Warning! It's a LONG one! :)
Please enjoy!
Chapter Fifty-Five:
Charles Xavier sat at the dining room table for dinner. Despite the activities of the day, it was still served on schedule at seven. Thanks to Hank and Scott who started to prepare it while they were headed home. Though the group present was smaller than usual as Magneto, Wolverine, Hank, Jean, Kitty, and Kurt were all absent. Those present were only taking up half the table.
Magneto, he assumed, was still unconscious, though he intended to confirm that with Rogue. Wolverine had taken off for a couple of days, much to Ororo's annoyance. Kitty and Kurt were eating with the brotherhood, for some reason. While Hank, having his fill while they prepared the meal, opted to return to his work afterward.
Jean, Ororo had told him, was running an errand. Though doing so at this time of night was rather unusual for her. He suspected she was merely using that as an excuse to avoid him. Given recent events, he was prepared to give her as much space as she needed. He would wait for her to approach him.
The most notable addition to the table, however, was young Lorna, whose hair was now a yellowy blonde, instead of brown, and who smelled vaguely of bleach. Lorna was seated next to Rogue, who herself was sitting towards the front of the table. Only Scott was between them. Ororo was across from Scott and Amara, it seemed, who had taken a liking to Lorna and was seated on her other side, engaging the young girl.
Charles took a moment to extend his powers outwards, towards Rogue. Again, he merely needed to hear and understand her words with a deeper telepathic consideration. He debated the ethical ramifications of using this ability on her continuously. However, he was leaning towards making this standard practice for their interactions. She didn't need to know and if it helped him trust her, then they could keep the peace, despite her strange behavior.
"Where's Magnus?" Charles asked.
"He's still sleeping it off," Rogue informed him, without looking up at him. Though to be fair, she was in the middle of cutting up Lorna's chicken into bite size pieces. "Do you want me to send him your way when he wakes up?" she asked as she completed her task.
"Yes, if you could, that would be appreciated," he said.
"He'll need to eat something once he's up. So, it'll only be a matter of time before he heads to the kitchen tonight," she said as she lowered the knife and fork before pushing the small plate back in front of Lorna.
"Thank you, Mommy," Lorna said as he noticed some of the students sharing glances with one another in response to Rogue's newest title. Scott, in particular, had a perpetual look of disbelief planted on his face. Rogue, it seemed, was ignoring them, as she simply smiled down at the younger girl.
"You're welcome, sweet pea," she said. "Does that work for you, Charles?" she asked pleasantly, finally looking up at him.
"It does, thank you," he said, seeking to keep things civil between them. She responded with a stern, but polite nod.
"Look, I know you held your tongue on the Blackbird," Rogue continued as she turned to her own plate, cutting into a piece of chicken. He raised an eyebrow but continued to listen. "But if there's anything you wanna ask me, now would be a good time," she suggested as she looked at him.
He had several questions for her, in fact, and it didn't go unnoticed that she only offered this at the dinner table in the presence of others.
He took a moment to share a glance with Ororo, who nodded encouragingly for him to do so.
"Very well," he said before turning back towards Rogue. "When did you first make contact with the Danes?" he asked.
"Not too long after I absorbed Magneto. I knew he had amnesia, but I wasn't entirely sure if his supressed memories included Lorna. His altered state of mind also could've been the cause of his neglect. I didn't confirm it until he was living here," she explained.
"I see," he said.
"And since he wasn't checking in on her, I started to," she said.
"That was very kind of you, Rogue," Ororo commented.
"Though, I don't recall you taking any trips to California," Charles pointed out as he cut his meat, bringing a piece to his mouth after his comment.
"Astral projection works just as well," she explained. He raised an eyebrow as he chewed, reflecting on the implications of that comment.
"No, it doesn't," Lorna protested. "You couldn't hug me, Mommy," she frowned.
"I'm sorry, sweet pea. It was the best I could do for a while," she said, looking down at the girl.
"I know," she said sadly. "But I missed you," she said.
"I missed you too. But we're together now. Ain't that a good thing?" she asked.
"It's the best," she responded, beaming up at her. Rogue let out a happy sigh before she leaned over to kiss the top of Lorna's head.
"Aww, how sweet," Amara commented. Rogue smiled up at the other girl before turning back to her plate.
"And you achieved this through the use of Jean's powers, I assume?" he asked.
"Ah-huh," Rogue nodded before taking a bite of food.
"She's never used her own astral form to such an extent," Charles pointed out while looking up at Ororo.
"Jean doesn't have full access to her powers," Rogue answered easily.
"I've never used my astral form to such an extent, either," he said.
"Jean doesn't have full access to her powers," she repeated firmly.
"Hey," Scott exclaimed. Her eyes flashed to Scott's for the briefest of moments before she continued.
"But, Charles, I think we both know you're capable of that specific feat. You've just never had cause to do so," she said.
"True," he relented before taking a sip of his drink. He gestured to Scott with his free hand, asking him to calm down. Charles watched Scott hold back a sigh as he composed himself.
"Hell," she smiled, "Magneto could astral project that far if he really had to," she pointed out.
"And has he?" Ororo asked, her tone enquiring.
"Not to the best of his current recollection," Rogue answered swiftly before she took a sip of her drink. He sensed no deceit, but the phrasing of her sentence wasn't lost on him.
"I see," he said again.
"And hopefully so will he once he's regained all his memories," she said. He nodded at that.
"How often did you travel to California?" Ororo asked.
"As often as I could," she answered vaguely
"Did Jean know you were using her powers like this?" Scott asked.
"Yes and no," she answered. To Charles' surprise, there was no dishonesty in her contradiction.
"It's one or the other, Rogue," Scott said, annoyed.
"Not when mutant abilities are at play. Technically, no, Jean wasn't aware. And I wasn't about to explain Lorna to her without Magneto being aware of it himself. That didn't seem right to me. And when the alternative was leaving Lorna alone. Well, I think you can understand why I was more inclined to ask for forgiveness rather than permission," she said.
"Yeah, of course, she's going to forgive you," Scott said, upset. "She already forgave you for knowing so much and not saying anything. And yeah she's gonna forgive you for this too. But you-you can't just keep taking advantage of her kindness. It's not right."
"But to be fair," Rogue continued, "every time I asked the copy of Jean's consciousness, she said it was fine," she said as she lifted her cup.
"Is that a fact?" Charles asked.
"You're the one using your telepathy to gauge each one of my statements on an emotional level. Charles, you tell me," she said as she mockingly lifted her glass as if giving a toast.
"Hey," Scott protested. Charles felt his eyes widen as he watched Rogue take a sip of her drink. He also felt some heat in his cheeks from having been caught. However, he quickly repressed the feeling of shame- he had no use for it. "Just because you use your powers like that doesn't mean everyone does."
"Scott, Scott," Charles interjected, having composed himself. "Thank you, but Rogue is correct," he said.
"What? But, Professor-"
"I know, Scott, but given recent events, I found it necessary," he said before his eyes locked with Rogue's as she put her cup back on the table.
"So," she said leaning towards him slightly, "have I been truthful during this conversation?" she asked, her tone held- no bitterness, as he would have expected, but rather a slight amusement, undercut with fear, which confused him to no end.
He took a breath before responding.
"Yes, yes, you have been," he said.
"Okay, then," she said matter-of-factly before turning back to her meal.
"Rogue, you have to understand," he started to say.
"I get it, Charles, really," she said. "But I knew what you were doing, so I figured I should bring it to your attention. Felt manipulative not saying anything," she said.
"That was generous of you," he said, his tone a bit bitter. To his astonishment, she let out a soft chuckle in response.
"Yeah, yeah, it was," she agreed. He and Ororo shared another glance as Rogue chuckled quietly to herself.
"Mommy, can I have more juice please?" Lorna asked.
"Course ya can," Rogue answered as she reached for the pitcher.
"I got it," Amara said as she picked up the pitcher.
"And what do we say, Lorna?" Rogue instructed as she refilled the pitcher.
"Thank you, Amara," Lorna said happily.
"Thank you," Rogue repeated.
"Oh, I don't mind," Amara said, as she returned the pitcher to the table. Rogue smiled at the other girl before turning to look back at him.
"Charles," Rogue said, looking back at him, "I want you to know it doesn't bother me," she said.
"Yes, I'd already gathered that from your amusement," he commented as she took a sip of his drink.
"I was just surprised it took this long for ya to utilize the tactic, that's all," she said.
"When did you believe I would begin?" he asked, with a raised eyebrow.
"After I started calling you by your first name," she answered.
"I see," he said yet again, as he returned his cup to the table. "With that being said, do I have your consent to continue?" he asked.
"In the interest of there being open and honest communication between us. Yes, yes, you do," she said.
"Thank you," he said.
"But I expect you to ask if you want to read my surface thoughts," she said.
"That's fair and I will do so," he said with a nod.
"And under no circumstances are you to astral project into my mind," she warned, her tone firm.
"That's the second instances you've objected to that course of action. Is there a reason why?" he asked.
"Yes," she answered, bluntly. He waited a moment, but no statement followed.
"Will you explain?" he asked.
"Not today. Let's recuse Moria first. We'll go from there," she said. He took a moment to take a bite of food as he thought.
"Are the two linked?" he asked.
"Explicitly," she answered immediately. He knew she was telling the truth- but how could they be connected? It didn't make sense.
"And you won't explain why at this time?" he asked. Rogue held his gaze for a long moment, as he watched her consider her response.
"It's ain't my secret to tell, Charles. They're Moria's powers, not mine," she said. He felt his eyes widen with realization. He shared a quick glance with Ororo as he put something together.
"You have access to all of Magneto's hidden memories, don't you?" he asked.
"I think I've been pretty clear about that. When I make a copy of someone's mind, I get everything," she stated again.
"Then this disclosure of yours, or perhaps this deduction you've made is directly due to having this access," he said.
"Not exactly, but ya ain't too far off either," she said. "What I will confirm is the knowledge at my disposal is thanks to Moria's abilities," she added.
"Rogue, you have just repeated Charles statement," Ororo pointed out.
"I know it seems like it. But no, I didn't. I'm trying my best here to not tell any lies or lies by omission. There's a layer here that Charles' statement doesn't cover and I wanted that to be clear," she said.
"Because there's something I'm missing?" he asked for confirmation.
"Yes, and I can't give ya that piece of info until we've recused Moria. It's too dangerous otherwise," she said.
"Dangerous for you?" he asked.
"Dangerous for everyone," she answered. Again, he knew she was telling the truth. At least she honestly believed it.
"Hmm," he hummed as he considered that. He took another bite of his chicken as he thought about it.
Rogue's hesitation was an obstacle, but he had more than one source regarding Moria. Magneto's knowledge might be limited but he did still know more than he had let on. And Rogue had already promised him and they would speak tonight. He could work with that.
"Very well," he said. "I accept your terms," he said.
"Thank you," she said. It was his turn to nod at her. "I know you plan on talking to Magneto about Moria, but with his limited knowledge, his interpretation of her powers is incorrect. But you're welcome to try," she said.
He stared at her for a long moment.
"What?" she asked. "We both know you were thinking it and like I said, I'm trying not to lie here. So, figured I'd point it out," she said before she took another bite.
"Yes, I can see that," he said. He took another bite as he pondered her last statement. "A while ago, I recalled you made a comment about your powers. Something about telepathy. Would you mind refreshing my memory?" he asked.
"I'm always telepathic. It just ain't the brand everyone's used to," she repeated.
"Yes, that was it," he commented as he took in her statement with deeper comprehension.
"Do you wanna back out from the agreement?" she asked.
"No, no need. You've promised to relay the information in a reasonable amount of time. It was my mistake for assuming I had another avenue to obtain it without your input," he said.
"Well, okay then," she said before she went back to her meal.
"Oh, I think I'll retire to my office this evening. I have much to think about. If Magnus wishes to talk, he's welcome to meet me there after he's eaten," he said.
"I'll let him know," she said, with a slight smirk. He looked at her for a long moment as a thought came to mind.
"Rogue," he said as she glanced back up at him "I really do wish you had come to me before joining us. We could have had an open and honest conversation then," he said. She held his gaze before sighing.
"Saturday, Charles. We'll talk about this more on Saturday," she said, suddenly sounding tired.
"Very well," he relented with another nod.
Kitty Pride was in the brotherhood manor's living room, standing in front of a cardboard box she had taped to the wall, which she was using as a makeshift blackboard. Behind her, the entire brotherhood, Kurt, Amanda, and TJ, were spread throughout the room, hands filled with paper plates with pizza and red solo cups filled with soda as everyone enjoyed their dinner. Kitty looked over her work one more time before she returned the cap to the marker she had been using. She spun around to face everyone.
"Okay, so like, here's the plan. Since Pietro, Wanda and Rogue skipped school today, they all totally have to go the rest of the week. So, Kurt, you're skipping tomorrow," she said.
"Got it," Kurt said.
"Lance you're skipping Thursday," she said as he nodded at her. "I'm skipping Friday so I don't miss my Bio test on Monday. Toad's skipping Monday so he does miss it," she said.
"Yes," Toad said as he and Freddy high-fived.
"Freddy, you're skipping Tuesday so you'll have an extra day to finish your book report," she said.
"Thanks, Kitty," Freddy said.
"Amanda, you're skipping Wednesday since you totally already finished it," she said. Amanda let out a giggle in response.
"Are you sure?" Wanda asked. "You don't have to," she said.
"I'm in," Amanda said. "TJ said she can explain some of the basics Rogue and Queen Frigga taught her about magic so I'm just going to a different type of class that day. I think it's going to be awesome," she said. "Right?" Amanda asked TJ.
"Sure," she huffed in response.
"Thank you," Wanda said. Amanda gave her a nod.
"Okay, Wanda, you're taking off Thursday, and Pietro that leaves you next Friday. We'll ask Rogue to take the following Monday if we have to but the next week and a half are totally covered," she said happily.
"Hopefully by then, Rogue and Dad will have a plan to get TJ into school," Wanda said.
"I'm sure they will," Pietro said.
"Hmm," TJ said, as everyone turned to look at her. "You guys know I'm thirteen right?" she said as folded her arms across her chest. "I used to watch my cousins, who were eight. I can watch myself," she said.
Everyone in the room shared a glance, all of them coming to the same conclusion instantaneously. Numerous objections filled the room.
"Yo, no way," Toad said.
"Not happening," Kurt said.
"Nope," Freddy said.
"Sorry, T.J," Kitty said.
"It's too dangerous," Wanda said.
"Kid, I taught you how to make ice today. Who doesn't know how to make ice?" Lance asked.
"I keep telling you, we had ice machines. They made ice for us. I never had to fill a- what was it called again?" she asked.
"An ice cube tray," Toad, Freddy, Lance, Kurt & Amanda all said at the same time. Which was followed by some snickering from Toad and Freddy. TJ let out an annoyed moan.
"It's not just that, T.J," Kitty said.
"Yeah, you don't know how to work the T.V," Freddy said.
"Or the VCR," Lance said.
"So, I'll read," she exclaimed. "What's the big deal?"
"But what if something happened?" Kurt asked. "You've never had to ride the bus or had to call Nine-one-one. How would you get help if you needed it? And even if you could, you have no ID or proof of who you are. That would only make things worse," he said.
"It's way too dangerous to leave you alone," Wanda reiterated.
"Oh come on, I can handle it," TJ objected.
"Nice try, kid," Pietro said, "but you're stuck with a chaperon," he said as he ruffled her hair. TJ let out an annoyed puff as she pushed his hand off of her head and stood up.
"Just trust us, okay?" Kitty asked as she walked over to the staircase.
"None of you are that much older than me. This is so stupid," T.J sulked as she stomped up the stairs. Kitty listened to slam a door shut upstairs as she let out a sigh.
"I think she's mad we didn't go to the music store today. But coming up with the plan was more important than buying some CDs," Pietro said.
"We can go tomorrow," Lance proposed.
"Thanks, Lance," Wanda said, nodding at her.
"I'll go talk to her," Kurt said.
"I can," Wanda interjected.
"No, you spent all day with her. My turn," Kurt said with a sigh of a smile.
"Thanks," Wanda said.
"Oh, Lance, can you still give me a ride home? I need to be home by eight," Amanda said as Kurt walked upstairs and Wanda into the kitchen.
"Yeah, come on," he said as he stood up. "Kitty, want me to take you home?" he asked.
"Kurt's still here. I don't want to make you drive to the mansion twice. I can hang out a little longer. Maybe help clean up?" she offered. They both took a look around the room- it needed help. There was a lot of garbage to gather up and Kitty didn't want it all to be on Wanda. She had enough to deal with.
"That would be amazing," he said.
"Totally. See you in like a half hour?" she asked with a smile as she walked up to him.
"Yeah, thanks," he said. She smiled before she leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. He blushed slightly as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"Hey, didn't you guys say something about ice cream?" she asked. Pietro looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah, but we got side-tracked with planning," Pietro said.
"You guys could go and get some? Maybe it'll put TJ in a better mood," she suggested.
"I'll come too," Freddy said.
"Me too," Toad said. "I hate cleaning."
"Alright, new plan. You and your dad's credit card are coming with us," Lance said. Pietro quickly glanced at her, and toward the kitchen before turning back to Lance.
"Here," Pietro said as he reached into his back pocket, pulled out his wallet, and then a few twenties. "Grab whatever you think we need," he said, handing it to Lance.
"Cool, I'll drop you off at the corner store, drop Amanda off, and double back to pick you up," Lance said as the four of them headed out the door.
"Great plan," Kitty called out as the door closed. She turned back around to see Pietro staring at her, with his arms across his chest. "What?" she asked. She blinked and the next thing she knew he was standing directly in front of her, getting in her face.
"You think I can't see what you're doing, Kitty? You were so close to getting Wanda alone, weren't you?"
"What?" she blinked, confused. "No, I wasn't," she said.
"Yeah, okay," he huffed. "Did you know I had to lie to TJ to cover up your little blunder?" he asked, his tone hushed.
"I had a thought, Pietro. It's not like I asked TJ to read my mind," she said.
"Let's review our priorities, shall we? Rogue and Dad have their hands full trying to save the mutant race. They don't have time to deal with Wanda going ballistic because you couldn't keep your damn mouth shut. So don't get any ideas about talking to my sister about certain things. Got it?" he asked. She felt a shutter go down her spine before she rolled her eyes. She wasn't scared of him.
"I wasn't going to, Pietro," she said, placing her hands on her hips. "Rogue talked to me about it, okay? She said it was a bad idea and I trust her. So, I won't say anything," she said.
"You better not," he said his voice low, as he stared at her with narrowed eyes.
"I won't. Now get out of my way," she demanded. He didn't move. "Forget this," she said as she phased through him. "The only thing I wanted to do was help Wanda clean up this mess," she said as she picked up the empty trash bag. "If you're done acting like a jerk, maybe you could, like, help," she said. He let out an annoyed snort before he took off. A blast of wind passed her as she felt the bag being ripped out of her hand.
And within a few seconds, the clutter was gone and all of the garbage was nowhere to be seen. Pietro appeared back in front of her as he unceremoniously dropped the, now full, trash bag by her feet.
"Sure, happy too. Maybe you could make yourself useful and take out the trash? Think you could handle that, slowpoke?" he asked.
"Sure, happy too," she repeated mockingly, through gritted teeth, as she picked up the bag and headed for the door.
"Take your time," he said from behind her. She rolled her eyes as she opened the door. "Thirty minutes would be great," he added in an overly nice voice.
"Why is he always such a jerk?" she asked herself as she heard the door slam close behind her. With a sigh, she walked over to the trash cans and deposited the bag into one of them. She turned back towards the brotherhood manor and sighed, not sure where she should go.
Going to the kitchen with Wanda would only set Pietro off again and Kurt was busy talking to TJ. She couldn't interrupt. The living room was really her only option and she didn't feel like spending the next half hour with Pietro staring daggers at her.
"I wish I had gone with Lance," she lamented before she rolled her eyes at herself. 'I didn't do anything wrong and I'm not going to act like I did. If he wants to stare, he can knock himself out,' she thought as she marched back up to the door and let herself inside.
As she entered the living room, she saw Wanda glancing around the room.
"You did all this?" she asked.
"No, your, a jerk of a, brother did," Kitty answered.
"Really?" she asked. "If he could've kept the living room this clean all the time and choose not to, then yeah, he is a jerk," Wanda said. Kitty let out a giggle at that. Wanda made eye contact as a smile came to her face.
"Need any help in the kitchen?" Kitty asked.
"Yeah, would you?" she asked.
"Sure," she smiled before they both headed in that direction.
"Thanks, you know, for everything," she said.
"Hey, don't mention it, okay? This is just, like, what friends do," she said.
"Friends, huh?" Wanda asked with a smile.
"Yeah, totally. I mean, like, if you want to be?" she asked.
"Yeah, yeah, friends sounds good," she said.
"Cool," she smiled as they walked into the kitchen. It was an even bigger mess than the living room was.
"Yeah, I know," Wanda sighed. "Maybe if we just tackle one counter at a time, it won't be that bad," she said.
Kitty smiled as a thought came to mind.
"Hey, Pietro," Kitty called out. "I'm hanging out in the kitchen with your sister. Want to help out?" she asked. He quickly appeared in the kitchen's doorway.
"You know, I just cleaned the entire living room, right? I'm sure you girls can handle it," he said. "But don't worry, I'll be right in the other room," he said. "Within ear-shot," he added with a small smirk. "Have fun," he said before he zipped out of the room. She rolled her eyes as she heard Wanda let out a sigh behind her.
"Sorry about him," Wanda said as she turned to look at her.
"Hey, it's not your fault you're related to a jerk," Kitty said.
"No, guess not," she said with a smile before she sighed again. "You don't have to help if you don't want to," Wanda offered again.
"Nope, I said I was going to help and I totally will," she said. She and Wanda shared another smile before they got to work.
Magneto woke with a start, his breathing ragged. He quickly looked around and found he was back in his bedroom within the mansion. However, there were a number of boxes and luggage in the corner of the room that hadn't been there this morning. He noticed the name "Lorna' written in a child's handwriting, on some of the boxes.
"Max, you up?" Rogue called from someone in the room- not that he could see her.
"Yes," he responded as he rubbed his head.
"We're in here," she said and he soon realized she meant the bathroom. With effort, he stood and made his way towards them, his senses assaulted with the smell of ammonia.
He walked into the open bathroom door and took in the sight before him. Thanks to her powers, Lorna was floating in the tub, her hair submerged in water, while her body remained dry. Rogue was kneeling on the floor, next to her, her gloved hands washing Lorna's submerged hair. On the countertop of the bathroom sink, he saw three open boxes of hair dye, one bleach and two green. Two small metal cups rested on the floor between them, which held the remaining unused dye- the source of the smell of ammonia.
"Lorna said she didn't wanna meet her brother and sister until she looked like herself again," Rogue explained. "And there's no reason for her to hide that she's a mutant, not here."
"Of course, not," he said.
"Hi, Daddy," Lorna said. He couldn't help but smile down at her.
"Hello, Lorna," he said pleasantly. "How are you, sweetheart?"
"Mommy's dying my hair," she announced happily.
"I can see that," he smiled. He heard Rogue let out a satisfied sigh. It was good to see her so content. "How long was I out?" he asked.
"A good long while," she said. "Are you feeling any better?" she asked.
"I think so," he said.
"Did you remember anything good?" she asked.
"No, not this time. It's only been an instant, as far as I'm concerned," he said.
"I ain't sure if that's a good or a bad thing," she said as she continued to scrub Lorna's hair.
"Well, we'll see," he said.
"Yeah. It's been a long day. You should probably go eat something," she suggested.
"Probably," he agreed.
"A plate's in the refrigerator for ya," she informed him. He felt a smile form on his face before he leaned down and kissed her on the cheek.
"Thank you," he said.
"Always, sugar," she responded as he pulled away. He turned to leave the room. "Oh and if you wanna speak with Charles, he'll be in his office," she said.
"What would I want to talk to Charles about?" he asked as she looked back at her.
"Moria," Rogue said.
"What about Moria?" he asked, probingly.
Jean parked her SUV in front of the large brownstone house in downtown Manhattan. It was a good thing she offered Cal the ride. With traffic, it has taken over two hours to drive all the way from Bayville to Manhattan. And it turned out the bus wasn't even running. It was getting late, the sun started to set, and if she was being honest she wasn't making it home without eating something. She had already skipped lunch- but still.
"Are you sure your uncle won't mind?" Jean asked as she unbuckled her seatbelt. She heard him doing the same.
"Jean, you helped me with my powers and gave me a ride home. No, I don't think my Uncle's gonna have a problem with me feeding you," he said with a slight smirk before he opened his door and exited the vehicle. She did the same and started following him up the brownstone house's stairs.
"Well, as long as I'm not imposing," she said as she watched him pull keys out of his side pocket.
"Trust me, you're not," he said as he opened the door. She followed him into the house. "Oh, shoes off," he said as he slipped the sneakers off his feet and kicked them underneath a small bench by the front door. "My uncle's obsessed with preserving the hardwood," he explained.
"Oh, sure," she said as she sat and slipped her shoes off, placing them next to Cal's under the bench. She stood and took in the interior. The first thing that caught her eye was the woodwork, the staircase, its railing, floors, and the crowning that lined the floors and ceiling alike, all pristine, practically sparkling with how well kept they were.
"I'm gonna run to the kitchen and order us some pizza," Cal announced as he walked further into the house. She followed after him as she looked up at the pictures on the walls, photographs she realized. The first one she saw was in black and white, of a man in his later years, wearing a suit. She looked down the hallway and realized the walls were lined with different photos, all of them different but similar-looking men.
"Relatives of yours?" she asked.
"Yeah, the whole house is filled with them," he said, pausing for a moment, as he looked up at the photographs. "My uncle always says it's important not to forget the past and who came before us," he said. She turned her gaze up to look as well. "Their mistakes and tribulations paved the way for our successes. That requires gratitude and our continued effort to keep the legacy growing. One sound decision at a time," he said- the words sounded almost rehearsed.
"You really look up to your uncle, huh?" she asked with a smile.
"Yeah, I guess I do," he said, as he rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. "Hmm, the living room's through here," he said, gesturing with his hand before he turned walking further down the hall. She turned to walk into the living room before he turned back "Uh, you said you like pepperoni, right?" he said.
"Yeah, that'd be great," she said.
"Cool, cool, cool," he said as he started walking again. "Make yourself at home, okay?" he called out as he exited her line of vision, turning a corner.
"Thanks," she called out after him as she walked into the living room. There were more photo's on the walls, some even in color. The mantle was covered in photos, smaller ones, in frames. She walked up to it and smiled as she saw one of Cal standing next to an older man, in his mid-forties. He had brown hair and bread to match. 'This must be his uncle,' she thought. The man had his arm around Cal's shoulders, huge grins were on both of their faces.
She scanned over the rest of the photos. Cal's uncle was in most of them. He was standing next to a woman with blond hair and a small boy, who was maybe nine or ten years old. The resemblance was obvious, the boy was definitely his son.
One photo caught her eye as she did a double take. It was towards the back, in a little black frame.
'What?' she asked herself confused.
Unable to help herself, she reached back, picked it up, and brought it closer to her face to get a better look. This one, unlike the other photos, was faded and one of the corners was singed. She saw Cal's uncle but he was much younger, maybe a little older than her now. He stood in front of a large magnolia tree as his hand gripped the rope of a tire swing, keeping it in place for the photo and the child who was sitting in it. The girl, who was maybe three or four years old, had been what caught her attention. She couldn't help but stare at the hair which framed the girl's face. It featured a bright white streak that ran through the otherwise auburn locks. The similarities between the young girl and-
'No, it can't be… right?' she asked herself uncertainty.
A loud bang startled Jean's attention away from the photo. It sounded like a car backfiring or maybe a …
"Cal?" she asked, concerned. It was followed by a hard thump against the wooden floor in another room on the first floor. "Cal?" she asked again in a panicked tone, as she ran towards the source of the noise with the photo gripped tightly in her hand.
"I'm fine," he answered as she ran into the hallway. "Just wait in the living room," he ordered. She paused, but just long enough to realize he hadn't asked her, but told her. That- that didn't seem like him-
"Cal, what was that?" she asked, pausing.
"I dropped something. It's not a big deal, okay- just wait for me in the living room" he ordered again.
"Oh, okay," she answered back. Sensing something was off, she reached out with her mind, seeking out Cal's telepathically. Her eyes closed as she asked 'are you okay, Cal?'
'Jean,' he answered, his voice sounding pained.
She focused her mind on his and she felt his hand grasping his side in pain. He was wounded but he was also healing. A gasp escaped her as she realized what it was- his side pulsed with radiating pain as a bullet was being forced out the same hole it had entered his body.
'...Run,' he told her.
Her eyes snapped open as she lifted herself off of the ground with her powers. She gripped the photo tightly in her hand as she flew towards the kitchen. She threw the door open and flew to the middle of the room, where she saw Cal laying on the floor in a pool of his own blood. She did a quick scan of the room but didn't see anyone else as she lowered herself to his side.
"Cal, did you see where Mystique went?" she asked as she placed the photo on the ground. Jean heard a muffled noise come from behind the door on the other side of the kitchen.
"Who?" he asked as he tried to sit up.
"The woman who shot you," she answered as she moved to support him. She needed to get them out of there, fast.
"I didn't see a woman. My uncle, he- he- he shot me and ran out the back," he said as she pulled his arm over her shoulder.
"Yeah, she- she can change her shape," Jean said as she took on his weight, using her powers she lifted them into the air. He let out a groan of pain.
"Careful," he cried out.
"Sorry," she said as she lowered him and he managed to stagger to his feet.
"So, she can look and sound like anyone?" he asked as they started to hobble towards the door.
"Yeah," she answered. There was a phone in her SVU. If she could just get them there, she could call for help and put some distance between them and Mystique.
"I don't get it," he groaned.
"Get what?" she asked as she managed to pull them into the hallway.
"Since you knew all that," he said as she turned her face to look at him. "Tell me, Jean," he said as he dropped the pained expression. "Why were so you eager to help me up?" she heard Mystique's voice ask.
Jean felt her eyes widen as Cal started to shapeshift. She tried to pull away, but Mystique's arm slipped from her shoulders to around her neck, pulling her into a headlock. She yelped in pain as she was sucker punched in the side of the head. Instinctually, Jean threw her arm up and squeezed her eyes shut, blocking Mystique's next few blows. But Mystique swiftly switched to punching her gut instead. Jean doubled over in pain as she felt a ringing in her head she tried to ignore.
Groggy, but still conscious, she reached out with her telekinesis, feeling for anything she could use. She pulled photos off from the walls and attempted to collide the objects into Mystique, aiming for her arms, back, legs, and any part of her she could make contact with. She heard grunts from Mystique as she was pulled around with her as she dodged most of the thrown objects. The sound of shattering glass filled the room as she fought, pulling against Mystique's hold.
She managed to hit her directly in the back with one of the frames. Jean broke out of the headlock and scrambled to get away from her attacker, crying out in pain as she stepped on broken glass with her bare feet, delaying her escape.
"No," Mystique groaned as she gripped the nape of Jean's neck, forcing her back towards her. She reached out with her powers again, trying to find anything to use- but Mystique pulled her head back before kicking in the back of her knees, forcing Jean to the floor.
"Enough," Mystique yelled as she felt something long and metal pressed up against the side of her head.
Jean flinched as she heard the gun being cocked.
She tried to open her eyes, but one was too swollen too and her other- her vision was blurry, but she could just make out Mystique's blue form, towering above her.
"The boy will be fine thanks to Wolverine's powers. I knew that before I shot him. But you…" she said before she felt her come in closer, placing her mouth by her ear. "You won't come back from this," she said as she pressed the barrel of the gun hard against her skull. "So, go on Jean, give me a reason," she hissed.
Jean didn't move, fighting to stay conscious as the ringing in her head grew louder still. Her head hurt so much that she wasn't sure she could use her powers again even if she wanted to.
"Finally, Miss Popular, shows some sense," she said before Jean felt the barrel of the gun being lifted up, only for Mystique to strike her with the back of the gun.
Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as she felt herself black out.
Thanks for reading! Please let me know your thoughts!
Kirogue: THANK YOU! No, really, reviews do motivate me! The only reason this chapter took so long is that I wrote the last scene first and then I had to backtrack to cover everything else that needed to happen BEFORE that! Longest chapter I've written in a while. I really hope you enjoyed it!
I love all the questions about Charles! They give me such a point of reference for the future, where I will address each and every one of them :) Not right away, but all will be explained!
More to come! Can't wait to hear your thoughts about this one too! :)
MaryamMermariii: THANK YOU! I hope you liked this chapter too!
