A/N: Thanks to Linda Ku, my amazing beta who always puts so much amazing work into this fic! Not entirely sure if Raven is O.O.C in this chapter, but let me know in the comments.

The workout room was bathed in bright, natural sunlight. Unsurprising, really, for the time of day, but it made Fern a bit hard to look at.

Raven blinked, squinting against the sharp shine off the girl's new black scales. She had only seen them briefly while Fern had been asleep; the fresh ones were an exciting curiosity to her, and the woman wanted to touch them. Really touch them, more than just the stolen graze of her ankle she had taken while it was wrapped around Sean's leg. She might even have asked to touch them, had Fern not been scowling at her.

She pointed a firm, clawed finger at Raven's face. "You."

The blonde grinned back impishly in reply. Getting off the workout bench, Raven didn't even bother to put on a show of shame. Shoulders shaking playfully, she agreed, "Me."

Completely mirthless, Fern growled, "You're fucking dead."

"Funny, I don't feel dead…" The shapeshifter's brows perked up. Blue eyes followed the lithe brunette as she moved deeper into the weight room. Hands behind her back, Raven rocked on her toes. Tone light and casual, she asked, "I didn't know you and Sean were sleeping together."

The dark scaled girl bared her teeth over her shoulder. "That is none of your business."

"He really likes you, huh?"

There was something in the blonde's voice Fern couldn't place. Something quiet and not quite pleased, so she just shrugged and heaved a medicine ball into her arms. Shifting its weight from one elbow to the other, she turned to face the shorter woman. "Put your arms up."

"What? Wh-hey!" Raven yelped as the brunette chucked the ball at her. The weight hit her squarely in the chest and she stumbled back, her skin shimmering from her usual masquerade of tan to its natural blue. "Fern!"

"Oh, I'm sorry," The girl mocked, head bobbing as she dropped a hip. "Is it frustrating to be tricked?"

"You didn't trick me, you threw a fifteen pound ball at my head!"

"And you threw a fifteen pound ball at my heart, Rav!"

The blue woman scoffed. With a hint of a sneer, she threw the ball back at Fern. The girl swayed, but caught it with a bit more grace than Raven had expected. Lip curled back, Raven sneered, "You have been spending way too much time with Sean."

The medicine ball whipped out from her chest back into Raven's arms. Shrill and irate, the brunette shook her head, "And you've been spending too much time gossiping with my mother!"

"I didn't really call her, Fern," Voice a bit more even than it had been, a bit less cool and maybe a bit apologetic, Raven lobbed the ball back to her.

Fern caught it with ease. Leaning back on one leg, she rolled it in her arms a moment before meeting Raven's yellow eyes. Skeptical, her pout stayed in place. "Really?"

"Really."

A stern nod. "Good."

"I heard what she said to you on the stairs...but you should call her. We don't know when we've got to go. She-"

"Yeah, okay, save it. I'll call her. Not that that's any of your business." The ball dropped to the floor with a loud thud.

Raven's gaze swept up and down Fern's form. The brunette was hardly the pinnacle of feminine beauty, and she wondered what it was Sean was attracted to. It couldn't have been her chest (flat) or her hips (too narrow); maybe her legs. Looking up from her toned calves to meet her eye, Raven tilted her head. "You gonna tell her about Sean?"

"I'm gonna tell her about how you don't shut up."

"But you are sleeping together?"

"Seriously? You really gonna make me pick this damn thing up again?" The tall brunette asked, planting her foot on the medicine ball as she raised her brows.

Raven's gaze fell to the pointed nails that adorned her friend's toes as she flexed them over the ball's leathery skin. They were inhuman. From the scales to the claws to the setae that kept such a firm hold on the ball. With a hint of annoyance, she changed the subject. "Have you seen your suit yet?"

"Good girl," Fern praised with a wide, not quite kind, smile, before she set her foot back on the floor. "And yeah, it's good. How about yours?"

The mutant shifted back to her mask of tan skin and blonde hair with a scoff. "It's blue and yellow."

"Yeah, mine too."

"Really?"

The girl tilted her head. Uncertain of the shapeshifter's pout, she squinted and offered a skeptical, "Yeah?"

"Good." A bit put out, Raven crossed her arms.

"Wanna spot me?"

"Not really."

Fern shot her a glare. "Well, you're fucking gonna."

Jaw clenched, she rolled her eyes. All but groaning, she replied with an impudent, "Oh my god, Fern, I apologized."

"I know." She swung a leg over the bench and fell hard on her bottom. A bit overdramatically the younger woman collapsed onto her back. Hands on the bar, she flex her fingers around it. As she shifted around, her toes dug into the hardwood floor to steady herself, and to brace a bit of the weight. "But I'm pretty sure Sean's gonna do something stupid, and I'd prefer to be distracted before he starts trying to kill himself."

Raven's hands fell to her sides. Her gaze flicked over Fern's prone form. Agitation played out over her skin, subtle twists along her face and neck that left her hands untouched. Tan fingers caressed the weight attached to the deadlift before she came to a stop above her friend's head. Features blank, she helped Fern pick up the bar. There was only forty pounds on it, and the younger woman seemed to manage it just fine, so Raven didn't feel too bad about distracting her with personal questions. "You really like him?"

Large blue eyes narrowed, Fern's lips stayed shut.

"He likes you. You don't have to be embarrassed."

"I'm not embarrassed," Her black scales shimmered with the lie. Arms moving slow and sure, she began to pump the weight. Focusing on the familiar tension in her muscles, she stared at the bar above her head. "Why do you care so much?"

"I don't."

"Than what's up with the interrogation, Rav?"

Raven shrugged, her hands casually moving with Fern's reps. "I'm just surprised. Certainly didn't take him long to get over Angel."

Fern didn't so much as blink. She was smart enough to recognize the bait, and wasn't about to take it. "Nope, guess not."

"Doesn't it bother you?"

Clawed hands held the bar down as Raven tried to lift it. Feigning indifference, Raven met the brunette's gaze. Fern pulled herself up and swung around to face her in a smooth, startling movement. Ignoring Raven's flinch, she propped herself up on her toes. Elbow on the bar, she asked, "Is this about Hank?"

Offended brows rose. Voice a shade louder than it needed to be, Raven shook her head, "Excuse me?!"

A slight, unhappy bounce made Fern's legs bow apart. "So it is about him. What's up?"

"Nothing is up." The blonde sneered, hands firmly on her hips. They stayed there a moment before she shifted to crossing her arms, a bit self-conscious by how Fern's bright, pupil less eyes were watching her so carefully.

"Then why are you being so weird about me and Sean?"

"I'm not!"

The skeptical hum said more than any word could.

Riled, Raven scoffed. Her arms held herself a bit tighter. "Maybe it is! So what?!"

"Did he do something?"

"No!"

The black scaled mutant's features grew pensive. Tilting her head, her pupiless eyes swept over the older woman's tense posture. She wasn't used to seeing it. Usually Raven seemed so loose and casual. Fun. This side of her was new, and frankly, Fern wasn't entirely sure what to make of it (or how to make it stop). "Did Sean do something?"

"He's doing you!"

Fern jerked back at the accusation. Skin swirling with an emotion even she couldn't completely place, the girl let out a sharp, "Hey!" of indignation.

"Well, isn't he?!"

"No! What kind of girl do you think I am?!"

"You're sleeping together!"

"So?! That doesn't mean anything!"

"It means everything! He's fucking nice to you all the time and he's not even getting any?!"

Fern just stared at her; she watched her pant, and huff, before she stood from the bench. Unsure, and more than a bit self-conscious, she touched Raven's arm. When it got smacked away, the black scaled girl frowned. "I'm sorry you're having a hard time."

Raven rolled her eyes.

"And you're right. I'm sleeping with Sean. I'm not fucking him, but I care about him; I'm happy with him, and I'm sorry you're not happy right now." Her lanky frame eased a bit closer to Raven's voluptuous one, but she didn't try to touch her again. "But don't come at me, not through him. I get it's hard seeing someone like me-"

The blonde's lips curled back, baring her teeth in a hostile sneer. "What? You think I'm jealous? Of you? Over Sean?" The laugh Raven gave made the girl's skin crawl. She flipped her hair out of her face to look out the window. The sight of Hank and Charles in sweats made her stomach knot. Her features twitched, but she didn't look away.

Fern's expression remained thoughtful, if not a bit critical. Her skin swirled in a slow, rhythmic manner that matched her patient tone, "Are you?"

"No!"

She nodded. "Okay."

"Okay?" Skeptical, Raven arched a brow.

"If you say you're not, I'll let you believe that. I get it." Fern licked her lips before letting out a sigh through her nose. "But if you're not happy with Hank, maybe it's time to look somewhere else."

Raven squinted at the brunette. Torn between a scoff and a laugh, she shook her head. "I'm not sure if you've noticed, but there aren't a whole lot of options for me here."

"Who says it has to be here? There's a big wide world out there, Rav."

"Not for people like us."

"Like me," Fern corrected. Not so much bitter as annoyed. Grabbing her hand, she compared the tan skin to her black, iridescent scales with a hum. "Seems like you have no problem fitting in."

The blonde's scowl shifted into a frown. Her gaze never leaving the harsh black scales, she let her own skin flutter into its natural state. Sighing, Raven shook her head. Helplessness crept into her tone, but her words were clear, "It's not the real me."

"Really? Because with how you act, I wouldn't know."

Yellow eyes sharp, she asked, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means it's time for you to make a fucking choice, Darkholme. Either you're the freak you were born to be, the freak I am, or just another pretty face. But you can't wear one and bemoan the other. Not to me." All but throwing her hand down, Fern shook her head. "You're better than this, Raven. Don't hide for anyone but yourself."

As the brunette stormed out of the room, the shapeshifter shouted, "You don't even know me!"

"No one does," Fern tossed over her shoulder. Not looking back, she made her way out of the workout room.

Raking her hands through her short hair, she sighed. Her head rolled back as she dropped her arms to her sides. She really wasn't sure what to make of Raven's words, so she simply pushed them to the back of her mind and made a beeline for Charles' study. Her hand went to the door knob, but the idea that Erik may be behind it made her pause. A bit hesitantly, the young woman gave it a brisk knock.

"It's open!" A familiar feminine voice called from inside.

With an arched brow, Fern poked her head into the study.

It was almost empty, with only Moira behind the desk. She promptly stood at the sight of her. Beyond a micro expression of surprise so quick that Fern wasn't quite able to read it, Moira showed no surprise over the girl's new appearance, nor did she address it. Her tone was light and cordial, "Fern! Hello, how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine."

The agent smiled. "Glad to hear it. What can I do for you?"

"I just wanted to use the phone." Fern's eyes flickered from Moira's to the file on the desk. "But if you're busy I can come back later."

"No, no, it's fine." Thin fingers quickly gathered up her papers. "I was just going over our dossier."

"We have a dossier?"

"Well, Charles does, and my boss expects me to show him something." Moira shrugged. "It's mostly just a glorified meal plan. They don't really need to know everything we do."

A swell of fondness smoothed over Fern's skin. Smirking, she nodded. "Glad we agree."

Sliding out from behind the desk, the slim woman gestured to the chair. "Please, by all means."

"I don't wanna put you out-"

"It's fine. I was about ready for a coffee break away." Offering the girl's bicep a gentle squeeze, she teased, "It's so nice not having to make it for an office of ungrateful men."

Fern stared down at where her fingers cupped her glands. It wasn't an inquiring touch, but a reassuring one. Moira wasn't curious about how her skin felt, she wasn't copping a feel, she was simply letting the younger woman know she wasn't afraid of her. Frankly, it made said young woman like her immensely. With a crooked smile, the girl nodded. "I bet."

"I'll give you a few minutes." Her hand fell. "Mind coming to get me when you're done?"

"Sure, no problem." Out of the corner of her eye, Fern watched Moira slip out of the office.

As the door closed softly behind her, the mutant fell into the chair and kicked her feet up on the desk. The setae of her toes found the phone's receiver and plucked it off it's perch. Kicking it up to her shoulder, she set her ankle back on it's twin before she settled back in the seat. Nimble fingers riffled through a drawer, came up with an unsharpened pencil, and began to dial her phone number. Once finished, Fern stuck the pencil in her mouth and flexed her toes as it started to ring.

"Hello?"

She spit the pencil out. It bounced off the desk and rolled onto the floor. Long limbs scrambling, the girl pulled herself up. "Ma! How are you?"

"Well, howdy, stranger." Sarcastic warmth replaced casual curiosity in Josie's voice. "Thought maybe you'd forgot my number."

The young woman offered a strained, regretful laugh. "Sorry, I've been-"

"Busy, I know. It's alright. How're things going? Enjoying your trip to the Empire State?"

Scales shimmering, Fern's laughter turned more genuine. "I...some of it."

"Oh yeah?" Josie teased, just happy to be hearing her baby's voice. "What parts?"

"I met a boy." Proud, the girl nodded to herself. "I think...I think I might be in love with him." She frowned. "Is that possible? To fall in love that fast?

"Yes," Her mother replied immediately. Admittedly a bit thrown by the omission; not that her daughter had met someone, but that she was telling her about it. Freely and without any emotional manipulation. Or at least bribery. "I knew I was gonna marry Vic the night we met."

Leaning back in Charles' comfy chair, her sharp nails plucked at long curly cord. "How'd you know he was serious about you?"

"The impatient prick proposed halfway through our second date, so that kind of sped things up."

Fern let out a snort of laughter and clapped a hand over her mouth. A muffled "he did not," was her reply as her mother snickered.

"Sure did. Gave me a prize from a cracker jack box and everything. It was super romantic." Josie waited a beat before she asked, "What's this boy of yours' name?"

"Sean."

In Tennessee, the elderly woman rolled her eyes. Fern had never been the forthcoming type. "Sean what?"

"Cassidy."

Josie's smile widened. "Oh, an Irish boy, huh?"

"Yeah."

"He a redhead?"

"You know about about redheads?!"

"Oh god, I really did shelter, you didn't I?"

Embarrassed, Fern huffed and shifted in her seat. She spun to the side, frowned then quickly spun so that her head was hanging off the chair's seat. Feet above her head, she licked her lips. Her knees settled on the back of the chair, letting her feet hang behind it as the blood rushed to her head. After sighing through her nose, she confessed, "I thought- I thought he was like me, when I first saw him."

"He's not?" Stunned, Josie cleared her throat. She had been teasing about the redheads line. A hint of wariness grew in her. The idea of Fern finding someone like her was wonderful, but the idea of Fern finding someone normal was suspicious. It wasn't that she thought her daughter ugly; just the opposite actually. Still, she was at the age where, well, boys her age were really only interested in one thing...and Josie wasn't entirely sure she had ever taught her little girl how to weed out genuine attraction and flattery. Keeping her voice light and interested, she asked what he looked like.

Never one to censor herself, Fern offered a blunt, "Skinny. Skinny as all hell. That's what he looks like."

"You certainly have a way with words." Josie snickered. "And he's really a redhead?"

"Yeah."

"You two get along alright?"

"Well, he's a bedhog, but yeah, we get on okay."

Josie was quiet.

Mistaking her surprise for disapproval, Fern looked up at her hand. Her skin shivered as she swallowed. Her voice wasn't quite as strong as she wanted it to be, "And he's nice to me. Really nice to me. All the time. Even when I don't really want him to be and he acts-"

Her mother frowned as Fern's voice cracked. Patiently, she prompted, "Like what, baby?"

"He acts like he can't even see my skin. Like I'm normal, but he doesn't ignore it. It's just a'part me."

Her daughter's voice had been low, but Josie heard her just fine. "That's good, Fern, that's how it's supposed to be."

"I hurt a friend of ours," Her voice wavered once more as her fingers rose to tangle in her short black hair. Her head lurched back to bounce her neck off the base of the chair.

Recognizing the note of panic, Josie tried to keep calm, "Fern-"

"It was an accident and I got hurt and he tried to help and when Sean found out he acted like it was his fault!" Her words came out in a frantic rush. Sliding onto the floor, she crawled under the table. The base of the phone clattered to the floor, but the connection stayed strong.

"Fern," the woman's voice sharpened. "Breathe."

She did. The membrane flickered over her eyes. Not wanting to think about the inhuman aspect of her face, not so soon after Raven's dressing down, Fern covered them with her hand.

"Are you alright?"

After a long moment, the girl croaked out a yes.

"And your friend is okay?"

"Yeah."

Josie nodded. With a hand on her hip, and a death grip on the receiver, she tried and failed to keep completely cool. "Good. Good, I'm glad to hear it. Not too excited about my little girl getting plowed like a corn field but-"

"Ma! It's not like that! We just sleep. We don't do that." After a beat, she amended, "Although I have seen his penis. Twice. But not like that."

"How can it not be like that?!"

"He has no shame," Fern told her, sitting up and pressing her back against the wall under Charles' desk. Pleased her moment of angst had passed, she shrugged and tucked her feet under her. "He has ten siblings and no shame."

"So he's Catholic."

"How'd you know?!"

"Stereotypes exist for a reason."

"Racist."

"It's not really racist. Just kinda mean."

"Nice, Ma."

"You really like this boy? Not just 'cause he likes you back?"

A small smile wound over the girl's mouth. "No, it's not that." Fern's voice took on a note her mother had never heard before. "Sean's always been nice to me, but I don't know...something's changed. How I feel has changed. He makes me less scared of myself." Her smile blossomed into a grin. "I'm not afraid to touch him or tease him or let him touch or tease me. I- I think it's cause I can't...I can't imagine hurting him or being hurt by him." She shrugged. With a strangled giggle, she ignored the way the membranes flicked over her eyes. "I should've ate before I called. I'm getting all weird and sentimental."

Josie grinned. "I don't mind. It's kinda nice to hear my tough little girl all grown up and sappy over a boy."

The girl in question scoffed. Fingers tugging at her hair, she ignored how her scales quivered, torn between embarrassed and pleased. "Let's not push it."

"When can I meet him?"

"Let's really not push that." At Josie's offended hmph, Fern quickly changed the subject. "How're you doing? How's Bruno?"

"I'm fine. Things've been a bit dull around here without you botherin' me, but I'm doin' okay."

The older woman smirked. "Bruno's still a bit heartsick over you, sleepin' on your bed every night and whining at your door. It's like he thinks I got you hidden away somewhere."

Not wanting to deal with the mental image of that, the mutant forced herself to remain bright. "I knew you'd give that damn dog my room. Bet you didn't even let my bed get cold before you let 'im in there."

"Oh, please. It was just going to waste anyway."

A sweeter smile wound over her mouth as she wrapped her arm around her knees. Dropping her chin to it, she let out a doubtful, "Mhm."

Conversation between them remained light. It flowed easily enough, and when they parted ways it was with promises to call more frequently and maybe, just maybe, Josie coming down to the mansion for a visit. In her heart, Fern knew they didn't have time for that. They had no idea when Shaw would show, and there was no way she could have her mother around when that happened. For one thing, she'd never be able to bring herself to leave the old woman alone if there was even a chance she could get hurt. For another, she could never fathom looking Josie in the face and telling her she had to leave. Not when her life was on the line, not when Josie had already lost her husband and parents and everyone else in her life, except Fern and that damn giant dog of theirs.