I walked slowly after them, dragging my feet and hanging my head. I was probably the picture of misery. In what seemed like moments, even though it had to have taken a while, we reached the Mansion's foyer. I'd been asleep for a good amount of time, apparently, since it was night out. Looking through the window, I could just barely see my parents getting out of the family van. I squinted, but couldn't see Wyatt, my little brother. He was probably asleep at home, I reasoned. I wished fervently that they had brought him along, something I usually didn't want. I knew they wouldn't cause a scene if Wyatt was there though. Well, they usually wouldn't. Still, this wasn't exactly the usual news. At all.
I swallowed dryly as Jean opened the front doors, and hesitantly followed after them. I was standing behind the Professor, Scott, and Jean, but my Mom and Dad still managed to see me. Ignoring the people standing next to me, they rushed up. Mom swept me up into a hug, squeezing me until I could barely breathe, even as Dad wrapped his own arms around us. I leaned into them, stubbornly trying to keep tears from falling. Mom hugged me tighter, if that was even possible, and the dams broke. Tears flooded down my face,and my breath came in rough, choked sobs. I buried my face in their warm embrace, suddenly acutely aware that I was crying in front of one of the most popular girls in school. I felt Dad step away as I cried, and I could tell he was taking his normal protective stance. I didn't bother to look up; I knew his tall form would be hovering next to us. I giggled slightly at the mental image of my father with hummingbird wings. If that happened I probably wouldn't be too surprised, what with tonight's events. Correctly guessing that my sudden laughter was more than a little hysterical, Mom soothingly rubbed my back, even as she demanded answers from the Professor.
I winced slightly as my parents barraged them with questions, but I didn't speak up. I simply clung tighter to Mom, panicked that it might be the last time I could be their daughter. I dimly heard the Professor invite them in so that he could explain everything, and Mom gently prised me off of her. I kept close to my parents as we followed the Professor to his office. We stopped outside his door, and Scott leaned over to the Professor and said something quietly. I strained to hear, and was disappointed when I heard the word "bed." The Professor nodded, and Scott walked hurriedly away. Jean opened the door for us, and we walked through. Well, the Professor rolled/drove. We took the empty seats, while Jean stood at the Professor's side. He steepled his fingers, an action that I was quickly marking as his signature.
He began to speak, but Dad cut him off. "What is going on here?" he asked bluntly.
The Professor tilted his head slightly, as if attempting to figure out how to explain things without sounding like a complete loony. I doubted that he could manage it, but I could tell that he was going to give it his best shot. Sure enough, he said thoughtfully, "This may appear slightly...unbelievable. However, I ask that you listen with an open mind."
Mom took my hand and said quietly, "If it's a good explanation for Emily not coming from home from school and us being called up here in the middle of the night to see her so upset, I'm perfectly willing to consider anything."
The Professor nodded, and my stomach lurched as I saw that the moment of truth was rapidly approaching.
"Your daughter is a mutant."
My eyes widened. I didn't think the moment was approaching that rapidly. Mom's hand went slack around mine, and her lip drew together into a thin line. I winced as I saw Dad's eyebrows furrow. That really wasn't a good sign. He stepped up to the Professor's desk, and placed his palms flat upon the wooden surface, leaning in.
"Listen," he whispered forcefully, "I don't know what the hell your game is, but I expect you to explain yourself now."
Remarkably unruffled by my Dad's threatening posture, the Professor said, "A mutant is simply a human with different abilities. Your daughter manifested her powers yesterday, and we found her and took her in."
Dad nodded, then turned away. He took my other hand, lifting me from my chair as he said simply to the Professor. "We're leaving." he turned to Mom and continued, "Come on, Helen."
She stood up, but didn't follow us. Instead, her shoulders sagged and she said quietly, "He isn't lying, Jacob. Mutants are real."
I stared as she folded her arms, and a slight glow began to form around her, brightening until all of the shadows that the overhead light had left were eliminated from the room. Any fears I had of her hating me for being a mutant vanished as I realized that I had a glow-in-the-dark Mom.
Dad dropped my hand and stood dumbly for a moment, his surprised expression shared by everyone else in the room. My voice thick from crying, I muttered, "Well, I don't think any of us expected that." I smiled slightly as I saw Jean nod in agreement.
I watched in interest as Dad walked up to Mom, and touched her shoulder with an expression of wonder. Mom gazed unblinkingly back at him, waiting to be judged. The shock numbing my nerves wore off, and they returned in full force as I recognized that I might just witness my parents break up. My mouth went dry. If Dad rejected her, he wouldn't want me either.
He gathered her up in a hug, and I sighed in relief as he said with mild annoyance, "You should have said something, Helen. Do you know how much money we could have saved on flashlights?"
Dad always had been a practical man. Mom laughed, gently extricating herself from Dad's embrace. She turned to the Professor. "I trust that you don't mind if we head home now? I'm certain that we're all tired, and we can talk tomorrow."
"I...of course. I'll see you tomorrow."
My mind still heady with relief that no one was being kicked out of the family, I followed Mom and Dad out to the van.
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Sorry about the late update. Some completely, totally unexpected stuff came up.
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