Disclaimer: Don't own a thing.

6 months later

"Mama, mama, will you slow down…….its alright, its just, is there something' wrong mama?……..Are ya sure. Ya sound a little, well, you sound lahke yer on helium…..no ah don't think ya gotta stupid voice…….no ah don't think ya have an annoyin' voice……. MAMA!! Calm down!……….Its ok mama……Yeah ma law thingy is coming on great. James has been a lot of help……..Yeah, I finally got ma Christmas presents from ya. Oh and Bruce and Peter both say thank ya fer the t-shirts………yeah, James got his book…… how did you know he'd like it?……..oh well. I gotta go. De Parole officer is coming round today and I got a meeting with him……. Ya……I'll see ya later. I love ya mama. Bye."

I was beginning to miss my mama know. It had been a year and 6 months now that I had spent in prison, and this was the first time I had spent Christmas alone. Not that I don't enjoy Peter and Bruces company. I mean, they're both really nice guys, but, not that I'm a mama's boy or anything, I just wanted to spend it with my mama. When I was younger I used imagine what Christmas would have been like if my dad was still around.

"Dreamin' kid?" said a voice next to me.

I turned round to look at the speaker. It was James. "Hey James."

He pointed to the phone box beside me, "Callin' yer mama?"

"Yeah. She seems stressed."

"Maybe she's jus' missin' yo'."

"Yeah. Maybe."

I put my hand in my pocket and pulled out a letter. I looked at it for a long time before handing it to James. I watched as his lips moved to the words on the page. Many people in prison need their fingers when they read, some of the prisoners don't even know the alphabet never mind read a sentence. However James, was quite different. He had told me about his past. How he grew up on the streets, was taken in by a gang of thieves. Never once did he mention that he went to school. Yet he could read, he could write, in both French and English.

"Remy?"

"Hmm?"

"Where did you learn to read."

He stopped reading the letter for a moment and then said, "Went t'an Institute, dey gave me an education."

"My mama used to work in an Institute."

"Really?"

"Yeah. De Xavier institute for-."

"-gifted youngsters."

"How d'ya know tha'?"

"Yo' be a mutant kid. Its de only place dat I know of dat takes in mutants."

I was expecting the usual, reply which was, "Wouldn't you like t'know kid." But he had actually replied.

"Dis is great kid, so how long have yo' got 'fore yo' have t'go for de interview?"

"Oh. From now…….I'd say……bout 10 minutes. Got any good advice?"

"Well I wouldn't know kid, never got had an interview wit de Parole officer. 'member kid, I be in here fo' life."

"Oh yeah. I forgot."

We started to walk out into the sunlight. I watched as a new arrival walked up to Bruce. "Uh oh." I heard Remy say beside me, "I know dat guy. He's de worst thief in de world."

"Really? Doesn't look like much."

"Exactly."

"huh?"

"He's de worst thief in de world. As in. He's really, really bad at it." Remy sighed, "I better go over dere, and help him 'fore Bruce sorts him."

"I'll come with ya."

"Don't you have a meeting to go to?"

"I gotta couple of minutes to spare."

We began to walk over to the small, mousy hair guy. We heard him say, "I say, could you possibly tell me where the toilets are?"

"Anywhere you want Jake, Dis be prison." I heard Remy say.

I watched as the little man slowly turned to face Remy, a grin growing on his face, "Well if it isn't Remy LeBeau. How the hell did you end up here?"

"Yo' don wanna know. Alex. Dis is ma old friend Jacob Gavin Jr. Jake dis is Alexander Raven."

"Glad to meet you Ale-."

The man looked at me.

Up.

And Down.

Then he looked at Remy.

Then I looked at Remy.

Who looked at me.

Smiled.

And then said, "Jake goes a little crazy when he hasn't had any sugar. Come on Jake, lets go see if we can find you some sherbet. Good luck wit de meetin' Alex. And as for advice, jus' be yo' self. Dey'll love yo'."

I watched as Remy marched Jake away, I could here Jake saying, "tha, tha, tha, Kid…….Alex….. He, he he,………."

"Jake shut up. Now. I'll explain later."

I'd catch up wit Remy later and ask him what that was all about. But as I looked at my watch I realised that I was going to be late for my Parole meeting. Not a good start.

I walked into the old room. There was a long table in front of me and sitting at it was three people. And in front of the long table, there was an empty chair. "Alexander Raven?" Asked the young man in the middle.

"Yes sir." I replied shakily.

"Please. Take a seat." I did so, "Alexander-."

"Please, uh, everyone calls me Alex."

The young woman on the left smiled and said, "Alex, Your name was put forward to us, because of good behaviour we are considering granting you parole. Tell me Alex, do you think that your time in Prison has helped you become a better person?"

I had no idea what I was going to say. Remy had just said be your self. Well. So decided to say what I would say. Well, what I'd say to Remy.

"A better person? Ah sure hope so. Ah don't wanna have t'a spend another six months in this, uh, this shit hole, please excuse ma language, but that's what it is." Well Remy said I should be myself, "Ah deserve t'a be in here though. Ah did wrong, ah stole from some folks who didn't deserve t'a be stolen from. But there be some people in here tha' don deserve t'a be in here at all. But they are. And ah wanna get those people out. An if meh still being in here helps them get out, then ah'd still be in here. But personally, ah think ah could do a lot more on the outside. Bu that's jus ma preference."

I watched as the young woman began to laugh silently. The other woman on the bored, was slightly older. She looked sorry for me. But the man in between them. His face was impassive. He asked me, "If you are given Parole, what do you plan to do when you get out?"

"Ah have decided t'a go inta law. Ah wanna get ma life back on track. Some ah'm gonna go t'a college and try and get a law degree. And ma mama says she has a friend tha' will let meh sart out at their law firm."

"Sounds like you've got it all planned." said the young woman smiling.

"Well, I had a little help." I explained.

"Well thank you for your time, Alex, if you'll just wait there we'll tell you our decision immediately."

The three of them passed each other different pieces of paper. I shifted nervously in my seat as the man in the middle read over the papers.

He then took the pen and wrote his own decision.

Mwhahahaha.
I am evil. Leaving it like that. But I gotta think bout what I'll do next.
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