But her face stayed straight.
"You're serious?" Jesse said in astonishment.
"I'm afraid so. I'm as surprised as you guys. I have no idea."
"What, so Emma saw his memories or something?" Brennan asked.
"Yeah, something like that." Shalimar said. She shook her head. "She's not taking it well. I mean you saw how she was before. Now she's a whole lot worse."
"Hey, I don't blame her. I mean I could do without knowing all that about Eckhart."
"Now we know why he's sick and twisted." Jesse said.
"That doesn't excuse anything." Shalimar retorted, her eyes glowing yellow as she remembered her own childhood. "Besides, his childhood can't have affected him that much. He was a tactless bastard as usual."
"Why, what's he been saying to Emma?"
"Oh, you know what he's like, Brennan. I don't know why Emma's letting him get to her."
"That's it. This is not on, I'm not having him acting like he owns the place. I'm gonna give him a piece of my mind." With that he was off.
Brennan don't, Shalimar almost said. But she stopped herself, as she couldn't think of a reason to stop him.
But this chapter is anything but happy. It's dark, sad and angsty. You may even need to break out the tissues.
******************************************************
"But I don't understand..." Emma began. Everyone turned round to look at her. She was still standing in the doorway, looking very confused.
"What do you mean Emma?" Adam asked.
"...no, it can't be." She shook her head. "But I know it is."
"What Emma?" Shalimar asked, wondering what all this was about.
"He's the boy from my visions." She pointed a Mason with some unsureness. Adam and Shalimar looked surprised. Mason simply looked at her severely.
"Explain yourself, Miss DeLauro." He demanded.
Emma wasn't sure what to say. She looked to Shalimar for support, but she looked utterly puzzled.
"I've been having visions." She said matter-of-factly. She paused and bit her tongue to prevent herself crying again. "I saw a little boy in horrible situations. He was at a funeral...then...in a mental hospital...and...he saw a dead woman lying on a bed..."
My mother, thought Mason. How he missed her. She was one of the few people who he ever loved. He tried to repress these memories, and told them to no-one. He had hoped desperately that he would never have to face them again.
"...I realise now that boy was you." She looked at him questioningly, waiting for some kind of confirmation.
"How dare you." He said, forcing himself to glare at her. He wasn't angry, he almost expected something like this. He just used the anger to cover up his real feelings. He hated people knowing his secrets. It made them think he was weak, or even worse, pity him. But perhaps it was pointless, Emma DeLauro was a telempath. He couldn't hide anything from her.
"I'm sorry." She said. She could feel tears welling up in her eyes again. Not wanting to let herself cry again, she clenched her fists and dug her nails into her palms. "It wasn't my fault. I didn't want to see those things. It wasn't as if I wanted to see them."
"Are you implying that this is my fault?" He said incredulously.
"No." She said. Everything she said he turned against her. "I'm sorry you had to go through those things, I can imagine how you feel."
"Miss DeLauro, my feelings are none of your concern. And I would thank you to keep out of my mind." He said coldly.
"I try to be sympathetic and this is what I get. I don't know why I even bother." She yelled tearfully, almost running out of the room.
"Emma..." Shalimar began, but she was already gone. She shot a concerned glance at Adam, then went off after her.
"Why did you never tell me about this Mason?" Adam asked after she was gone.
"There are many things that you do not know about me, Adam. And frankly I would like it to stay that way."
"How could you live keeping all that to yourself?"
"As you well know, I am not one to wear my heart on my sleeve. Those incidents are merely scratching the surface." He looked at Adam intensely. "I do not plan on sharing the rest with you. That is unless Miss DeLauro decides to pry into my memories again." He paused for a moment. "I would like some time to myself if you do not mind." He was aware that his voice was quavering. He couldn't keep up this facade for much longer.
Adam promptly left. He was glad to get out of Mason's way.
***
He found the girls sitting by the reflecting pool. Emma was sitting with her head on Shalimar's shoulder and she was obviously very upset.
He crouched down to their level. "You alright Emma?"
She lifted up her head and nodded slightly. She sniffed and dried her eyes. "I just don't understand how he can be so heartless and insensitive. Those were his memories, I wouldn't expect anyone to react like that. All I wanted to do was help."
"I know, Emma, I know." He shook his head. "I feel so responsible for this. I'm sorry for everything I put you through."
"Thanks Adam, but it's not your fault." She paused and looked down into the pool for a moment. "Adam, what's going on? I've never seen anyone's memories before."
Adam sat down next to her and put his hand on her shoulder. "I'm afraid that I have no simple answer for you. As I said before, it seems that your powers are evolving and growing in ways that even I can't predict."
"Adam, I can't take any more of this. There must be something you can do." She said with hopeful desperation.
"I don't have any quick fix. I'm sorry, Emma. You're just going to have to learn to control them, just like you did with your telempathic visions. I know you Emma, I know you're strong enough to get through this."
She looked down and let out a sorrowful sigh.
***
Mason sat swirling the water round in the glass. Everything was flooding back to him. All his childhood memories, but with the minor good events omitted. He felt a horrible sick, empty feeling inside of him.
He had lived in constant denial of his childhood. He tried not to dwell on it, but every so often the memories came to the surface.
The loss of his brother at age seven taught him an early lesson in the injustices of the world. By age thirteen, his mother had taken her own life, leaving him with his abusive father who didn't give a damn about anyone but himself. He made a conscious effort to not to become like his father, the only role model he had. But he couldn't help but think that he had failed.
He took a gulp of water to calm himself. Then another. Before he knew it he had almost emptied the glass. Insisting that it be bottled water had simply been for show. Besides, he was past caring.
He sat, deep in thought, for a long time. He was glad to be alone again. But he was far from happy.
He was only disturbed when Adam appeared in the doorway. Mason looked at him and inclined his head to acknowledge his presence.
"Have you finished with the glass?" He asked with a note of hostility. He nodded and passed it to him. Adam took it, but did not leave immediately. This made Mason uncomfortable, so he tried to make conversation.
"Do you have any idea what variety of new mutant I am?" Mason asked simply to break the air. That was a relatively pleasant thought.
"I really don't know, Mason." Adam said impatiently. "Perhaps you have the ability to really piss everyone off." He turned and left.
Adam probably meant to talk to him about something, but thought better of it. Perhaps he should have kept quiet. Though considering the possible topics, maybe it was for the best.
***
Shalimar wandered up the stairs to check on the boys. She was still worried about Emma, but she'd let her go to her room to have a lie down.
"Hey Shal, where's Emma?" Brennan asked. He was still reading the same book.
"She's gone to have a rest." She told him. "Oh, we know who the boy is."
"Really? Who?" He asked, letting the book drop to the floor.
"It's Eckhart." She said.
"What?" Jesse exclaimed.
Brennan started laughing. "You have got to be kidding right?" But her face stayed straight.
"You're serious?" Jesse said in astonishment.
"I'm afraid so. I'm as surprised as you guys. I have no idea."
"What, so Emma saw his memories or something?" Brennan asked.
"Yeah, something like that." Shalimar said. She shook her head. "She's not taking it well. I mean you saw how she was before. Now she's a whole lot worse."
"Hey, I don't blame her. I mean I could do without knowing all that about Eckhart."
"Now we know why he's sick and twisted." Jesse said.
"That doesn't excuse anything." Shalimar retorted, her eyes glowing yellow as she remembered her own childhood. "Besides, his childhood can't have affected him that much. He was a tactless bastard as usual."
"Why, what's he been saying to Emma?"
"Oh, you know what he's like, Brennan. I don't know why Emma's letting him get to her."
"That's it. This is not on, I'm not having him acting like he owns the place. I'm gonna give him a piece of my mind." With that he was off.
Brennan don't, Shalimar almost said. But she stopped herself, as she couldn't think of a reason to stop him.
