disclaimer: All characters are the property of Marvel, except Jenny who is MINE.
Human in a Mutant World
by Dizi
Chapter 11
Waking at around two in the morning from one of her usual nightmares, Jenny knew from past history she wouldn't be able to get back to sleep without having more. She really wasn't sure how she'd avoided the nightmares until now but was happy she hadn't disturbed Hank with them. He probably knew she would have nightmares but that didn't mean he had to witness one.
As she wanted to help out anyway, she decided to get a start on breakfast. Being this early, there wouldn't be anyone there to stop her. Jenny just couldn't seem to make them understand, she wanted to help, needed to. She'd felt helpless too many times and doing things to help out allowed her in some measure to take control, even if it was only in her own mind.
After the last few days, waitress that she was, she was familiar with everyone's preferences and the usual breakfast menu. Instinctively organized, she quickly had everything prepared to be cooked and looked for something else to do. Like her first day at Harry's, her upbringing came to the forefront and she started cleaning. Walls, cabinets, countertops, and sinks, every surface got scrubbed. By five a.m. the only surface she hadn't cleaned was the floor and she thought it would be better to wait until after breakfast for that. Finally satisfied with level of cleanliness in the room, she started cooking.
The one X-man who was a true morning person - hence the six a.m. workouts - Scott walked into the kitchen at five-fifteen and paused at the sight. The kitchen gleamed, coffee was brewing, and breakfast was started, all in the most efficient manner he'd ever seen. Not that he was an expert on cooking breakfast, but he'd observed some hectic mornings and could tell right away this would not be one of them.
Upon seeing him enter the room, Jenny put bread in the toaster waiting to start it and fixed his coffee the way he liked. "Hi! So, you're the early one, huh?"
"Everyone hates me for it but I'm always up before dawn." He accepted the coffee from her, in his favorite mug no less. "Sometimes I can go back to sleep but I always wake with the day. You?"
"It's never been a problem for me to get up, but working in a bar tends to make a person a night-owl. I'd forgotten how nice it is this early in the morning." She looked out the window a moment seeing a hint of sunrise before turning back to him. "Ready for breakfast?"
"Sure." Scott watched Jenny seeing a confidence in her he hadn't seen in a long time. He hadn't wanted to interfere but had noticed the way the ladies were treating her and how she was trying to rebel but didn't want to hurt their feelings. Scott had intended to talk to Jean about it but Jenny had taken matters into her own hands, just as Logan said she eventually would if it was a problem.
Throughout the rest of breakfast he watched her. She kept the coffee pot full and the toast fresh. The counters stayed clean and uncluttered. And every time someone walked into the room she had breakfast ready for them within minutes. Without thinking about it, she treated Jean and Ororo the same way and they found themselves sitting and eating with everyone else for a change. Most important, from what he could see Jenny didn't exhaust herself keeping up with everyone. She just seemed to be extremely neat, efficient and organized. He was a man who could appreciate that.
Jean had told him she thought Jenny would be a good assistant for either Hank or Charles but Scott could see something else for Jenny. Once he had the details straight in his mind, he inclined his head slightly to Charles indicating he wanted to speak to him privately. Excusing himself, Charles went to his study and Scott joined him a moment later.
Charles was surprised at his proposal, to say the least. He had gotten used to the idea of an assistant. "Are you sure, Scott? Won't certain... people be put out?"
Scott shook his head. "Not if we make it official. I'm sure Jenny would be willing to accept help if they want to offer. Didn't you see her this morning? She was more comfortable today than she has been since she came, not to mention confident. I think she'll jump at it."
Nodding thoughfully, Charles sighed. There went his assistant. "I needed to speak to her later today anyway. I'll talk to her about it then."
Walking into the study later, Jenny couldn't understand why she was so nervous. She liked Charles and was pretty sure he liked her, but she couldn't shake the sense of being sent to the principal's office. Though she'd never had a principal as nice as Charles. Later, Bobby said something about mellowing with age when she mentioned her feelings to him.
Charles may have seen her gaitation, or maybe he was used to it, and smiled gently at her. "Good morning, Jenny. That's a lovely dress, by the way." He watched her eyes light up as she looked down at the pretty new dress she'd changed into after breakfast. "This hopefully won't take too long. Please, have a seat and be comfortable." He gestured to a chair.
"First there are some legal matters. The University does want a DNA test before releasing your father's notes and research to Hank." They both suspected even with Jenny's permission they would never be able to trust the University to release everything. There was too big a morality question to the research. Hank had actually given up on the idea it would be of use but since Jenny was willing to assist he wasn't going to turn it down.
"My lawyers have also found what they term to be a 'modest' amount left from your father's estate. It seems Warren was correct in the lack of provisions against you in his will. However, his lawyer is under the impression that you are deceased and also wants a DNA test. So we can take care of both at the same time."
Charles then named the 'modest' amount and Jenny's eyes went wide. He didn't tell her it would have been a much lower amount but some stocks went up before they could be liquidated and left a higher amount than the doctor had intended. Virtually everything had been bequeathed to the F.O.H. and he had been very careful to leave just enough so there would be no grounds for contention. But for fate, Jenny would have only gotten enough to get her nails painted and stop at a fast food restaurant. Now, he was pleased to know she would be able to do virtually anything she wanted with such a large sum.
"I don't know what to say." Jenny's mind was still spinning. "I can do any tests you need and sign any papers you want, but I'm not sure it would be right to use his money for my goals. We both know he didn't want me to have it."
He took her hand in his and met her eyes. "What are you looking for? What are your dreams?"
"I don't want anything that different from anyone else, really. I want to feel pretty again and... I want a home of my own. A real home again." Jenny's voice was dreamy. He noticed she didn't mention a family, but she was young and had been through alot, so might not be ready for that dream yet.
"Perhaps until you find it, at least for awhile, you can share mine." They shared a smile and she wondered how she could ever have been nervous to come in here. Charles sighed, he'd never get a better opening. "Scott and I have a proposition for you..."
The same afternoon - after much negotiating over the details - Scott called a meeting of all the mansion's residents to the large conference room to make the announcement.
"Some of you may have noticed how hectic and disorganized things have been lately." Scott began. "There's more people living here than ever before and rather than getting more done there always seems to be more to do. To correct the problem, we've decided to hire someone to take the situation in hand and she will have control of virtually all household matters. In the future, starting tomorrow and until further notice, all matters pertaining to the kitchen or any household matter will go through Jenny." Sitting down Scott gestured her forward to say her piece.
Jenny took a deep breath and went into what she thought of as 'work mode', wondering how Scott had talked her into making a spectacle of herself like this. He could have passed everything along, but he'd insisted on this saying something about them respecting her. "Um, hi. I guess I should tell everyone a box will be put on the counter by the coffee maker for, uh, questions, suggestions, likes and dislikes until I can get a handle on everyone. Oh, especially any allergies. Anything special you want please just ask and I'll do my best."
A large blue furred hand shot up to her right, waving frantically. Jenny rolled her eyes. "Hank, put your hand down, I've already got twinkies on my list. Anyone else, see me after the meeting." As he slowly lowered his hand laughter went around the room.
"Moving on, I am not a maid. You spill a drink and I'll hand you a towel or mop. I will not clean your bedroom without monetary or personal compensation. Same with laundry, except for uniforms, Scott won that one." Several hands immediately went up, Warren's being first. "After the meeting."
"A second fridge will be installed tomorrow for community use. Snacks, leftovers and any personal items will be placed in that one. Unless you're helping cook, I expect you to stay out of the main one. If someone takes your personal stuff, don't come to me. I'm not the food police. On the other side, someone takes something from the main fridge and dinner suffers, don't come to me then either. No one's going to be stupid enough to put a lock up or something like that. You have to trust each other and I have to trust you. I'm sure we understand each other." She met eyes all around the room.
"Next, I don't drive and I don't want to learn. I'll need a ride to the grocery store twice a week. I don't care how it's decided who drives, but keep in mind if it's you then you get to give immediate input to the grocery list." She paused remembering a rule. "Oh, and I'm not mentioning names, but a rule was made that grocery money cannot be used for alcohol or tobacco. I can't buy alcohol anyway, but you can talk to the driver about making purchases for you." She didn't mention who because she'd made the rule, since she didn't want to be responsible for it.
"Lastly, my days off are not set, but will be posted in the kitchen. If I'm off and someone wants to cook, that's cool. If you want, let me know and I'll add the ingredients to my list." Once again she met eyes around the room. "This is a trial right now to see how it goes. If you don't like something, talk to me, or if you prefer Scott or Charles. Frankly, you all sound like alot of work and there's a Denny's down the road if it doesn't work out, so its no skin off my back. Any questions?" When there was no raised hands, she left saying on the way out "Okay, I'm waxing the floor in the formal dining room, so nobody go in there unless they want to redo it."
"I've never seen Jenny so forceful." Ororo said into the silence that had taken over the room at Jenny's departure.
Logan chuckled. "You've never seen her at work. She's different there. Looks like she's applyin' it ta us now."
"You've also never inspired her ire. She can be quite forceful when she is greatly agitated." Hank remembered their confrontation several evenings before. Even after that occasion he was still astonished by the person he knew to be shy.
Charles was dreamy-eyed over the thought of the formal dining room being waxed. "I believe she'll work out well."
"I don't know..." Jean had gotten attached to being somewhat in charge of the kitchen.
"It's not like she's going to kick you out, Jean." Scott knew her better than anyone else alive and was prepared for this. "She will free up some of everyone's time though. How often have you had to cook right after a mission, when you're dead tired? Or after staying in the med-lab when someone's been hurt? How many things around here have been put off because no one had time to deal with them? Jenny will take care of all that. Give it a chance?"
"An' she be more confident now." Remy observed. "Jenny feel dat she belong."
"Temporarily, anyway." Scott was glad someone else understood. "She'll still be working part-time at Harry's and fully intends to go back when she turns twenty-one."
"This could be fun." Bobby rubbed his hands together in glee at the thought of a new victim for his pranks.
Logan chuckled. "Be warned, Jenny don't get back, she gets even." He grunted. "Think she used to hang around Bishop too much."
"She was raw clay, ready to be molded. She needed a little toughening to work at Harry's." Bishop was proud of the young woman who had just stood up to a bunch of people who could take down some of the best in the world.
"Ah'm just happy she's stayin'. Ah like her and maybe we can loosen her up some." Rogue had some guys in mind she wanted Jenny to meet.
"Jubilee will not need to go to Harry's to see Jenny when she visits." Ororo had never liked Jubilee going there. At the look Logan gave her, she regretted her words. Jubilee had left before the meeting and he missed her already.
"She did say she was going to look for another job anyway." Jean knew Scott was right and she did like Jenny.
"Jenny be a good waitress." Remy reminded them. "If she keep up wit' ever'body at Harry's den she can keep up wit' us."
Charles decided this had gone on long enough. "As Scott said, we will all give Jenny a chance. I personally have no doubts about her abilities. I believe when the time comes for her to return to what she feels is her real life we will all miss her greatly. Of course, we will all have more than a year to change her mind about leaving."
to be continued.
note:
Elizabeth Robbins- I couldn't resist!
Jinxeh- Never got to see Evolution, but now I'm glad because I might not have done the weasel thing, and I really enjoyed it. No! Not in the city! Oh well, you keep up the good work.
B Oots- Anything for you!
Beany- Yeah, retail is its own world. Hope he lives up to your expectations!
Gothik Strawberry- Thanks, and just a little Rogue in the next one. But I've got an idea for her later. Maybe.
Silver-Kalan- I sure hope so. She needs a rest! Thanks.
Sarai- You have got it so completely! That is exactly what I was looking to do. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for understanding so well.
Only one more to go! Hope it lives up to expectations. Just as a warning, we are going to skip forward in time. I think I fudged the timeline a little bit but I just had to in order to get the people there I wanted. As soon as I get it back from my beta I'll post ch12 and that will be the end of this one. But I've got plans. Oh, yes I do. Jenny will definitely still be around.
Thanks for reading and the support,
Dizi
