AN: Hey all, just a note to tell you all that this chapter is just
dialogue. It's not even in my original plan, but then the first review I
received reminded me that I'm the only one who knows what's going on at the
moment and if I don't start explaining something soon, no-body's going to
understand, or read my story. So this is just a bit of background. Also,
I need two more female mutants before the next chapter will be posted,
because I'm stumped as to whom to put in besides Psylock and Aurora.
Thanks, and Enjoy. This is dedicated to my 2 reviewers Erikstrulove and
Lyranfan.
With Marie and Kitty out on supply scavenging duty, Jean and Wanda had the cave all to themselves, a rarity due to the different schedules they kept.
"I don't think Marie likes me very much," Wanda said, looking up at Jean whilst she attempted to sew her blanket into something half useful.
"What makes you say that?" Jean asked.
"Well she always seems so mad at me, glaring me and stuff."
"Oh Marie's always like that." Jean sat down next to the younger girl.
"How long did you know her, before..." Wanda trailed off.
"Before the camps? I didn't know her that well. She and her brother, Kurt moved to the institute a week before the attack by the Sentinel. Their mother just kind of dumped them there so she could go off and do some job in town, so most of the time they were just complaining about her."
"That must be tough, being stuck with a parent like Raven Darkholme. I mean, I never met her, but some of the things I heard about her, well she didn't seem like the nicest of people." Wanda finished politely
"Yes she certainly 'wasn't the nicest of people' that's for sure. I don't know what she did for a living, but I think it pretty shifty work, on the first day he was at the institute, Kurt amazed everyone by breaking into Cerebro with a paperclip. He said he learnt it from watching her work." Jean shook her head with a smile, remembering everyone's faces when they found out he'd also installed Pong whilst he was there.
Pushing away the memory Jean turned to Wanda, who looked eager to hear another tale from the institute. "So, What about you? You never talk about your family."
Wanda looked surprised. "What do you want to know?"
"Well, do you have any siblings?" A dark look flashed over Wanda's face. Jean suddenly wished she hadn't brought it up. "It's alright if you don't want to talk about it."
"No it's ok, I just try not to think about them. I miss them, you know?" Wanda took a deep breath and began, "I have two sisters and a twin brother. The eldest is Anya; she'd be about 26 by now. Pietro, my brother and I always secretly thought that she was dad's favorite. Every time he looks at her, he just looks so happy," Jean tried to protest but Wanda kept talking.
"A couple of months before my brother and I were born, Anya was caught in a fire that very nearly killed her, I can see Dad's just happy she's alive. I worry what might have happened to him if he lost her, I mean he used to get nuts enough if any of us got hurt, I can't even imagine what it would be like if any of us died." There was a heavy silence, which Jean broke when she couldn't stand it any more.
"You said you had two sisters..." Wanda's face immediately lit up at the change in topic.
"Oh yeah, the other one is Lorna, she is such a cutie. My mother died shortly after 'Tro and I were born, and when Dad started dating again, he met this really nice lady; they went out for about a year, then BAM! We hear nothing from her for a while then she shows up on our doorstep pregnant."
"Really? Wow, it's like something out of a soap." Wanda nodded with a smile.
"Yeah that's what we thought. But after Lorna was born they all got tested and she really is my half sister. She used to live with us for half of the year and her mother for the other half. Luckily she was with her mother when the sentinels started taking people, so she should still be safe. Just so long as she got rid of that green hair of hers."
Jean nodded, thought for a second and then did a double take. "Green hair?"
Wanda just shrugged.
Another long pause, although this time a much more comfortable one passed before Wanda voiced the one thought that Jean had been thinking almost constantly since their camp was freed.
"I want everything back to normal. When are we going back for those still at the camps?"
Jean closed her eyes, trying to push the memories of her life in the camps back, running her hand through her hair.
"I don't kno...I mean, we don't even have a clear idea of how many escaped when we did. We need more people to launch an attack of that scale, we were very lucky to escape, and I don't think we can rely on the same luck to help free the others. No doubt since we left, security has increased, so we will have to find the others who made it out before we start making a plan." Jean finished her speech sounding confident, yet inside she was terrified.
"What if we're it?" Wanda looked at Jean as if the red head held all the answers. As Jean was just wondering the same thing as Wanda, she found it hard to put on a brave face. But she did, as always.
She smiled and shook her head. "There are others, I know there are, I'm psychic remember?"
Wanda smiled for Jean's benefit and as the red head stood and went back to the kitchen area. Jean was no more capable of finding the others from their hiding spot as the Sentinels were, but Wanda appreciated Jean's effort to comfort her all the same.
With Marie and Kitty out on supply scavenging duty, Jean and Wanda had the cave all to themselves, a rarity due to the different schedules they kept.
"I don't think Marie likes me very much," Wanda said, looking up at Jean whilst she attempted to sew her blanket into something half useful.
"What makes you say that?" Jean asked.
"Well she always seems so mad at me, glaring me and stuff."
"Oh Marie's always like that." Jean sat down next to the younger girl.
"How long did you know her, before..." Wanda trailed off.
"Before the camps? I didn't know her that well. She and her brother, Kurt moved to the institute a week before the attack by the Sentinel. Their mother just kind of dumped them there so she could go off and do some job in town, so most of the time they were just complaining about her."
"That must be tough, being stuck with a parent like Raven Darkholme. I mean, I never met her, but some of the things I heard about her, well she didn't seem like the nicest of people." Wanda finished politely
"Yes she certainly 'wasn't the nicest of people' that's for sure. I don't know what she did for a living, but I think it pretty shifty work, on the first day he was at the institute, Kurt amazed everyone by breaking into Cerebro with a paperclip. He said he learnt it from watching her work." Jean shook her head with a smile, remembering everyone's faces when they found out he'd also installed Pong whilst he was there.
Pushing away the memory Jean turned to Wanda, who looked eager to hear another tale from the institute. "So, What about you? You never talk about your family."
Wanda looked surprised. "What do you want to know?"
"Well, do you have any siblings?" A dark look flashed over Wanda's face. Jean suddenly wished she hadn't brought it up. "It's alright if you don't want to talk about it."
"No it's ok, I just try not to think about them. I miss them, you know?" Wanda took a deep breath and began, "I have two sisters and a twin brother. The eldest is Anya; she'd be about 26 by now. Pietro, my brother and I always secretly thought that she was dad's favorite. Every time he looks at her, he just looks so happy," Jean tried to protest but Wanda kept talking.
"A couple of months before my brother and I were born, Anya was caught in a fire that very nearly killed her, I can see Dad's just happy she's alive. I worry what might have happened to him if he lost her, I mean he used to get nuts enough if any of us got hurt, I can't even imagine what it would be like if any of us died." There was a heavy silence, which Jean broke when she couldn't stand it any more.
"You said you had two sisters..." Wanda's face immediately lit up at the change in topic.
"Oh yeah, the other one is Lorna, she is such a cutie. My mother died shortly after 'Tro and I were born, and when Dad started dating again, he met this really nice lady; they went out for about a year, then BAM! We hear nothing from her for a while then she shows up on our doorstep pregnant."
"Really? Wow, it's like something out of a soap." Wanda nodded with a smile.
"Yeah that's what we thought. But after Lorna was born they all got tested and she really is my half sister. She used to live with us for half of the year and her mother for the other half. Luckily she was with her mother when the sentinels started taking people, so she should still be safe. Just so long as she got rid of that green hair of hers."
Jean nodded, thought for a second and then did a double take. "Green hair?"
Wanda just shrugged.
Another long pause, although this time a much more comfortable one passed before Wanda voiced the one thought that Jean had been thinking almost constantly since their camp was freed.
"I want everything back to normal. When are we going back for those still at the camps?"
Jean closed her eyes, trying to push the memories of her life in the camps back, running her hand through her hair.
"I don't kno...I mean, we don't even have a clear idea of how many escaped when we did. We need more people to launch an attack of that scale, we were very lucky to escape, and I don't think we can rely on the same luck to help free the others. No doubt since we left, security has increased, so we will have to find the others who made it out before we start making a plan." Jean finished her speech sounding confident, yet inside she was terrified.
"What if we're it?" Wanda looked at Jean as if the red head held all the answers. As Jean was just wondering the same thing as Wanda, she found it hard to put on a brave face. But she did, as always.
She smiled and shook her head. "There are others, I know there are, I'm psychic remember?"
Wanda smiled for Jean's benefit and as the red head stood and went back to the kitchen area. Jean was no more capable of finding the others from their hiding spot as the Sentinels were, but Wanda appreciated Jean's effort to comfort her all the same.