Disclaimer: I own none of these characters. The X-Men belong to Marvel. All other characters belong to themselves.
Pairings: None.
Rating: PG-13.
Summary: Professor X hears about two young Canadian mutants.
Two Elves and a Dragon
Chapter 2
"It might be best if you met Jakob first," Kate said, "he has an influence of sorts on the younger children. If he likes you, it will make things much easier."
"Indeed." Professor X said.
"It's a good influence, really…. I'll go get him, shall I?"
"I don't want to meet him."
"Look, he might be able to get your brother and sister a new family. You want that for them, don't you?"
Jakob considered. "Probably," he conceded, "Sometimes, anyway."
"All you have to do is go talk to him for a few minutes, and then I'll bring your brother and sister in to meet him. Just be nice, okay."
"As long as he doesn't try to make me play with dolls. I ain't doing that."
"Am not. You are not playing with dolls." Kate corrected.
"Right, Mama Kate. I ain't playing with dolls."
Kate sighed. "Just be good, okay? Please."
"Maybe." Jakob smiled impishly.
Jakob silently approached the door to the office. Although he would never have admitted it to anyone else, he was pretty sure the reason his brother and sister were unable to get a new family had something to do with him. He wasn't sure if it was his long record from the other orphanage (don't think of that place ever, he reminded himself) or if it was just that nobody wanted a kid as old as he was, but he did know that interested families lost interest pretty soon after meeting him.
He considered that maybe it had been a bad idea to put the garter snake in Brother Mac's bed. Brother Mac hadn't seemed to find it nearly as funny as he had. And it was possible that starting the fire in the woods hadn't been too smart either. Grownups got upset over the littlest things though.
Jakob took a deep breath and opened the office door.
Professor X looked at the small boy. "You must be Jakob," he said.
"Yeah. And you're very bald." Jakob wondered at first if he had said that out loud, and then realized that he probably had. The man was scowling at him, and there was no other reason for it, after all.
"I'm sorry," he said meekly. "I ain't playing with any dolls, though," he added, not wanting the man to get any ideas. Mama Kate had said this man was a doctor, and he was not letting the man get ideas. Even if he had been rude.
The man looked startled. "Well, no, I didn't bring any. I thought we could talk a bit. About your brother and sister."
"Okay."
The two stared at each other for a moment.
"Do you get along well with your brother?" Professor X asked.
"He's annoying." Jakob answered, "He follows me around and he always drags his blankie with him and he tells stupid jokes." He wondered why he was telling this man so much.
"And your sister?"
Jakob wished the man would quit staring at him. "She's okay. She's smart. Everyone likes her." And then he added, "Why are you in a wheelchair?"
"An accident when I was young," Professor X answered absentmindedly. "Do you like it here, Jakob?"
"At St. Ig's? Sure. It's better than St. Brutus' and its better than at home and Mama Kate never hits us not even when we deserve it and…" Jakob forced himself to quit talking. This man would never do anything for his brother and sister if he realized what Jakob was really like. He'd be afraid that they were bad kids too.
"Its nice here," he added lamely, "Mama Kate is really good to us."
"Even when you misbehave?" Professor X asked.
Jakob reminded himself to keep quiet.
There was a knock on the door and then Kate bustled two children in with her. "How are we doing?" she asked brightly.
"Jakob!" Becka yelled. "Blaise stole my dolly."
"Give it back, Blaise." Jacob said, keeping an eye on the bald wheelchair man.
"I didn't take it!" Blaise shouted and then slapped Becka. "You're a dirty liar, just like Jakob," he accused.
Jakob wished that he could disappear.
"Please behave," Kate said, also wishing that she could disappear.
"Jakob is a liar?" Professor X asked.
"Yeah, and I steal too," Jakob yelled before running out of the office.
"He does." Blaise informed the bald wheelchair man. "Why are you bald?" he asked.
"Genetics," Professor X answered absentmindedly.
"I wrecked it, didn't I?" Jacob asked. He was currently in his favourite hiding place, underneath a table in the library. Unfortunately, Kate had found him.
"Well, it wasn't all you." Kate said diplomatically. "Blaise and Becka weren't all that charming either. Blaise even asked Professor Xavier why he was bald."
Jakob resisted the urge to giggle. It was serious, he reminded himself. He also reminded himself not to point out that the bald wheelchair man had a shiny head.
"Anyway, he promised to talk to a few people," Kate said, "So things may turn out after all."
"That's good." Jakob muttered.
"Is something wrong?"
Jakob looked at Mama Kate, who was currently crouched under the table with him. "Even if someone wants Becka and Blaise, nobody is going to want me, right?" he asked. "Because I'm not little like them."
Kate was at a loss. She hadn't told Jakob about the test results because she knew he would worry. She considered telling him.
"Your brother and sister are very special, Jakob."
"I know that," Jakob hissed. "Mum told me that every day of my life."
"No, I mean a different kind of special. Do you know what mutants are?"
Jakob jerked away from her. "Mutants are evil freaks of nature! Everyone knows that."
Kate reconsidered.
"Mutants are people, too, Jakob. And its time for supper."
Jakob climbed out from under the table, and stood up, fists clenched. "Mutants are not people," he declared. "They're an evil in the sight of God."
"I'm sorry you feel that way. Perhaps you should go to bed without supper." Kate said, refusing to look at Jakob.
"Fine!"
Some days it was really difficult to be an empath, Kate thought.
Jakob snuck down the hallway, keeping to the less well lit side. While he could live through missing supper, he certainly didn't want to, so he was in the process of sneaking down to the kitchen. He knew there would be food there somewhere. His stomach growled and he froze, listening for any unusual noise. He heard nothing but the sound of small children sleeping.
He reached the kitchen and tried the door. It was unlocked. He slipped into the kitchen and shut the door behind him before turning on the light. As he turned to the fridge he froze in fright.
"Mama Kate," he whispered.
"I knew you'd be down here sooner or later." Kate answered. "I have noticed the missing food, you know."
"I'm sorry," Jakob muttered, looking down at his feet. He needed new socks, he thought. This pair had holes in the toes.
"I'm sorry, too." Kate said. "Because I can't have you sneaking around at night."
Jakob looked up.
"I'm afraid you're going to have to go back to St. Brutus' Institute."
"No!" Jakob said, horrified. "I can't go back! They'll kill me!"
"Don't be silly, Jake. If you're a good boy, then you'll be fine." Kate tried to ignore the waves of fear coming off the boy. "And you knew it was temporary, you being here. You're too old to be here anymore."
"I'll be good, I promise." Jakob whispered. "Please don't make me go."
"I'm sorry, Jakob." Kate shook her head. "You can stay until Blaise and Becka have a new home, but then you'll have to be moved."
Jakob vowed that he would do whatever was necessary to make sure his brother and sister were here forever.
Kate ignored the small warning in her mind. "You can have a cookie, Jake, then off to bed with you."