Chapter 9: Television Blues

The next morning Janie woke up early as usual, but instead of making breakfast for everybody, she poured herself a bowl of cereal before sitting at the sun room with her Emerson book for English study.

She heard footsteps from behind and they stopped. She expected them to say something, but instead they started again, but then stopped abruptly with a small squeak of skin on hardwood. They took a deep breath, and then started walking again.

"Are you going to play an imaginary game of red light green light, or are you going to come in?" she asked, turning a page on her book as she took another bite of her Rice Crispy's.

"Hi-" Alex cleared his throat. "Hey."

"Hello," Janie said, finally looking up. He pulled a chair from the other side of the table and sat next to her.

"How's your arm?" he asked.

Janie tilted her head.

"It wasn't that much of a burn. It went away in a few hours after enough icing. You didn't hurt me, Alex."

"I burned you… I could've done worse!" he said, running a hand through his bed-ridden hair. She then noticed the dark circles under his eyes.

"But you didn't ... We're still getting used to our powers-"

"I should've known that my power was getting out of control-"

"It wasn't just you," Janie muttered, and Alex stopped.

He had a hint of a grin, and Janie looked down at the cover of her book, embarrassed he had heard her.

"What you said… that you weren't easy enough-" he started.

"Nope, that was someone else. Did you know, I have a manic twin?"

"I don't think of you like that, Janie," he said as he reached forward and held his palm against her cheek. She pulled back at the contact, but looked up at him all the same. He frowned as he watched a fleeting look of fear pass over her face.

"But you're still scared of me," his hand dropped.

Her eyebrow twitched, but she shook her head.

"I'm not afraid of anything. It's just-"

"We could work out a no touch policy; I just can't start avoiding you. It could work out, but you can't slap me anymore when I come to say hello…"

She reached forward and rested her hand on his fist. He flattened his palm and stopped talking. When he brought his other hand to rest on top of hers, she pulled away.

"It's only that... it shouldn't have happened…"

Alex frowned.

"What happened, exactly?" his gaze was teasing.

"You know exactly what I am talking about. I can't have anything distracting me from looking after Ori. Or… from developing my power."

"What happened that could possibly distract you from that?" he asked, and she noticed that he was leaning really close. He reached out and touched at the base of her jaw, tracing it to her chin. His gaze was only on her.

"Janie…"

She frowned again and pulled back, standing up. She picked up the bowl with now soggy cereal and left quickly, leaving her book behind.

Alex picked it up and opened it at the bookmark.

It was a postcard from Atlantic City.

Alex raised his eyebrows, surprised she had traveled that far, with Ori, alone.

He tucked the book under his arm as he walked in a different direction from Janie, giving her the space she wanted.

"Everybody," Zoey heard Charles' voice in her head. She took a deep breath at the warm feeling, knowing he wasn't zeroing on her mind only, and she continued to pick up her clothes that were all on the floor.

"I need you all to come to the living room. There's something we all need to see."

Zoey sighed, and dropped the pile of laundry on the bed.

She was leaving tomorrow, getting her suitcase ready.

Zoey made her way through the hall, bumping into Ori who asked her worried questions, but Zoey just held her hand and told her there was nothing to fret about.

When Zoey and Ori arrived at the TV room, the rest were there. Alex and Janie were surprisingly sitting on opposite sides of the sofa, Hank sitting in between them. Sean was lounging on one of the many armchairs. Charles turned his head, and his face seemed distraught.

"Come and sit… I shouldn't explain… you just need to watch."

Zoey felt Ori squeeze her hand tighter and they both walked to an empty armchair, and Zoey sat down before Ori climbed onto her lap.

"And if you are just tuning in," the voice of the news anchor drew her gaze to the screen, "there is some breaking news that might lead you to believe this station has gone insane. But then, we all thought the same after the unbelievable events during the Cuba Missile crisis. We have had more than three different experts analyze this footage for any sign of fabrication… and there is none. This is completely real."

The anchor man had a large moustache, but that wasn't what she was looking at; it was the freeze frame of Erik in his helmet as the corner picture.

"What the…" Zoey said, but realized who was in her lap, and faltered - "heck is this?"

"It's real, Zoey. We've been channel skipping for a few minutes, they're all reporting it. NBC, CBS…" Hank said. Zoey took a deep breath, trying to calm herself but failing as she kept her gaze on the screen.

"We are going to show this video again, the original broadcast of the so called 'Mutants' and their… abilities. Ladies and Gentleman, in this history changing moment, I present to you… the impossible."

It cut to the video, a close-up of Magneto in a dark room, wearing a helmet and a smile.

"America - the world, we have all been in hiding for too long. Since a little boy I have been ashamed of who I am, but no more," he said.

The next shot was further away; showing him with his arm up, a car levitating next to him. It was spinning and turning, flipping around to prove that it wasn't invisible wires or that sort of trickery. The background was all brick, giving no clue to where they were.

Angel, in a mask, came into view, flying above the ground, her fairy wings reflecting light giving a soft lens glare. Emma, covered in diamonds, came onto screen on his other side. She gave a small wave, and transformed to her human self, keeping the diamonds on her face as a mask.

"We are the future. Welcome, everybody," Erik said, and the screen went black. It cut back to the news reporter.

But Zoey didn't hear what the man was saying after that. Or the calls of her name from the others.

In an almost trance, she picked up Ororo and sat her back down on the armchair. Then she somehow escaped the room and found herself running down the halls and through the house to the sunroom to the back yard. At the last step she stupidly tripped, and rolled in the grass, landing on her back in the glaring afternoon sun.

It was a clear day.

Scrunching her eyes, Zoey put both hands in the air and her face turned lightly red as she concentrated to conjure a grey cloud to block the sun and put her in shade.

She then started laughing. It was better than crying to her, but she felt that this occasion probably called for both... so it came to no surprise when her sight blurred as she felt a tear roll down her temple and into her hair.

Zoey was now trapped; with no choice. She had to stay with Charles and the others.

She enjoyed their company, yet knew she had a real life to get back to. But now, she had no choice of leaving.

John would recognize Erik from the bar, no doubt; the bar was known for spats and fights, Zoey and John were good on remembering faces for the police.

He was probably rushing to the news networks this second, calling the mutant report hotlines.

"Freaking step uncle!" Zoey cried out, laughing harder. That's what she told John that Erik was that night he and Charles had arrived unannounced. What the hell was she thinking?

"Well, at least it will throw off the authorities for a while," Charles's voice said rather closely. He was lying on the grass next to her, his chair behind him.

"Yeah, but the authorities will be harassing my distant and close relatives… actually that doesn't sound too bad," she said.

Charles laughed, but then his face turned serious. He propped up on an elbow, and Janie did the same.

"You know what this means, Zoey."

Zoey sighed, and in distress just flopped back down on the grass again, looking at the sky.

"I can't go back," she said almost silently.

There were a few moments of silence. She heard rustling of Charles in the grass, and then she felt the tweed against her arm. She flinched.

"Zoey, it's just my jacket," he whispered. She sighed, not turning to face him.

"Can I at least go back to get the rest of my things? We should act sooner than later-"

"Later tonight."

"Thank you."

"I'm sorry."

At that, Zoey turned her head and stared at Charles's blue eyes only a few inches away.

"It's not your fault; you didn't broadcast the existence of us on national television. And anyways, Simon will love it here."

"What about you, Zoey?" he asked, his eyes pleading.

Zoey held her breath. She honestly didn't know. Her time being holed up there – with the exception of the Magneto kidnap fiasco - she had enjoyed. She even accepted that she had grown to care for them.

Yet not being able to have the freedom to leave and go the nearest city bothered her, and she didn't even know where the nearest city was.

But she enjoyed all of her time at the house, in the presence of the others. She enjoyed watching Janie and Alex and their tension and awkwardness, teaching Sean how to flirt with respect, talking genetics and such with Hank, and talking about regular girly things with Janie, and even sometimes with Ororo. Even Charles and she had grown a true friendship – though sometimes her heart would twitch to make her think it was more.

She wanted to answer that she wasn't sure if she would like it there permanently... but she was open to the idea - she had to be.

"Charles, I-"

"Its okay, Zoey," he said. She sat up and turned. Charles was already in his chair.

"Just… give me time."

He smiled, but gave no answer as he nodded and then turned around and left.

Zoey lay on the grass for a while alone until she heard the rustling of grass, footsteps coming towards her. The way the ground was faintly vibrating under her let her know it was Janie.

Janie lay down next to her, and she felt her grab her hand.

Zoey couldn't help but smile at the shiver that always went up her arm when she touched another mutant. However, this gesture was comforting, and Zoey needed it.

For more comfort, Zoey grew a batch of purple petunias next to her.

"Are those your favorite flower?"

"My mother's."

"They're beautiful. But what's yours?"

A green stalk sprouted out of the ground, and a yellow sunflower grew from the end.

"I thought so. That's what you first grew when we met."

She could only nod. Of course she remembered the first day she met them all.

Back then, she had a chance of leaving, back to her normal life.

The sunflower wilted, and it quickly retreated it back into the grass. Vines rose from the ground above them, and formed in an arch, providing them with more shade.

"I know how you feel, Zoey."

"Somehow I doubt-"

"I only planned to stay for a short time, just like you. Ori and I had traveled for so long, we were used to being on the move. When Charles brought us in as guests, he waited two days until he let us know who they all were, and that's when they showed us Hank. I remember Ori screamed in fright, but they all laughed, even Hank.

Each night I had to remind Ori that we were only staying a week. We had each set aside portions for the road and stashed them in our room. On our last day, I woke up late, and wandered outside to find Ori playing with Hank and Alex; she was using her powers. She had formed clouds and she was playing tag with hail and rain, like you've seen. Hank was soaked, and Alex was laughing because he was still relatively dry – he just had to use his power to dry himself off. Seeing Ori so freely use her power, openly laughing and looking so happy… I just had to stay.

Ori hugged me so tightly when I announced to all of them my decision later that night. Ever since then, we've been family. Using our powers as we please, strengthening them with Charles' help… we're home here."

"But I just can't do the whole-"

"Staying in one place thing?"

"Yeah," Zoey said, "I just can't see myself doing that."

"Now that you know about your power, what it can do, wouldn't you want to use it freely? Without shame or fear?"

"But…" she said, and then realized Janie was completely right.

"I know it's a lot to take in. And especially in your case, it will take longer. Do you want to at least come inside?" Janie asked as she stood up.

"No, I need a few more minutes. Thanks though. For everything."

"Back at you, Zoey. I mean it."

Zoey sighed as the vines disappeared back into the ground, bringing the sunlight back to her. Suddenly grey clouds formed all around, and she shivered at the cold.

That night, they went to her apartment.

Charles brought Alex for the muscle. They took a smaller jet that belonged to Charles' parents – one that wasn't tricked out with weapons and such. They landed at a private airfield and took a town car to her apartment.

"Wait," Charles said as Alex reached for the door handle to get out. Charles put a hand to his temple, and his brow furrowed.

"Your apartment is taped off, considered a crime scene since you're a missing person now. You're neighbors are awake… I'll let them know we were never here. Alex will come and get you when we're ready to get your things, Zoey," Charles said.

Zoey nodded, and waited impatiently in the car, getting spooked at any noise or car that drove by. She was a missing person. She was back home now, yet felt like a stranger. The bar was down the street. It had seemed like a year ago when Magneto had entered the bar and turned her life upside down, shook it a few times, and then tried to upright it but left it at a tilt.

Before she knew it, Alex was opening the car door.

"Let's go," he said.

Half an hour later, Charles left the doorway to chat with her neighbors that lived above her. Zoey took the moment to ask what she'd been dying to say.

"So how's Janie?" she asked as Alex lifted three boxes stacked on top of each-other to move to the doorway with the others. The rest were all packed away, it was now her clothes to deal with; the shoes and other accessories were all in the other boxes.

His eyebrow twitched. He walked back to help her pack the rest of her pants.

"She came from Atlantic City, did you know that?"

She raised a brow.

"No..."

"We talked this morning… agreed to be… friends," he growled the last word, his posture tensing up.

"And?" Janie prodded, stuffing the last in the box and taping it up. She moved to her panties and bras, and told Alex to pack up her things in the bathroom.

"She left her book. The bookmark was a postcard from Atlantic City."

"No wonder she's still shaken, Alex. Having to travel that far with little to probably no money, and with Ori to take care of too, it's a lot to deal with."

"That's the thing though; I don't know what it's like. I've been some kind of introvert for these past years," Alex explained loudly, his voice giving a light echo within her small bathroom. There was rustling and crashing noises that concerned her, but she shrugged it off. Most of her cosmetic 'necessities' she had here would be rendered moot when she was at the mansion.

"Think of Dorothy and the Lion making it down the yellow brick road on their own. No good witches, no Scarecrow, no Tinman. And the flying monkey's can do worse than just scare and capture: they take your belongings, they physically hurt you. And don't deny you haven't seen that movie, it's been around for a little bit, even before you were locked up."

There was silence, and Zoey frowned. She dropped her handful of bras into the box and looked up to see Alex looking at her with half a frown, but a happy glint in his eyes.

"What?" she asked, clueless to what she did.

"Nobody's ever talked about my time… there… so outright."

"Oh, sorry-"

"No… it's… okay actually. Refreshing."

Zoey smiled.

"Well I'm not going anywhere, so get used to that feeling," she said.

Alex smiled back.

"What feeling would that be?" Charles interrupted, his voice laced with concern.

"Oh, nothing Charles. Just letting Alex know he'll have to deal with me and my power when it concerns him," she said quickly.

She hated the white lie, but found it necessary where Alex was concerned. The grateful glance she received from him confirmed the feeling.

It took them two hours to get everything packed away into the car. Alex and Zoey did the packing, and Charles kept watch and talked to anybody who passed by and asked any questions.

Zoey now stood in the center of her condo, a handwritten note on the counter to her landlord, with the key on top. She sighed, and shook her head as she felt her eyes getting wet.

She remembered the first time she came in here, the place dirty and dusty. Her mother had died a few months earlier, and she was tired of living with her bitchy Aunt who only treated her as a nuisance, like a pest. She had saved enough money to rent the place for two years straight.

She lived the first few months on noodles and cheap frozen meals, and only had a mattress and a mini TV. It had been a few more months before she had rescued Simon, and then had gotten the job at the bar; her tips alone helped her furnish the apartment.

"It's hard, leaving a place you know so well." Charles' voice interrupted her thoughts.

She turned away, wiped her eyes, and then looked at him.

"You've lived at your place forever, Charles."

"Not always. I left for college, with Raven, and we got our own apartment in Oxford. I hated leaving that house. And I have to admit I loved opening the doors again. I loved coming back home."

"I lived here for two years. The first few months I only had a mattress on the floor, and a small TV to keep me company," she said.

"You have a lot more than a TV to keep you company now, Zoey."

She smiled. He was so right. She had friends here, but she didn't see them that much, she was up all night and slept during the day. On her off nights she would mostly stay home for more rest and laundry, and sometimes she would go out with friends. But it felt lonely.

Now she wasn't anymore. And she had the man next to her to thank for that – even if now she was to become a recluse.

"You're right. Of course."

Charles shrugged.

Zoey sighed.

"Well, I've said my last goodbyes; I guess it's time to go."