Chapter Twelve:

Surprise

Lance eventually accepted that I had superpowers. We spent more time together than we did with our own parents (or parent), which ticked them off a bit. Lance poked fun at me about my powers every once-in-a-while, but quickly learned that it was best not to piss me off, especially now that I didn't have to hide my powers from him.

I was fired from work. I'd spent too much time away, and they weren't willing to re-hire me because "I'd been captured by the Militia". As far as Vic was concerned, I could've escaped and come to work. Yay, me.

So, I ended up patrolling around the city much more, always coming home at six to meet up with Lance and we'd do something together, whether he brought video games for me to complete for him or we watched a movie. Zeke would pop in every now-and-then to check up on things, but would leave just as quickly.

"You know," Lance said one night as we watched Enemy at the Gates, "I should help you."

I glanced at him from my seat on the floor. He was sitting on the couch again, just above me you could say. "What'dya mean?"

"I could help with your patrolling," Lance answered.

"I'd rather you not," I said, focusing back on the movie. "Your not a Conduit and its my fault you're involved in this. If you even try it, I'm dragging you back to California by your ears and feeding you to the ravenous fangirls there."

"That's cold," Lance said. "But it's really my fault."

"Really?"

"Yep."

I chuckled. "Well, enlighten me."

"I shall!" Lance dramatically cleared his throat. "I broke into your house and asked you out, remember?"

"You didn't ask me out. That was to repay for my poor, poor door."

"I totally asked you out!" Lance exclaimed. "It was a date!"

"It was not!" I snapped. "It was nothing like that!"

Lance grinned. "What, are you afraid of dates or something?"

"Of course not!"

He gasped. "You haven't actually been on a date, have you?"

I snapped my mouth shut and watched the movie.

"You haven't! My God, Joan MacGrath hasn't been on a date!"

"Does it really matter? I see no reason to!"

He ruffled my hair. "Well, as your best friend, it's my solemn and regretful duty to be the first one to ask you out."

"Regretful? What the hell's that supposed to mean?" I fumed. "No, I'm not going out with you! Not even once! And you're not helping with my patrolling! You can't do what I can do, and you could get hurt, you idiot!"

He shrugged. "Fine, I won't help you."

I sighed in relief. "Thank you." I was about to look back at the movie when Lance grabbed my chin with his hand and forced me to look up at him.

"But I'm not giving up on that date."

I rolled my eyes. "Way to make the movie feel awkward for the rest of the night."

"What can I say? I'm a pro!" he said, releasing my chin.

"You only think you're a pro," I grumbled.

When the movie was over and Lance had gone home, Cole called me to the roof. I was dragging my feet up there, wondering where I could go to get another job, so I didn't notice the mischievous grin on his face when I reached the open roof of the building.

"I've got a surprise for you!" he said.

"Oh?" I asked lamely. "If it solves my job problems, I'm all ears."

Lucy smiled. "Well, it kind of does."

I gave them a questioning look and leaned against the doorway. "What's with the smiles…?"

"We want you to move in with us," Cole explained. "I feel responsible for you, since you're technically my daughter, and so I feel like I should keep an eye on you."

"You thought I was fine in Empire City."

Cole nodded. "Yeah, well… the reason I wanna keep an eye on you here is because…"

I waved my hand in a "hurry up!" motion. "Because…?"

Zeke burst through the door, flinging me onto my face. "Joan!" he exclaimed, looking for me.

"Down here…" I grumbled, glaring at him.

"Oh! Hey, sorry 'bout that…" Zeke helped me to my feet. "I just wanted t' congratulate ya!"

"On what?" I asked. My head slowly and deliberately turned towards Cole. "Cole…"

Cole glared at Zeke, who put his hands up in defence. "Hey, sorry man! I didn't know thatcha didn't tell 'er yet!"

"Curse your need for dramatics! What the hell haven't you told me?"

Cole rubbed the back of his head. "I, um… enrolled you in high school."

"You what?"

"Well, you've been incapacitated for most of your life, and you barely hang out with anyone other than Lance… Not to mention that you really need to learn how to get along with people, and you need an education before people ask questions…"

I glared at him. "Cole…"

"Woah, careful man!" Zeke warned. "Smoke's about t' come outta her ears!"

Lucy put her arms around my shoulders. As cold as her hands were, Cole told me that they'd been a lot colder when she'd first got her Conduit powers. "Think about it, Joan! You can't get a good job without an education, and without a job you can't pay for any place to live in! Plus, an eighteen-year-old girl living alone with no job is bound to raise some questions!"

I nodded slowly, my temper going down. "I… I guess you're right…"

"Great! So, you'll move in with us, and you can go to high school until you graduate!" Lucy said, clapping her hands together. "We've signed you under the name Joan 'Foster', so you'll have to remember that!"

I nodded again.

Cole picked up a package from the couch, looking grateful that I hadn't torn his face off. "Here."

I opened it up without the enthusiasm I knew I was lacking. "It's… a uniform."

"And an ugly one at that!" Zeke exclaimed. "Is this the best they could do?"

"You're tellin' me…"

The uniform had a brown jacket, a white shirt, a green plaid tie, and the same colour pants and skirt.

"I didn't know which one you'd want…" Cole admitted.

I took one look at the skirt and answered, "Pants."