Thanks to Agent-G: Your suport is really valued. PS: I've changed the tk thing. Thnaks for that.

I don't own the X-Men, just Mattie

Visitor

Kurt was quick to apologies to Bobby. Bobby for his part took the apology gracefully and told Kurt that he didn't blame him. Mattie had made it clear to him that nothing had happened and he just wanted to forget the whole thing. Not easy when the whole Institute was buzzing with the gossip.

Through Jean and Scott the Professor had reiterated that students should sleep in their own rooms. Bobby rolled his eyes as Scott repeated this message for the third time. Mattie sat next to him trying to look inconspicuous. She wasn't being mentioned by name, but she had a pretty good idea that the Professor knew. Great. Something else to look forward to discussing in their counseling sessions. Although, to give him his due, he was okay as headmasters went. He never treated them unfairly. They always knew why he was acting the way he did. He was kind of cool really.

X

They all started the count down the final days of school. With only two weeks left to go Jean and Scott where panicking like mad about their college courses. One or other of them was constantly stomping out of their room and telling them to all shut up. Jean in particular suffered, as the stress elevated her level of telepathy. She was constantly rounding on people when they hadn't said anything. In the end she took all her notes, her books and her lap top to the lower levels of the Institute and set up a desk in the hanger bay.

Logan was pushing them even harder in training sessions; he knew that the second the summer arrived no one would want to do anything. The training sessions didn't stop, but he could never get them to work. He growled about it to anyone who would listen. "Damn kids. You'd think that when they didn't have to go to school they could work harder on their training." To his displeasure none of the students seemed to follow this logic.

The Professor, Ororo and Mr McCoy found themselves inundated with requests for help with homework projects that were suddenly due. When questioned as to the date of when the project had been set the students all developed sudden memory loss.

X

They arrived home from school of Friday and Tabby gave a whoop of excitement. "Only a week to go! This time next week, we are free!"

Ray and Sam cheered and proceeded to do a celebratory lap of the hallway. Tabby chased after them while the others laughed and cheered.

Bobby watched Mattie roaring with laughter as Ray and Sam continued to evade Tabby. Totally caught up in the heady happiness of the moment he swept her off her feet and into a kiss that any romantic film would have been proud to produce. Mattie giggled as he kissed her and she wound her arms around his neck.

"Robert Drake!"

Bobby looked up to see who was teasing him this time. The imposing figure standing in the doorway glared at him.

"Mom?"

Mrs Drake gave him a look that could have firmly established her as Icewoman. "Put that young woman down."

The unspoken words 'You don't know where she's been' hung in the air.

Restoring Mattie to her feet, Bobby took a step towards his mom. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you of course." Mrs Drake told him. She looked around Bobby to where Mattie stood. One eyebrow went up as she took in Mattie's baggy jeans and Save Ferris t-shirt. The other went up as it noticed the gap between the bottom of Mattie's t-shirt and the top of her jeans. Self-consciously Mattie wrapped her arms around her stomach. "And who is this?"

"This is Mattie, my-"

"Mattie?" Mrs Drake sniffed. "What kind of name is that for a girl?"

"It's short for Matilda." Mattie said stepping forward and offering her hand. "Nice to meet you Mrs Drake."

Mrs Drake ran her eye over Mattie again and then accepted her hand. "So you're a, a mutant too, are you?"

Mattie nodded, feeling very intimidated. Mrs Drake was enough to intimidate anyone. And Mattie really really wanted Bobby's mother to like her.

"Well, you hide it well enough I suppose."

There was the sound of indrawn breath as the rest of the students reacted to Mrs Drake's words.

Tabby stepped forward, but Amara put a restraining hand on her arm. Shaking it off Tabby turned on her heel and marched out of the hallway. "I'm so out of here."

"Right with you." Jubilee followed her, giving Mrs Drake a reproachful look as she left.

The rest of them soon followed suit. Paige, Sam and Ray gave Mattie and Bobby a look of apology as they went.

If Mrs Drake noticed the effect that she had, she didn't show it. She turned to Bobby. "So, aren't you glad to see me?"

Bobby hesitated, his mother narrowed her eyes.

"Yes of course I am Mom." He said springing forward to give her a hug.

Mattie stepped back, relieved to have been rescued from Mrs Drake's scrutiny.

"Why the visit? Bobby was asking. "Is Dad okay to be left?"

"Your cousin is looking after him. And I wanted to talk to you. You left so suddenly."

"Well, you know. I had to get back to school." Bobby told her.

"Yes of course." Mrs Drake ran her gaze around the Institute before finally coming to rest on Mattie. "School."

"I'll leave you to catch up." Mattie said, smiling at Bobby and struggling not to curtsy to Mrs Drake.

"Actually, Matilda dear." Mrs Drake said.

"It's Mattie not-"

Mrs Drake carried on over the top of her. "I was wondering if I might have a word with you."

Mattie froze like a rabbit in headlights.

"Perhaps you could show me the grounds." Mrs Drake suggested.

Mattie found herself nodding and leading her out to the garden.

"So. Mom. What's up?" Bobby asked.

"No, dear. I'd like to talk to Matilda alone."

"It's not Ma-" Mattie tried again.

"Woman to woman." Mrs Drake flashed a smile at Bobby. "You just run along and find your friends."

Bobby watched as him mother drew Mattie firmly along with her. There was nothing he could do. He dropped his head into his hands. This was not happening. He needed to think of something. Think, think, think.

Got it!

X

Bobby came flying into the Rec room, where Scott and Jean where sitting together taking some time off from their work.

"Jean! I need you!"

Jean looked up, startled. "What?"

"My Mom. She's taken Mattie off to have a talk, woman to woman." Bobby paced the room franticly. "I need to know what they're saying. You're a telepath. I need you to listen in for me. Tell me what they're saying."

"Bobby." Jean frowned. "I can't just eavesdrop on people."

"Of course you can." Bobby told her wildly. "You just point your brain at them and listen. It's easy."

"Bobby. I can't do that." Jean protested.

"It's not ethical." Scott backed her up. "How would you feel if we did the same to you?"

Bobby waved that away as inconsequential. "But they're out there. And they are going to be talking about me. And there are some things that should just not be talked about by your girlfriend and your mother. She's going to tell her about me and then… I'll be lucky if I get off with just a lecture. I'll be in the dog house for weeks."

"Bobby." Scott said calmingly. "I'm sure that Mattie will be very discreet in what she says to your mom."

"Mattie? Who's worried about Mattie! What the hell is my Mom going to say?"

X

"So Matilda."

"It's-"

"What do you do?"

Mattie frowned at the question. What did she do? What kind of a question was that?"

"What do I do?"

Mrs Drake looked down at her. "Yes, dear. That's what I asked."

"Do you mean my powers?"

Mrs Drake screwed up her face as though she had encountered a bad smell. "No."

Mattie bit her lip nervously.

"What are you planning to do with your life? What are your aspirations?

"I want to become a full member of the X-Men." Mattie told her. Surely Mrs Drake would know that. That was why they were here after all. To learn about their powers and abilities, to help people.

"Oh yes. That little club that you have here." Mrs Drake gave a small smile. "Bobby is always going on about that."

Mattie blinked in confusion. Club?

"I meant, what area of work are you interested in? What do you see yourself doing when you leave college? What do your parents do?"

When she left college? Mattie would be happy just to get to college. That was what she was working towards. Leave school, go to college. She hadn't got any further than that in her forward plans. Mrs Drake thought that the X-Men were a club?

"I… Well… I…"

Mrs Drake nodded encouragingly. "Yes?"

"Working. I guess. I mean… I hadn't really thought that far ahead."

"Oh." Mrs Drake's lips became a thin line of disappointment. "And how do you're parents feel about this?"

"Actually it's just me and my dad."

"Single parent family. Hmmmmm. And what does he do?"

X

Unethical? Bobby shook his head. What did Summers know anyway? He needed someone with a little less morals. But who? Jean was a telepath. Her power was practically created for eavesdropping. Who else was there? Sam? No. Ray? No. Paige? She could pose as a garden statue, if she husked to stone. But there was no way to guarantee that his mom and Mattie would stand near her. It needed to be someone who could move with them. Damn Jean and her morals. He was running out of options.

X

Mattie watched as Tabitha raced across the grass with five Jamie's in hot pursuit. She could hear Jamie's shouts to Tabby. Right then she would have given just about anything to be part of that game. Instead she was trapped in this conversation with Bobby's mother. He was going to pay big time for this. Nothing would please this woman. Not her plans for the future. Not the subjects that she was studying. Not her father. Not her father's job.

She thought that the X-Men were a club?

That was the point that Mattie kept coming back to. She kept getting stuck on it. Her greatest goal. The thing that she wanted most in her life. Was dismissed by this woman as a silly little club. How could you deal with that? She was going to hurt Bobby when she got her hands on him. How could he subject her to this?

X

Bobby found the others grouped in the kitchen. Cleaning out the cupboards of anything even slightly resembling junk food. As usual they were also deep in discussion.

"You are kidding me?" Ray said waving his chip wildly for emphasis. "Flipper was a dolphin. Alright? A dolphin. Take away the sea and he's completely stuck."

Sam nodded his agreement. "Whoever heard of a dolphin on land?"

"He was still the best of the three." Jubilee argued back. "He was the most intelligent. Who ever heard of an intelligent kangaroo? Skippy was a thick as two planks."

"He just bounced about a bit." Rahne added.

"Where as Flipper did what exactly?" Sam asked. "He wasn't doing rocket science or anything like that. He was jumping though hoops."

"What about Lassie then." Ray said. "Dogs are intelligent. Right? And dogs can swim. That counts out Flipper."

"Oh yeah. Cause Lassie would be great at fighting off sharks." Rahne pointed out.

"Lassie." Bobby said. "Of course. Lassie."

As one the group gave him a confused look.

X

"You see Matilda."

"Mattie." Mattie said without any real hope that Mrs Drake would listen.

"We have great hopes for Bobby. We believe that he has the potential to do anything that he puts his mind to."

Mattie smiled slightly. At least when it came to Bobby they were in agreement. Mrs Drake seemed to idolize him as much as she did.

"We just have to point his mind and his talent in the right direction."

Mattie nodded along with what she said. How much longer was this talk going to go on for? Surely Mrs Drake was going to get to what ever point she was heading for some time. All she could do was hope that it was some time soon.

She looked up as she heard barking. Bounding towards them was Rahne fully transformed into a wolf. She wagged her tail and trotted up.

Mrs Drake recoiled slightly.

"It's okay." Mattie reassured her. "She's…" Something caught her eye. Rahne was wearing a collar. Why would she be wearing a collar? "A very good dog?"

Rahne barked and winked at Mattie.

Mrs Drake didn't seem inclined to agree. But she continued walking. Mattie followed her, her hand resting on Rahne's back. She'd seen that collar before. It belonged to Jubilee. Or rather it had belonged to her dog. Mattie had seen it hanging up in Jubes' room. Why was Rahne wearing it? Why was she pretending to be a dog? He hand played with the collar. There was a slip of paper attached to it. Tucked into the inside of the collar. Keeping an eye on Mrs Drake to make sure she wasn't watching, Mattie pulled it out. It was a note. It was just one word.

Sorry

She ruffled Rahne's fur. "Who let you out?" She asked. Making her voice the silly sort that people always used when they were talking to animals. "Did Bobby let you out?"

Rahne barked and nodded her head.

"Matilda?" Mrs Drake drew her attention back to the conversation.

Mattie flashed her a smile as she slipped the note into the pocket of her jeans.

"The important point that I am making is that Bobby is going to make something of himself. He needs to be supported in this goal."

Mattie nodded.

"He needs to have the right sort of support."

Again Mattie nodded.

Mrs Drake smiled at her. "I feel that… Well… I'm not sure that you would be offering Bobby the support that he needs."

Mattie frowned. What was this?

"Has Bobby ever mentioned Isabella Sates to you?"

"No. Should he have?"

"The Sates' are very good friends of ours. Isabella and Bobby grew up together. We have high hopes for them." She looked at Mattie's face and continued quickly. "Nothing has ever been formalized, but it is the fondest wish of both our families that Isabella and Bobby would someday link out families together."

Mattie said nothing, just stared incredulously at her.

"Which is why I feel it my duty to tell you all this. Bobby and Isabella have often displayed a fondness for each other. And her father would leave the firm to Bobby. So you see, Isabella can offer his the support that he needs." She paused to see that her words were getting through to Mattie. "The right support."

Beside her Mattie could feel Rahne's hackles rising, a low grown rumbled in her throat.

This was nuts. This woman was nuts. She could feel her own anger rising. She'd put up with Mrs Drake's company and conversation for this? To be told she wasn't good enough? Well screw that!

"You're kidding right?"

Mrs Drake didn't answer.

"Get out! This isn't the eighteenth century. You can't just betrothal Bobby off like that. You can't choose who he does of doesn't go out with. He's your son not some puppet!"

"I don't expect you to understand."

"Good." Mattie told her. "Because I sure as hell don't!"

"Bobby is going to find himself a very good job and a nice wife. Once he gets all this mutant business out of his system."

"Out of his system!"

"He'll do very well for himself. With a nice normal girl."

"Normal girl!"

Mattie could barely believe what she was hearing.

"Yes. Normal." Mrs Drake's voice had risen and her words were coming faster. "Not a mutant."

Mattie gasped like she'd been slapped. The fires of her temper leapt into full blaze. "Just who the hell do you think you are?"

Rahne gave a small whine and took off across the grounds.

X

Bobby was waiting impatiently, pacing around the kitchen. The others had long since given up trying to calm him down. They just let him pace.

Rahne came bounding in and disappeared into the other room where her clothes were. Everyone looked up as she entered the room.

Bobby whirled to face her. "So?"

Rahne grinned at him. "Did you know that you are going to marry Isabella Sates?"

"Shit!" Bobby started for the door. "Where are they?"

Rahne pointed. "Just follow the yelling."

"Shit." Bobby took off at a run.

X

"Bobby is not going to be a mutant. He is going to be better than that."

"Bobby is a mutant! There is nothing you can do about it."

Mrs Drake shook her head stubbornly.

Mattie's fists balled as she struggled with how to get it though to this woman. "You can't stop being female. He can't stop being a mutant. I can't stop being a mutant."

"The world of science is improving every day."

"You're crazy!"

"My son is going to marry Isabella Sates and he is going to do well for himself."

"Is that all you care about? That he makes money? What about what makes him happy? What about what he wants?"

"This union was planned from the first time that they met. This is what he wants."

"You don't know what he wants!" Mattie told her. "You don't know him at all. If you did you wouldn't be telling me that this is what he wants."

"Oh and I suppose you do know."

"I have a fair idea. But I'm going to leave it up to him. Let Bobby do what he wants. It's his choice."

"A child's viewpoint. Bobby doesn't know what he wants. He needs guidance."

"That's not guidance. That's a prison sentence. You can't just marry him off."

"Ah ha!" Mrs Drake drew herself up. "So not we have it. You are jealous. No doubt you thought that Bobby really cared for you."

"He does care for me." Mattie told her, holding herself rigidly still. The tiny seeds of doubt eating away at her, despite her best efforts to hold them back.

"Let me tell you. When he is reunited with Isabella you will not even be a memory. You are nothing to him."

"Wrong." She shook her head. "You're wrong."

Mrs Drake gave an evil smile. "What? You thought that the two of you would go off and get married? Not a chance."

"I never thought that far ahead." Mattie felt a faint plucking of fear. She was seventeen, way too young to be thinking about marriage. All she knew was that she loved Bobby. He was pig headed and stubborn. And he drove her crazy. But he was sweet and funny. And he drove her wild.

Mrs Drake rolled her eyes. "Just be a good little girl and leave my son alone. I've told you once, Matilda. Don't make me tell you again."

Anger leapt up to be the foremost emotion in Mattie again. "My name is Mattie." She ground out though clenched teeth. "And you have no idea about anything to do with you son." She managed a mirthless laugh. "I almost feel sorry for you."

"I know enough to make sure that Bobby has what he wants."

"You don't know what he wants!"

"I know enough to know that he'd do well to be rid of you!"

Mattie grinned, like a shark. She raised an eyebrow. "Try it. I dare you." Behind Mrs Drake she could see Bobby running towards them. "I think we're done here."

"I'm not through with you yet young lady!" Mrs Drake snapped.

Mattie smiled at her over her shoulder as she walked away. "But I am more than done talking to you."

Bobby stopped when he reached Mattie. "Are you alright?"

Mattie cast a glance back at Mrs Drake who was hurrying over. "See me later?"

Bobby nodded and turned his attention to his mother.

Mattie heard raised voices as she walked back to the mansion.

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I think that my summary could do with some work. Any ideas/suggestions. Answers on a postcard. Or you could just email me ;o)