A/N: the last chapter only got two reviews, so since it's a long weekend, I've love to get the review count up to 75. Come on, y'all. Make my weekend. Shout out to the lovely Linda Ku! She was, as she always is, an amazing help.
The room she picked, much like the rest of the house, lacked any kind of personality.
The walls were a pale blue, the window large with dark blue curtains and most importantly, the mahogany dresser was empty. Fern dropped her suitcase beside it. Not bothering to unpack, she hefted the box of detergent on her hip and slipped into the adjacent bathroom.
It was disturbingly white, but it would do. Locking the door behind her, the young woman wasted no time. Balancing the box on her hip, she stripped out of her jeans. The sticky pads on her toes grabbed them and kicked them in the sink as she dumped a few cups of detergent into the awaiting tub.
Sighing, Fern planted her foot back on the floor. As her toes tapped against the tiles, the young woman pulled off her shirt and threw it in the sink as well. She then kicked on the handle to turn the water on and all but leapt into the tub.
It would take her a little over an hour to get completely clean, and a little over an hour after that to think up something to tell her mother. Fern spent the second hour scrubbing her poison off the pristine white porcelain of the tub and unpacking... and admittedly still trying to figure out something to tell her mother. Finally, she gave up and simply sat in her underwear, staring at the dresser. Long legs crossed, Fern let her head fall back against the mattress. Sticky toes flexing against the navy carpet, the woman barely noticed when Raven poked her head into the room.
"Hey." The blonde smiled as Fern glanced over the bed. "All cleaned up?"
The brunette frowned at her. "How'd you get in here?"
"The door was open," Raven explained. "Ready for a tour?"
Fern sighed and pulled herself up off the floor. "Let me get some pants."
"And maybe a different shirt?"
The grey girl glanced down at her white a-shirt. It was a bit too revealing to be wandering around in; admittedly less for the amount of skin showing than the fact the Fern was not wearing a bra. With a nod, she opened her drawer and pulled out a sweatshirt and a pair of baggy pajama pants. Without a word, the woman pulled the pants on. She ignored how the thin cotton skipped and tugged over the glands along the outside of her thighs as she pulled them up to her hips.
Tying the drawstring, she nodded toward the door. "Lead the way."
Raven smiled and drummed her fingers on the doorframe. As Fern slipped the sweatshirt over her head, the duo left the room. Admittedly, the brunette didn't listen to a damn thing the blonde had to say. Fern was too worried to even begin to care about where the others were staying or the history of the house.
Raven spared her a glance as they made their way down the stairs. "Everything alright? You seem…distracted."
"My ma is gonna kill me." Large blue eyes flickered over to the shorter girl. "Help me think up a lie."
Disapproval written all over her cherub like features, her friend shook her head. "She's going to find out you're not in Virginia eventually. You may as well tell her the truth."
Fern glared at the sheer lunacy the blonde so flippantly suggested. The truth? The truth was not acceptable. Telling her mother she had run off to fight a Nazi super human was not an option. The brunette scoffed. If she wanted sentimental drivel, she would've asked Charles for his advice.
"What? I'd kill to have a mother to lie to." Raven squeezed the brunette's arm. "Come on, you can call her from the study."
Dragging her feet, the grey skinned girl whined as the blonde pulled her along. Inside Charles' study sat, unsurprisingly, Charles. He was accompanied by Erik and a woman, neither of whom looked terribly pleased by the girls' sudden arrival.
Charles smirked. Standing from his desk, he inclined his head. "Miss Ailey. Here to use the phone I suspect?"
Fern's eyes didn't trail from the stranger who sat before her. It took her a moment to recognize her, but it clicked at the sound of her voice. The irate woman from the courtyard.
"Is there a reason she can't use the phone in the kitchen?" The petite brunette frowned, not annoyed, but simply puzzled.
The grey girl looked to Charles. Irritation swirled along her skin as she asked, "What's she doing here? I thought we weren't working with the government anymore?"
"She wants to help," Charles told the Ailey girl with a hint of finality she didn't totally understand.
Fern ignored it. "Is it safe?"
He nodded and motioned for the petite woman to stand. "Moira McTaggert, this is Fern Ailey."
"Hello." Moira nodded to her and offered her hand. Her brown eyes flickered over the girl's skin with interest before meeting her gaze head on. "How was the trunk?"
Fern shrugged and shook her hand. Ignoring how the woman winced as the ridges of her fingertips dragged along her smooth skin, the young woman replied with a stilted, "I've had worse trips."
"I bet," Erik broke in. He stood as well, raking his gaze over the girl's outfit curiously. Licking his lips, he let his eyes trail from her bare grey feet to her sweatpants, over the shapeless form of her sweatshirt as he frowned, "I wouldn't have suspected you to dress so conservatively in your own home."
Fern's large eyes narrowed and her skin twisted from black to white to slate grey and back. Disgust in her voice, she sneered, "What I wear is none of your concern."
Raven cleared her throat delicately and looked around the glaring couple to Moira. She smiled at her, warm and bright, and nodded to the door. "Why don't we give Fern some privacy?"
"A splendid idea," Charles agreed. He grabbed the other man by the shoulder and pulled him along. "Come on, Erik. It's been a long trip and you must be hungry by now."
"Actually-"
"Erik," Charles repeated with a rather bitchy expression.
The taller man rolled his eyes but followed without complaint. Charles shot the young woman a wink and she returned it with a smirk. As the door shut tightly behind them, Fern sighed. Slowly, she skulked over to the large plush chair Charles had vacated and dropped into it. With a scowl, she realized once again, her fingers wouldn't fit in the holes of the stupid rotary phone. Clenching her teeth, Fern pulled open the nearest drawer. There were no pens inside, only papers and that just served to agitate the young woman further and she slammed it shut. It took her two more drawers and a long stream of curses before she finally came across a goddamn pencil.
By the time she actually dialled the number, Fern was too irritated to remember to be scared. At least, until her mother's voice filtered through the receiver.
"Hello?"
Fern's mouth went dry.
"Hello?" Josie repeated with a bit of annoyance. "Is anybody-"
"Ma!" The girl squeaked. "How are you? Sorry about that I think there was…static, over the line."
"I'm fine. How's Virginia? Have you made any friends?"
The young woman hesitated. "Yeah…about that…"
"You haven't decided to come home, have you?" Her mother asked with a bit of concern. "I mean, things are going well aren't they?"
Fern swallowed. The membrane flickered over her eyes and for a few seconds she was quiet.
"Fern, baby?"
"I'm…we're not in Virginia." The girl squeezed her eyes shut. "We're in New York."
Josie faltered over the line. New York was so much further away than Virginia. Voice wavering, she asked, "But why?"
"Charles has a house here," Fern said simply. Her toes flexed anxiously and she wrapped an arm around her torso. Eyes shut, she clenched her teeth and waited.
"But why aren't you in Virginia? I thought they gave you a job?" When her daughter was silent, Josie's grip tightened on the receiver. Anxiety riddled the elderly mother's bones as she pressed, "Baby, did something happen?"
"Yes," Fern croaked. Swallowing, she shook her head. All of the lies she had planned fell from her head as she forced the tremble from her voice. "Yes, there was an attack."
"An attack?" Josie repeated, her voice raspy and throat dry with fear.
The young woman leaned back into Charles' chair. Tucking her feet under her, she explained, "Apparently there are other mutants."
"And?" Her mother asked tepidly.
"And they're not too keen on assimilating with human society."
"Oh." A bit more forcefully, Josie asked, "And what does that have to do with you?"
"Charles is going to train us. He's going to help us hone our abilities-"
"To fight them?" Josie asked with a hint of hysteria. "What kind of idiot-"
Fern sighed. Rubbing her brow with the back of her fingers, she started, "Ma-"
"You're just a kid!" The woman snapped, voice shrill in a way Fern knew meant she was moment from tears." You can't go off and fight some kind'a mutant war, Fern, it's not right!"
"They killed my friends, Ma."
Josie started at the weakness in her daughter's voice. "I'm sorry."
The young woman swallowed and steeled her nerves. She thought of Darwin's friendly smile and how protective Blake had been. Her stomach in knots, Fern thought of the others. The people outside the door who had been, for the most part, good to her. She thought of Raven's warmth and Sean's acceptance. Of Alex's brash nature and Hank's nervousness. Fern wouldn't pretend to know them well, but she liked them. She didn't want them to die, but she'd be able to live if they did. But she wouldn't be able to go on if Shaw got his way. Fern could handle being without friends, but she couldn't handle being without her mother. She couldn't take being an orphan again and she wouldn't. She refused to stand aside and let Shaw step up and threaten her family.
Lip quivering, Fern told her, "I don't want anything to happen to you. Or to anyone else and if I just stand aside…if they go through with what they're planning a lot of people are going to die, Ma."
"But you might," Josie said helplessly. "I can't- I can't do this without you, kid."
The girl closed her eyes and took a deep breathe. "I know."
Frustrated, her mother sighed helplessly, "And I'm supposed to be okay with this?"
"No." Fern shifted, uncomfortable and helpless in the lavish office. "I know…I know because of Victor, you're probably going to be extra worried and you're gonna be no matter what, so…" The thin membrane flickered over her eyes and she squeezed them shut, before she finished with a weak, "Just wish me luck, okay?"
"Always, baby."
A smile pulled at the girl's mouth at the sincerity in the woman's voice. "Thanks, Ma."
"I love ya, kid."
"If you really loved me you wouldn't have given my room to Bruno's girlfriend," Fern teased with a grin.
Josie let out a cackle of a laugh. It warmed the mutant's heart and she leaned back in the plush chair with a snicker as her mother teased, "You can't play the dead husband and jealous of the dog cards in the same minute, darlin'! You gotta spread those guilt trips out, you know that."
"I love you too, Ma."
Tone tight, Josie ordered, "You take care of yourself, Fern Ailey. I don't want no daughter of mine comin' back in a pine box."
"I'll be careful and I'll keep you up to date, okay?"
"Okay. Call me tomorrow?"
"I will. Goodbye."
"Goodbye."
Fern closed her eyes and simply listened to her mother breathe. Neither of them moved to hang up. Finally, the young woman set the receiver gently back in the cradle. Stomach in knots, she stood and raked her hands through her damp black hair. Fisting the black strands tightly, the young woman took a deep breath and held it in her diaphragm. After a few seconds, she let it out and squared her shoulders.
Fern pushed the thought of her mother away and instead tried to think of something else. Anything else. Her mind went back to Charles' words and thought of Hank. Fingers twitching at her sides, the grey girl slipped out of the study and up the stairs.
It only took her a few seconds to gather what she needed from her…well, the room that had been given to her. The room that she had picked. Vaguely, she wondered how many of the others were on the same floor as her. It didn't really matter, she supposed, and quickly made her way back down the stairs.
Hank sat at an island counter in the kitchen. Alex stood a few feet away, leaning casually against the fridge with his hands in his pocket. Bored, he rolled his eyes up to the ceiling. He was the first to notice the grey girl in the doorway. It seemed odd, seeing her in such casual clothing, but he didn't comment. Instead, he nodded to her. "Hey."
The other man looked up from his file in surprise. Fern swallowed and slowly approached them. Her gaze went to Hank, hardening slightly at the sight of the pens in his pocket and the awkward way he pushed up his glasses.
Without a word, she set Angel's purse in front of him.
Both of the young men stared at it, but it was Hank who spoke, "What's this?"
"It's…what's left of what I was wearing. Last night." Fern rubbed the back of her neck. "I…I can't use it, so I thought maybe you could get something out of it."
His blue eyes widened at her as he took hold of the purse strap. "You're giving me a sample?"
Her grey skin seemed to crinkle and crackle with rage as she snapped, "Don't call it that!" Shifting restlessly, Fern shrugged. "And don't touch it with your bare hands."
The blond man kicked away from the fridge. Alex glanced over Hank's shoulder curiously before looking to Fern. He didn't say anything, just eyed her with interest.
The girl glared at him. "What?"
"I thought you hated science?"
"I do." She lifted a weak shoulder, but her features stayed tight. "Science can fuck right off."
Hank frowned at her.
She frowned right back. After a moment, she softened and with a sigh, she told him, "I just thought…it would be best for everyone… if you could do something with it. Just in case."
"Just in case what?"
Fern shrugged again. "Just in case I get scared and someone gets handsy."
"You mean Sean?" Alex asked knowingly.
She nodded a bit reluctantly. "He doesn't seem to have boundaries."
"He has, like, ten siblings," the blond man explained with a hint of distaste. "Boundaries do not exist for people with ten siblings."
"It's gross," Fern told him point blank. It was a lie, of course. She rather liked that Sean was so free with his touches toward her. It was nice, but probably not in his best interest. "He needs to stop."
"Are you talking about making an antidote? Or an anti-venom?"
Fern toed the tiles awkwardly. "Call it whatever you want, Hank."
The bespectacled man grinned. "I'll see what I can do. Fern."
They shared a nod and Fern left without another word.