Not Myself
By Princess Alexandria
Annie could almost see Sophie's damaged skin with her eyes closed. She could feel the wrongness of it, and the breath she released in relief almost came with tears. She could do something. It wasn't too late.
"Please be careful." Christy's voice sounded so worried. Annie gave her a soft smile, loving that Christy cared so much, before she started to concentrate, and push her power out. Sweat started to make her skin slippery as she continued her efforts, carefully trying to control where her powers went so they weren't wasted. Other things could heal on there own, and Annie needed to focus on things that only she could do. She knew she went into this weak, probably too weak, but she didn't tell Christy. She wasn't going to let either of these women down.
Annie was surprised when Sophie's eyes opened and those eyes stared into hers. "It's gonna be okay." Annie forced out in a gasp. This was starting to hurt, but she pressed harder. "Christy, unwrap her face." Annie called out, knowing that they were trying to hide this from Sophie's mom. She finished fixing Sophie's face and wanted to see it was okay, but she wasn't stopping there, no matter what she told Christy. Annie pressed harder, trying to heal as much as possible. She barely paid any attention as Christy moved to follow her orders.
Annie's arm started to shake with the strain of trying to hold her up while doing this. Christy's voice seemed so far away, even though she was right next to her. "We only get one shot at this, but don't push yourself too hard." Annie barely paid attention to the words as she focused on the burns.
………………….
Emma listened in as the girls' started to communicate with Eric via telepathy. So Christy's kids were in on this. Emma stayed out of sight, but she was watching carefully and noticed Erik and the others leaving the computer lab just moments before Mrs. Stepford was shown inside. Rather than risk being seen Emma took a look at the room through that woman's eyes.
Every computer had been left on, which wasn't allowed, but it was clear that it was part of the plan. Emma took in the sight of battered mutants and large headlines about murders and attacks on every screen along with the girls' mother. She even encouraged the woman's eyes to take in every screen nearby as she stood there. Charles said she couldn't influence the woman's mind, but he never said anything about encouraging her to read.
"What is this?" Mrs. Stepford asked her girls.
"This is what the world is like for us." The girls spoke softly while moving in among the different screens. "Mother, no place is safe, but at least here there are people able to protect us. And we can learn to protect ourselves."
Emma noticed Erik, Jessi, Jon and Myeisha standing around the door to the outside, waiting. She moved past the door to the lab and towards them. "Your idea?" She asked them, while keeping track of the discussion going on in the other room. It didn't escape her notice that all of them tensed up when they noticed her.
"Yeah." Jessi answered her.
"Not bad." Emma nodded her respect at the creative way they forced the issue. "The New England articles were a good touch."
"It seems to be going well." Erik gave her a small smile, apparently deciding she was part of this, and not the evil teacher come to stop them. "I feel she's starting to listen."
"She is." Emma smirked at him. She didn't add that she might have broken a rule or two of her own to get the woman to calm down and think about what she was seeing. "So you don't have to stay here and wait for your chance to sacrifice your education for them." She spoke a bit more sternly, knowing why they'd have kept the empath nearby. He was plan B.
Jessi took a step closer. "It's working? They'll get to stay?"
Emma focused her thoughts on Mrs. Stepford for a moment before she answered. "It's looking much better than it did." She still hadn't seen Sophie yet, so that could ruin the work all the children did.
………………….
Christy turned when she heard the door open and saw Henry's wide eyes and upset expression. "Annie, stop that this instant!" Henry said as he moved to the bedside, pushing past Christy. Christy took a deep breath and watched as Annie pulled her hands away. She gave no expression as Annie stared at her and watched the play of emotions on the girl's face as she realized that Christy hadn't gotten permission.
"Sometimes it's easier to ask for forgiveness." She spoke softly. "Than wait for permission." Henry was busy carefully checking over the girls. "She didn't know. I told her I got permission." Christy told him and moved to sit down beside Annie's bed again. He wasn't letting her near the other one.
"I want you out of this room." Henry turned to glare at her. "This room is for medical personnel only." He picked up Annie and moved her to her bed. Christy didn't like how exhausted Annie looked. The girl promised her she'd be okay, but it wasn't looking like that was the complete truth at that moment.
Christy moved to sit in a chair in the main medlab, knowing that someone would be coming to yell at her soon. This was ridiculous. Annie had the right, she had it… and they act like the girl was a child that couldn't decide something like that. Christy held onto her conviction in this. She had the right as well. Regardless of what the law said, these kids were hers. She had more right to them that the Professor did. She was mentally preparing herself for the confrontation that had to come after this.
………………………
Jean received Henry's call just as she was leaving the observation room for the Danger room. They'd turned the room into a small jail while they tried to come up with some solution for what to do with those kids. What happened? She sent mentally as she starting down the hall.
Annie and Christy decided that my medical degree was just a decoration for the wall. He sounded angry. I'm trying to keep Annie from going into a coma. I found her healing Sophie, who I don't have time to check on.
Jean started to move a bit faster. When she got to the medlab she saw Christy sitting at a bench waiting. She didn't look happy. Without a lot of time Jean could only nod a hello and move into decontamination so that she could go in and check on Sophie. Of course this had to happen while Sophie's mother was on the way down with Emma.
Henry was busy giving Annie a shot when she got in. Jean borrowed the memory of what he'd seen when he got there as she moved to the side of Sophie's bed.
"Is Annie going to be alright Mrs. Summers?" Sophie was awake and watching Henry and Annie with wide eyes.
"I'm sure she'll be fine Sophie." Jean gave the girl a soothing smile, not wanting to worry her. "So lets see what she did?" Jean moved some of the blonde hair off Sophie's face and noticed the girl's face was no longer burned. Christy got what she wanted. "This looks good. Let's take a look under the other bandages."
………………………….
Emma walked with Mrs. Stepford and the girls into the medlab and immediately noticed Christy sitting in the room, looking upset. What's wrong? She sent as she came closer.
Christy looked up and when she saw the others seemed to reconsider answering out loud. I had Annie heal Sophie. Henry kicked me out, and I haven't heard anything since. Emma's probe went a bit deeper at that. God, I hope I didn't hurt her. Christy was muttering mentally to herself, blaming herself.
So how is Sophie? Emma sent, fully aware that Mrs. Stepford was starting to realize a silent conversation was going on.
Awake, her face was fine. Christy gave her the good news, and Emma sensed a little bit of an improvement in her at that. "Hi, I'm Christy Taylor. Annie's guardian." Christy addressed Mrs. Stepford.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Emma smiled at the woman she'd brought down here. "I should have introduced you two. This is Mrs. Stepford, Sophie's mother." Please keep her busy. I need to find out what's going on. Emma sent to Christy.
"Annie?" Mrs. Stepford moved closer to Christy. "She's the other girl that got hurt with Sophie isn't she?"
A quick scan of the other room showed a conscious Sophie, Annie feeling a bit worse for wear, but clearly still conscious as well, Henry and Jean. Jean, how is Sophie?
I'm still checking.
And what should I tell her mother? Emma needed to be able to tell the woman something after bringing her down here.
"Yeah, Annie did." Christy sighed. Emma kept an ear out for the conversation in case she was needed as Jean gave her a run down of what she was finding.
"Is she going to be staying at the school or are you planning to pull her out?"
"My kids are safer here." And that hit exactly what Emma would have wanted it to. Christy did it without coaching. "This was horrible, but… they were almost killed at home. The F.O.H. almost got them."
Mrs. Stepford went silent for a moment. Emma noticed the girls brightening up as Sophie reconnected with them. "Mother, Sophie's awake."
"Yes, it appears she is." Emma gave Christy a small smile, trying to ease her mind, before turning to give her report to Mrs. Stepford and the girls. Christy was paying a good deal of attention as well. Emma noticed the look the girls shared with Christy behind their mothers back. It looked like they knew Christy was the one responsible for their sister's recovery, her and Annie.
………………………
After a few minutes of tense silence the door opened and Jean came out with Sophie in a wheelchair. The girl's many bandages were mostly gone, but one large one remained over her shoulder. Christy watched Sophie smile at her family and receive gentle hugs. It was a bittersweet moment, because while Christy was glad the girl was better, she was still worried about Annie. Henry hadn't come out, and she didn't take that as a good sign.
"Ms. Taylor." Sophie's voice drew her attention back to the family, who were all much closer. "Thank you." Sophie gave her a small smile. "Annie's okay." Those two words had Christy finally releasing a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding. Knowing her she could have been holding that one quite a while.
"Sophie, take it easy and you can go for a walk with your family." Jean was filling in everyone on how Sophie still had a large burn on her shoulder which would need treatment and time to heal. Christy wondered if Annie could have gotten that one if given more time, or if that would have been just a bit more than the girl could handle and would have been the one to send her into a coma.
I need to escort them. Emma told her telepathically. Christy could hear the way Emma would have preferred to stay by her side for what was undoubtedly going to be an unpleasant conversation with Henry.
I know. It's okay. Christy gave Emma a soft smile. I knew what I was getting into when I did this.
Christy… Thank you. Emma's mental voice was filled with her gratitude. I didn't want to have to tell Sophie that… it would have been disfiguring.
When Emma and the others left Christy was left alone with Jean, who moved to lean against the nearby table and cross her arms while staring at Christy. "The Professor is going to want to talk to you." Jean told her, but it was said gently.
"I figured he would."
"Why?" Jean's question was so open ended, but Christy knew what was being asked.
"You ever do something or not do something… and every time you close your eyes you wonder if you could have done it differently?" Christy felt awkward having this conversation, and Jean's gentle expression made her feel guilty about what she knew and Jean didn't about Scott. Still, this wasn't about that. "Make a decision or be too late… Those things, they stick with you." Christy could still see the grass, feel the tree trunk under her hand as she looked down the hill. "I killed him. Could I have gotten him out of that? What if I'd chosen to fight… could I have won?" She took a shaky breath. "He was my friend, he loved me even as I was…" Christy went quiet for a moment. She knew these people had heard her story. "His blood was so red and he fell like a puppet without strings when I shot him. I never got to tell him I loved him. I was afraid he wouldn't understand what I meant." She turned to stare at the door instead of watching the slow comprehension crossing Jean's face. "I couldn't let Annie wonder. She doesn't need to think she didn't do enough. Now she's done everything she possibly could, and she knows I love her enough to do this for her."
The arms that pulled her into a hug were a shock and Christy's body jerked away for a moment before she understood what Jean was doing. "We all have our nightmares." Jean spoke softly and Christy felt a bit awkward being in her arms. "Things that went wrong. People that died and you wonder if you could have done something differently. I've laid awake after missions that went badly wondering, but you have to let that go. That guilt pulls you down, and it makes it harder for you to make decisions in the future, decisions that could save lives."
Jean let her go and stepped back. Christy felt a bit flustered and blushed under the gentle gaze. "Henry just wants to observe Annie a little longer, to make sure nothing goes wrong, but she's doing alright. If she'd pushed a little longer she might not have been so well off." Jean's words confirmed what Christy suspected. That she'd almost gotten Annie into another coma with this.
"Why don't you go get something to drink? It's going to be a while before the Professor is available to talk." Christy's expression hardened a little at being sent away from Annie. "Henry sedated her; she won't wake up for a few hours."
……………………………
Emma walked beside Mrs. Stepford through the gardens with the girls. She new the woman had questions and she needed to do whatever she could within Charles' rules to keep her girls at the school.
"Is it true what she said about the F.O.H.?" Mrs. Stepford asked her quietly while the girls moved ahead of them, with Phoebe pushing Sophie's wheelchair.
"Yes. Her other girl is the daughter of the F.O.H. leader in her city." Emma glanced around the sunny late morning sky and sighed. "Christy sent her children to us after they were attacked."
"So she isn't their mother?" Mrs. Stepford asked quietly and it felt like gossip to Emma. She didn't care to indulge in that with people she barely knew, but Christy would understand the need to push this issue. If they could ease this woman's mind then the girls would get to stay.
"No, Christy took in a few teenagers who needed help and didn't know where else to go. They were her students and she has a big heart." Emma managed to not smirk when she said that, thinking about how she could stop her lover's heart with a few well placed caresses. Emma stopped walking and turned to face Sophie's mother. "Christy enrolled all four of her kids here. You may have heard their names from your daughters, they've become quite close with your children. I see them eating together and talking all the time."
"I heard about them making new friends." Mrs. Stepford spoke softly so her girls wouldn't hear her. Emma knew that was something the woman had been concerned about. Her girls didn't make friends easily, because even among mutants the quintuplets were seen as strange, and not everyone would make an effort to get to know them. "Annie's the healer isn't she? The green one?" So she had heard about Annie.
"Yes." Emma took a breath of the fresh air and prepared for the onslaught of questions the woman wanted to pose, knowing that the only real question Mrs. Stepford had was would her girls be safer here.
……………………………
Christy sat down heavily in the kitchen and stared at the glass of lemonade she'd poured herself. Why was she listening to Jean when she wasn't even thirsty? "Sure you don't want something stronger Darlin?" Logan's voice pulled Christy's eyes away from staring at the glass as if mesmerized. "You look like you could use a beer." He said as he opened the fridge and pulled out one for himself. When he made as if to hand it to her Christy shook her head no and he pulled it back to himself.
"It's wasted on me. I can't get drunk." And beer didn't taste that good anyhow. He sat down across from her at the table and twisted the cap off his drink. His sitting there was a nice gesture, but the silence wasn't comfortable and Christy didn't feel like making conversation.
"Danger rooms being used." He spoke after a few minutes. "Wanna spar on the lawn?"
Christy just stared at him a moment, with an eyebrow raised. He invited her for fishing and now he wanted to spar. Christy got the distinct impression he was treating her like one of the guys. It wouldn't be the first time someone confused being a lesbian with being butch, but at least he was friendly.
"I'm still learning…"
"Great. I'll see what ya got." He smiled at her and downed the last of his beer. "Come on. I know a great spot." By that she hoped he meant somewhere no one would see them. If Mystique hadn't been training her she never would have agreed, but it wasn't like the metamorph went easy on her. Christy knew she could recover quickly. She also knew she couldn't beat Logan.
They didn't talk much as they walked through the woods, but then Logan wasn't overly chatty anyhow. The trees parted to show a grass field. "I'll start off slow." He said as he moved to face her. "Just show me what you learned."
"Why are we doing this?" Christy gave him a small smile as she wondered when she lost control of the situation. Probably was when Logan came into the room. What kind of idiot would spar with Logan after only training a month?
"Cause you need to hit something, and I offered." He smiled before moving to a more ready position. "Chuck was a bit cold today. Feel free to take it out on me."
………………………………..
Mystique rolled onto her back and put one arm over her eyes to block out the light as her other arm fell to the bed with the journal still in it. The stash of journals that Christy had told her was under her bed proved very informative.
I don't think Christy would like to know you spent the weekend in her room. Shortpack's telepathic voice interrupted her thoughts.
Oh I don't know. Mystique sent back. She might like pictures of what I'm doing in her bed. She let her mental tone sound seductive and teasing, but really her eyes were hurting a little from reading for so many hours straight. Her handwriting wasn't the easiest to read.
Christy's mother just called her. Are you supposed to pretend to be Christy with her family too? Shortpack asked a good question and a small smile curved the edges of her lips as she considered that. Christy's mom needed some quality daughter time, and Mystique had some free time this afternoon.
……………………………..
Logan watched her keeping her distance and just staring at him. "You want me to attack first?" He asked.
"Sure."
Keeping things slow and not using all his strength he attacked. He watched her form and could see that while she was new she had potential. Whoever was teaching her was clearly good at what he or she did. Christy's movements were economical, none of the flowery stuff the neighborhood kung fu or karate classes taught, she kept her moves all functional.
"Who's your teacher." He asked and noticed her miss a chance to attack as she backed away.
"A woman the Professor sent to stay with me." Christy blocked his kick and moved left. "Robbie."
"Robbie have a last name?" Logan started to speed things up a little and increased the difficulty level. His experience training kids around here taught him what new students could and couldn't handle, and he always pushed them just a little beyond what they could do.
"She didn't give me one." Her scent was wrong. Logan knew he wasn't getting the whole story. Hopefully Emma's new girl wasn't cheating on her already.
Logan. the Professor's mental voice interrupted the sparring and Logan held up a hand so that Christy knew to stop. You can tell Christy that Annie is going to be okay. Logan's eyebrows drew together. He thought the girl already woke up. The Professor's voice grew a little harsher. Christy told Annie I approved healing Sophie and Annie pushed herself too hard. Logan just shook his head a little, surprised at the nerve of the woman standing across from him. She completely ignored Chuck and did her own thing. Once I'm done meeting with Mrs. Stepford I plan to talk to Christy about this. Since I can't contact her directly, could you make sure someone is around her until then?
No problem Chuck. He replied to him them spoke out loud. "Chuck says Annie's fine." Christy seemed to accept that easily, her strangely absent of emotions fighting expression didn't falter. "He'll want to talk to ya later."
A slight smile that quickly disappeared was her answer. "I imagine he would."
He wanted to know more but he got back into position so that Christy knew sparring was about to continue. They might as well put this time to good use. He'd get all the details eventually.
………………………………
Charles smiled and waited for Mrs. Stepford to leave before rubbing his forehead to try and ease the ache. Today was just as headache inducing as the day before. "Emma, how did you talk her into changing her mind?" He asked when he noticed the blonde hadn't left yet.
"Actually it was our students that did the most work." Her cool calm voice helped to ease some of his tension. Something went right at least. "They convinced her that while this place is dangerous, the rest of the world was worse." A slight frown crossed his face as he considered that situation. Sadly it was true, but he didn't like what it said about his school that the selling point was that it was the lesser evil.
"I believe that Sophie's improved health also helped."
Charles took a deep breath as he was reminded of the situation with Christy. It was the sort of irresponsible thing a student would do, going behind his back like that. He hadn't expected it from her. "She's not good at following orders." He spoke softly, remembering how this had come up in the meeting about her a little over a month ago.
"This was hardly a fair test of that." Emma moved to sit on his couch. "This was her child you were telling her what to do with. Christy's feelings about her children are very maternal in nature."
"I was looking out for Annie's best interest." Charles still didn't understand that. If Christy cared so much for Annie, why did she risk her like that when both he and Hank had determined it was too dangerous? He gave Emma a searching look. "Her mission, she was told to keep all details a secret as well. Did she do that?" He knew there was a chance Christy would tell Emma, but at least Emma wasn't likely to point out how he was aiding a known felon. She'd see how this was a way to make Mystique pay for her crimes in a way that was more useful to society.
"Well, I guess you don't feel like beating around the bush tonight." Emma sat back in her seat. "No, she didn't keep that a secret. She was pretty disturbed by what you'd done Charles and it shook her faith in you completely. I had to reassure her that we wouldn't force her children into this life. That they would have a choice."
The throbbing behind his eyes intensified as he realized the mistake he'd made. How could she believe he'd do that to the children? Charles thought Christy knew them, had some idea of their character. Was Mystique that easily able to overcome that? Did that woman tell Christy that she needed to worry? And why would Christy believe her? "Tell me she didn't tell Mystique who she is."
"No, she didn't. Christy can see the value of keeping Mystique in the dark about some things." Charles sighed in relief. At least that one very important order remained standing.
"I wish you had told me you planned to send Mystique to her." Emma's voice held a note of reproach. "I could have warned you that Christy actually likes that woman. Mystique was among her favorites in our world. Their time together has pretty much cemented a meaningful friendship in Christy's mind." Charles groaned quietly and rubbed his hands over his head. He never would have seen that coming. Who could know that harpy, see what crimes she committed, and like her? Well, Forge obviously, but he knew better than to trust Mystique.
"I didn't have any other metamorphs I could send to train her, and regardless of Mystique's crimes, she does know her powers better than anyone else." Charles took a deep breath. "I thought Christy's information would protect her from getting too close."
"Well, I'd say it's too late for that. Mystique has managed to paint you as a very convincing bad guy, and Christy has started to believe it." Emma stared him right in the eye. "I don't doubt that your reaction to her request this morning reinforced Christy's impression that you won't listen to her when she tells you no, and that you're willing to force your own ideals on other people."
"What?" Charles had to remember to close his mouth. He hadn't expected this. "Force my ideals? I just refused to let her endanger Annie's life."
"And Christy saw that as endangering Annie's mental health. Christy didn't want to come in here. She didn't want to propose what she did, but to her giving her children choices is that important to her. She's using them to atone for her behavior when she led her own people. Where she used to order, she now seeks to follow what the children want. Christy is far from battle ready Charles, she's still trying to recover from the last one. Now she's seeing you as the man that takes choices away, from Mystique, from her children… from her." Emma's voice got softer. "She used to put the needs of the many above the needs of the few. If you wonder why she dropped her mission for Annie, it's because those days haunt her every night. She's changed her priorities."
Charles went quiet as he tried to absorb this. If what Emma was saying was true, and he'd been able to know it himself, he would have done things differently with Christy. He had no idea that Christy was having this much trouble adjusting. Maybe he'd grown too dependent on his telepathy, and when he wasn't able to use it in this case he let himself see what he wanted to see, a capable metamorph that just needed training to be a useful team member and spy. "Thank you Emma. You've given me a lot to think about." Emma left quietly and Charles rested his head on his hands while he thought.
Part of him wanted to yank Mystique out of that house before Christy even got back, knowing it was that woman that caused Christy to doubt him like this, but he realized that if Christy saw him as taking choices away his forcing Mystique to relocate wouldn't really help in dispelling that belief. If Christy liked Mystique, then obviously she didn't have enough details. The comics she read must have left things out, and Charles knew that Christy didn't know about what had been happening lately. Christy didn't know that Mystique had killed Moira, when the woman wasn't doing anything but trying to find the cure needed to save lives. Moira was never trained to fight, and she was just a human researcher that cared about mutants. Charles had lost his ex-wife long ago, but to have her killed by an enemy that he'd failed to control… well, it wasn't going to happen again. Not to anyone else he cared about.
………………………..
Emma left his office and stopped to try and sense where Christy was. It was still a point of pride that she was the only telepath that could do that. It was a surprise to sense her outside with Logan. She knew Charles would take time to think about what she'd brought up, so Emma had time to go see how her lover was doing.
Hopefully her talk with Charles would result in some changes, but Emma wasn't going to volunteer the fact that she was working on replicating that device that allowed him to enslave Mystique. She didn't expect that much change. Emma had a feeling that the device would come in useful, and Christy wanted it. She'd see if Christy was still interested in helping Mystique after Charles talked with her about the woman. At least that way Emma didn't have to be the one to break the news, and it would give them a better understanding of what was motivating Charles to do something so against his principles.
"Not bad." Logan's voice reached Emma as she made her way down the path. "But you leave your left side too opened with that move."
When Emma reached the clearing she could see Christy's back was to her as Logan showed Christy the right way to do a move. Emma watched out of sight as Christy was watching Logan, and noticed the way Christy seemed to be paying such close attention. A slight smile came to Emma's face as she took in the determination on Christy's face as she moved to copy Logan's movements. Christy really was something special.
"Is this a private party or can anyone join in." She spoke up and the way Christy turned to face her, and the clear joy at being in her presence, made Emma smile. "Hello lover." She spoke more softly, acknowledging their relationship in front of Logan, who clearly had already guessed during breakfast. "Are you feeling like late lunch or did you already eat?"
Emma could feel Christy's joy, which slowly went to disappointment. Normally it wasn't easy for a telepath to read emotions, but Christy's were clear to her. "I can't. I need to see my kids. Make sure they're okay." Christy's eyes met hers I wish we could just be us, in bed all day.
Emma could agree with Christy's desire to hide from the day. If she could have gotten away from this horrid day and spent it with Christy she would have. It was a shame that their new relationship had to take a back seat to this mess. Quentin deserved jail time for causing that inconvenience alone. "It's okay. I've got a lot of work to do. I need to counsel the students that saw the worst of the attack and try to reassure them that anarchy hasn't taken over the school."
"Seems to me Christy's kids are on that list and she's taken your job." Logan spoke up, reminding Emma he was there. When she looked back at Christy she could see the thoughtful expression. Was Christy ready to tell her children? It was doubtful that Christy knew about the rumors that had them together as of last month.
"Did you want to come?" Christy sounded pretty unsure of the invitation. "Or will it be too awkward."
"Well, I'm gonna head up to lunch myself." Logan spoke. At least he had the decency to realize this was a private conversation.
Emma hadn't expected this reluctance from Christy, and she didn't like it. She hadn't been planning for this to be a secret affair, and it wasn't like Christy's students didn't already know Christy preferred women. Her eyebrows drew together and she had to remind herself not to do that. "If you don't want to have lunch with me you can tell me. I do have other things I could be doing."
"No." Christy looked surprised at Emma's tone, and it helped to ease Emma's irritation. "No, I just… Can you be seen with me? Would it make…"
Emma waved her arm to dismiss Christy's concerns. "I don't really care what the masses think of me Christy. If you're planning to stay distant to protect my reputation, don't bother. I've ruined it years ago. This could only help." Now it made more sense. She hadn't thought Christy worried about such things. Emma didn't even care that some parents were still on campus. If they were going to be petty, that wasn't any of Emma's concern.
"Are you sure?" Christy moved closer and touched her arm.
Emma gave Christy a smile. "That I've ruined my reputation, or that I don't want to hide our relationship?" Christy's smile as the woman took Emma's hand made it clear Emma had said the right thing. Emma reached out and pulled Christy into a kiss. "I've been wanting to do that since I saw you in the medlab." Emma spoke softly into Christy's ear. "You may hear many things from the others, but I'm grateful and I'm very impressed that you stood up for what you believe in."
……………………………
Jessi glanced around the cafeteria as she was waiting in line. She was sure that Christy would sit with them, and fill them in during lunch. She wanted to tell Christy what they'd managed to do about Sophie's mother while they were at it, and find out if it worked. None of them had seen the sisters since they went to the medlab to see Sophie.
The white drew her attention and Jessi watched as Ms. Frost came into the room along with Christy. The teachers rarely came in here unless they had to monitor. Jessi glanced over to see Mr. Xorn watching the room, which meant Ms. Frost wasn't working.
"Hey." Christy smiled at her when she got closer. "We were thinking of a picnic on the lawn." We? Jessi glanced over at the boys sitting at a table already, then back at Christy and Ms. Frost, who both had trays already. Ms. Frost was obviously looking at Jessi, waiting for a response. Were they in trouble for this morning? Ms. Frost didn't seem mad earlier.
I'm not angry child. I'm just not fond of lunchroom decibel levels. We'll get the boys, do come alone won't you.. Ms. Frost's voice startled Jessi. Oh, so she was having lunch with them. Why? Jessi glanced back at Erik and Jon. "Uh, okay. I'll meet you guys?"
"Okay." Christy smiled at her. "We'll be on the hill by the basketball court."
Jessi watched as the boys sat up straighter all the sudden and knew that Ms. Frost had told them the news. Their getting up with their trays just confirmed it. "Wow, its true." Myeisha moved closer and spoke softly to Jessi. Jessi turned to see the girl watching Christy and Ms. Frost leave the room. "Ms. Frost and your teacher…"
That wasn't a new rumor, but Jessi just stared as the door closed behind Christy. It did look true, didn't it? Or maybe Ms. Frost had some other reason, but if it was about this morning Myeisha would be in trouble too.
"Not that it's a bad thing. No, it's cool that they can ya know…" Myeisha was still talking, and Jessi noticed the rushed way Myeisha was speaking, but she was still a bit stunned. Christy and Ms. Frost? She'd heard the rumors, but this looked like it was true. Did that mean they'd see even less of Christy now? Or would Christy move to New York and they'd see her more?
But Jessi didn't want to stay in New York. If her father hadn't been in the F.O.H. and found out she was a mutant she never would have left home. She filled up her tray absently and then moved to the doors. This was going to be painfully awkward.
…………………………
Mystique waved to the woman when she stepped into the restaurant. "Mom." She had to add when Kathleen didn't recognize the form of her only daughter right away in the crowded restaurant.