Learning to Breathe
Chapter 34: And the Plot Thickens
The only things left in the pantry was a box of pop tarts and several cans of soup. Since she'd moved in with the boys, no perishables had been brought into the residence.
Unsure of what the boy would eat, she decided to ask him. Walking through the door to the bedroom, she gazed down at her son.
"What kind of soup do you want?" She asked. He turned his eyes to meet hers.
"I'm not that picky." He shrugged.
"Well, do you like tomato, clam chowder, or chicken noodle better?" She inquired.
He thought a minute before replying, "I don't think I've ever had clam chowder. What's in it?"
"Clam meat, potatoes, and celery. Maybe a few other vegetables." She explained. "It's your sister's favorite, which is probably why it's here."
Kurt smiled. "It sounds good."
Mystique smiled, then looked over at her sleeping daughter. When the girl awoke, she would be asking for water. The soup would attract her attention as well. But, for now, Andi needed to rest. Her system needed to recover from her morning activities.
Moving back into the kitchen, she fished out the can opener and pulled a pan out of a cupboard. If she and Kurt were to continue looking after Andi, they would need to eat something as well.
Meanwhile, Rogue began to wonder what made Kurt so defensive that morning. The blue elf usually stayed out of trouble, so why argue with Scott? Didn't he know he'd be drawing attention to himself?
That was just it. He had drawn attention to himself to cover something else; something big. But what? What kind of secret would make the happy-go-lucky furrball so upset and defensive? Or, perhaps a better question, who could?
Since discovering the identity of his birthmother, Kurt tried everything he could think of to get to Mystique. Scott didn't think it a good idea, and frankly, she agreed. Mystique was a manipulative bitch, plain and simple. But Rogue got the distinct feeling that Mystique wouldn't frame Kurt with so many watching. If Kurt wasn't covering for Mystique, then who?
A sudden wave of memories slammed into her. The sensation of pain and fear hit her in an instant, almost overwhelming her senses. Then she saw an image of a baby—one so small the doctors said she wouldn't live more than a few hours. Tubes and machines connected to her tiny blue body by dozens of needles and suction cups. Then conflicting emotions tore into the picture. The memory came from two psyches. And if she guessed correctly… eeuww! She did not need to see that.
"Rogue, are you all right?" the Professor asked as he entered her room. "I sensed a great disturbance in your mind."
"Professor, I think I know who Kurt's been coverin' for." She blurted out. "I… I think he might have a baby sister."
Xavier sighed. He didn't look surprised by this information at all. "I knew someday I would have to tell him." He sighed. "But apparently Mystique has beaten me to it."
"You knew about this?" She asked, not even bothering to hide her shock.
"Rogue, please, calm down." The Professor chided. She glared at him, then sat down on her bed. Xavier wheeled closer to her. "Rogue, last year I detected a mutant signature at an apartment in town. The information I received on this mutant was incomplete, but the apartment belonged to one Raven Darkholme."
Rogue's eyebrows achieved orbit. "Mystique was hiding a mutant?"
"Yes, and very well." Xavier replied. "Some three days later, Raven called me asking for help. When I arrived, I found a scared thirteen-year-old girl suffering from seizures. I did what I could to stabilize the girl, and she did recover nicely, but I came no nearer the cause of her attack. When I delved into the child's mind to help her, I learned that she was Mystique's daughter."
"Hold up." Rogue held up her hand. "You knew Mystique had a kid and never said anything? Why didn't you recruit her or something?"
"I'm afraid recruiting the girl would have done her more harm than good." The Prof. Explained. "Rogue, she had a very tortured mind. The child had recently escaped from an experimentation lab and had yet to adjust to her physical changes, let alone the mental baggage she carried with her. She genuinely feared me, Rogue. Forcing her to come live here might have pushed her over the edge."
"How do we know Mystique didn't put her in that lab in the first place?" Rogue asked, but already knew the answer. Mystique's psyche had forced its way to the front of her mind and began assaulting her with another wave of memories.
"I believe you know why not." Xavier replied, and then shifted the subject slightly. "If the girl has returned to Bayville, we cannot take action. Mystique obtained parental custody of the girl after her foster family outed her. I doubt the Brotherhood knows of the girl's existence, and letting them know what you know would be disastrous for Kurt and his birth family."
"Do Logan and Storm know about this?" Rogue asked.
"No. And please, Rogue, don't tell them." Xavier answered. "I know this is a burden to you, but revealing the girl's identity now would not end well for anyone involved. Besides, if Logan learned who the girl's father is…"
"I know." She groaned. "I almost yakked when I found out. Don't worry, I won't tell Scott. The last thing anybody on this team needs is Mr. Military carrying out a misplaced vendetta."
"Very well." Xavier sighed. "If you need to speak further about this, come see me. I will talk to Kurt when he returns."
She didn't even want to know how he knew that the elf was missing.
Mystique was a very good cook. Even with something as simple as canned soup, the woman managed a wonderful lunch. Of course, Kurt rarely met a food he didn't like or wasn't willing to try.
And he definitely knew why his sister loved clam chowder so much. Even the smell brought happy images to his mind.
"Thank you for fixing lunch." He said as he downed his second bowlful of soup.
"It wasn't anything special." She waved, putting what little was leftover of the soup in the refrigerator. "Besides, I should be thanking you."
Kurt blinked. "For what?"
"Staying with Andi." She explained. "I know you risked a lot by coming over here."
"Don't I know it." He grumbled. The x-family owed him at least two lectures upon his return. "But I couldn't just leave her here to suffer alone."
"At any rate, thank you for staying with her." Mystique smiled. "I'm sure she appreciated it as well."
Kurt smiled, then turned his head at a sudden sound. Andi was stirring. Mystique seemed to sense it too, for she swiftly filled a pitcher full of water, grabbed a glass, and rushed into the back bedroom. Kurt teleported in ahead of her, finding his sister rubbing her eyes.
"Did I miss anything?" She rasped.
"No, not much." He replied as their mother walked in.
"Mom?" She blinked. "When did you get here?"
"I've been here for nearly an hour." Mystique answered in a hushed tone. "Here." Mystique handed the girl the glass full of water, and Andi downed it in seconds. Kurt understood how she felt. After he teleported Mystique's car out of middleverse, he spent several hours in the medical bay. Served him right for ignoring his limits. [1 But then again, two lives were at stake. There was no other option, and he paid the price for his heroic act.
"Do I smell soup?" Andi asked weakly, sniffing the air. Kurt blinked. He never realized how keen the girl's sense of smell was. Mystique chuckled.
"Don't worry, there's enough left over for you." She smiled. "But you need to rehydrate before I'll let you eat anything. Kurt told me what happened this morning."
Andi blushed. "I should have just taken the cup with me."
"Don't be so hard on yourself." Mystique chided the girl. "It's one lesson learned. Next time, you'll be prepared."
"I guess." She sighed. "Kurt? Why are you still here?"
"I wanted to make sure you were okay before I left." He grinned sheepishly. Andi rolled her eyes and downed another glass of water.
"I'll be okay. You'd better leave before your professor gets too worried and sends a search party."
"I left a note!" He protested.
"I think we can handle it from here." Mystique chided. "I don't want you to get in any more trouble on my account."
Kurt sighed. He knew both of them had a point. There was no use debating. "Okay, I'll go home. But I'll call you this evening to check up on you."
Another eyeroll from his sister. "Fine. Go on, worrywart."
Kurt stuck out his tongue before teleporting away.
1) Just a footnote on Middleverse. Kurt wears his system out when he teleports too much weight, and I figured a car might represent the extreme end of the scale. Just a thought.