A/N

And here's Chapter 5. The intrigue is starting, and the weirdness. I hope you like it. As always, do not own, do not get paid. Sigh.

Chapter 5

"Come on Shawn, let me in. It can't be that bad." His father wheedled, his fist sore from pounding on the bathroom door. Shawn gripped the edge of the sink, his eyes squeezed shut. It was definitely bad. He couldn't think of anything worse than this. He shuddered again, remembering red. Blood from places that there should not be blood. Places that should not be there. Psychic mutant he could handle, but hermaphrodite mutant? Nope. No thank you. He'd always thought he wanted to have kids, but he expected there to be a female in the equation somewhere. Could he carry a kid? Was there an inner set of equipment hidden up in there that hadn't been in there before? What would Carlton think of this?

Henry pounded on the door again, sore fist be damned, and tried the knob on the off chance that his son unlocked it. "You're starting to worry me, kid. I'm about to call 911." He threatened. That got Shawn's attention. He turned off the water. "Don't. I'm okay. I just made a mistake with the Chinese takeout leftovers roulette this morning." He said weakly, hoping this would dissuade his father. His father sighed, seeing through the lie. He might not be psychic, but he knew his son. There was panic in his voice.

"Talk to me, Shawn. You're panicking. I can hear it." He begged. Shawn sat down on the toilet, pants still around his ankles. "This isn't a conversation I ever want to have with you, Dad." He said tiredly. Hell, he wouldn't even go to his mother with this one, and she would at least know where to buy supplies.

"Well, you're going to have it. The mutant secret is out of the bag, if that's what you're worried about. And I picked up on the whole sleeping with Detective Lassiter thing, too. I'm not judging. He may be the smartest decision you've ever made."

Shawn scoffed. He wouldn't say that if he knew the truth about Lassie. He sighed and looked down at his underwear, stained red at the crotch. Gross. Finding the source of the blood had been even grosser. He shuddered again, but he needed to do something about it. What did women do when they were stuck without supplies? He eyed the two-ply toilet paper, plush because his dad secretly liked softness on his skin, and wondered if he could make a…what were those things called? Napkins? Sanitary napkins. Pads. Diapers. They were better than the alternative; tampons. In his opinion, tampons were only good for stopping up nose bleeds. Like it or not, he needed help. Or at least a change of underwear. He was still leaking. He opened his mouth, took a breath, and rushed into the explanation.

"That pesky mutant gene you passed on to me just mutated again. Congratulations, it's a boy, and a girl." He tried to joke. It fell flat as confused silence battered at his psychic brain. He groaned and flopped back. "I just transformed into a fucking mutant hermaphrodite, and now, apparently, it's that time of the month. On the upside, I can probably still make you a grandfather. How would you feel about a little Lassie?"

More silence. Henry took this in, rolled it over in his mind, and tried to be practical. "So…do I need to go to the drug store? I'm pretty sure I don't keep feminine hygiene supplies in there."

At that moment, Shawn loved his father. They might pick on each other, but when the chips were down, he was there for his son. Daughter. Son-daughter? Saughter. None of them felt right. He was there for his kid. Leave it gender-neutral. "That would be great, Dad. Just get the biggest…whatever those things are…you can find. And a clean pair of underwear. I look like I was stabbed in the crotch."

"They're called pads, Shawn. Take a shower. Are you cramping?"

Shawn winced. "I thought it was the Chinese takeout, but I think so. What do I take for that?"

"Ibuprofen. I'll pick up some. Back in fifteen." He promised. Shawn let out a weak 'thanks' and turned on the shower. He shed the rest of his clothes and ducked under the spray, squeezing his eyes shut so he didn't have to watch the water turn rusty. Hadn't he heard something about light days? This flood came on like the Red Sea after it was done being parted. Well, now he had an explanation for the moodiness lately. It was really bad PMS.

Carlton appeared in Henry Spencer's living room with Professor X and Beast in tow. Gus yelped, and then recognized two of the most recognizable X-Men in the world and forgot to be scared. "Oh my God, you're Professor X! And you're Beast! What are you doing here? Are you here for Shawn?"

"Gus, please." Carlton said tiredly. "Where is Shawn?"

"He's in the shower, I think. He ran in there earlier and wouldn't come out. It was probably bad Chinese." He wrinkled his nose. "I told him it went bad a week ago, but he never believes me."

Carlton ignored the rest of his speech and disappeared with his usual flames, reappearing in the bathroom. Immediately he smelled the blood and looked down, seeing the soiled underwear. Confused, he pulled back the shower curtain. "You're hurt. What happened?" He demanded, his eyes searching Shawn's naked body for signs of a wound. Particularly his crotch, since that was where the blood had been in the undies. Shawn yanked the curtain closed again, going crimson. "I'm not hurt. My mutant body just went more mutant. I'm a freaking hermaphrodite on the rag."

This was unexpected. Carlton sat on the toilet lid, trying not to show his shock. They hadn't said the L word to each other yet, but he felt it. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I'm almost two centuries old, and you still find a way to make life interesting. How are you feeling? Can I get you anything?" He asked. Shawn moved the curtain aside again, poking his head out. "Really? I tell you that my body is now possibly capable of the miracle of gestating life and you act like it's Tuesday? Come on, Carlton. I've slept with you. I know what you like. This has to turn you off a little."

Carlton shrugged. "I've been with both men and women. Sex isn't about what goes where for me. It's about the connection to my partner. You simply have another way to connect. Your configuration wouldn't be the strangest I've seen."

Shawn huffed. "Well, it's the strangest configuration I've seen. You realize that if I get pregnant, people are going to know I'm a mutant."

"I don't see why you hid that in the first place." Carlton retorted.

"Because I can see the future, and there will be a time, for mutants, when staying hidden will be safer. Besides, can you imagine what kind of child we'd have? A bloodthirsty little tyke with psychic powers who may or may not have an innie and an outie."

"Let's not talk kids until you're mature enough for the subject, shall we? You and I have our own relationship kinks to work out. When you're ready, I brought Professor Xavier and Dr. McCoy with me. I believe they may already know about your new developments, and want to offer their help."

"Lovely. Dad's coming back with supplies. I'll meet you out there."

Knowing a dismissal when he heard it, Carlton left his lover to sulk in the shower. Shawn looked down his body, to the slight pudge that was going to fade once he got over his addiction to sweets. He'd do some crunches and the six pack would come right back. After he got over the cramps. At least his boys were still there, reliable as ever. And he didn't have breasts, so that was a plus. Would he lactate if he got pregnant? Best not think about things like that, he decided.
His father knocked on the door, twisted the knob, and found it unlocked. "Your supplies are in the sink, Shawn. And there's a pint of chocolate pineapple chunk in the freezer. I sent Gus home." He announced, keeping his eyes averted from the shower curtain. He heard a muffled 'thanks' and ran back to the living room, his eyes landing on Carlton as he sat. "So, you're a mutant." He said gruffly.

"Yes." Carlton lied. "I apologize for misleading you, but my mutation frightens some people."

"What mutation would that be?" He wondered.

Carlton hesitated, and then decided to go with the truth. "The uninitiated might call me a vampire, but I'm not. My diet is a bit on the macabre side and my abilities have a demonic flair, but I'm one of the good guys."

"He just needs human juice from time to time to keep the pep in his step." Shawn provided around a spook of chocolate pineapple chunk, joining them in the living room. He grimaced as he sat in one of the recliners. Things were squishy.

Carlton scowled. "It is humanely sourced, donated blood. I don't kill humans. I would appreciate if you didn't share this information with other people. I'm still the same person, with the same goals; to serve and protect."

Henry looked between his son and his son's…he didn't like to use the word lover, but that was what he was. "I'll speak plainly, Carlton. I've met the kids Shawn went to school with, when I sent him to Professor X. Mutants don't bother me. Secrets bother me. I don't care if my son grows a third arm and a tail. He's my son."

"Except that I'm part female now." Shawn volunteered helpfully.

"Do you still identify as male?" Professor X inquired pointedly.

"I guess so. I'm going to need some help figuring out the new plumbing, though. Particularly the innards. Is there a uterus in there?" He looked down at his belly and Dr. McCoy perked up. "I can help you answer any questions you have. Why don't you and I find a private room and I'll do an exam?"

Shawn gulped. "Uh, I'm…it's a war zone down there. Can we just discuss it privately?" He asked, uncharacteristically shy.

"Your clothes can stay on." Hank assured him, pulling out a small handheld machine from his bag that looked like a tablet, but was clear. Shawn breathed a sigh of relief and got up, wincing. "Bedroom is this way, Doc." Hank followed his friend to the bedroom while Professor X caught up with Henry and Henry got to know the 'real' Carlton Lassiter. The man had shocking depths.

Shawn stretched out on his back and Hank turned on his tablet. "Tell me what happened. When did you notice the change?" He prompted, tapping the x-ray icon. With it, he could see real time imagery of Shawn's inner anatomy.

"There was some cramping this morning, but I thought I ate something bad. It was the bleeding that tipped me off to the change. Do you think it's permanent?"

"It may be. There was a mutant, a long time ago, who could change his form to adapt to any threat. We called him Darwin. Your cells are similar to his, in some ways. Chameleon in nature. How long have you been dating the good detective?"

Shawn frowned and shrugged. "We've been fooling around for a couple of years, but we keep it quiet. He does his part to cast aspersions on my character, making people doubt the veracity of my abilities. It's easier when people don't know I really am psychic."

Hank chuckled. "Yes, you do have strange logic. And you also have a uterus. I would have to do more invasive tests to determine your fertility and virility, but it is there. Fascinating." He moved the screen further down, getting a look at the new entrance. "It looks like you have a cervix and vaginal opening as well. That would be the source of the blood, once it leaves the uterus."

Shawn shifted, sitting up. "Okay, we can stop ogling the new plumbing now. How long am I going to bleed like this? Did you see any tears?"

"No, only the lining sluffing off. How much do you remember from sex education?"

Shawn rolled his eyes. "I have nearly perfect recall, when I pay attention. I did my best not to pay attention in that particular class, but I recall that Lady Chatterley did have a fondness for a handsome young groundskeeper. That was what I chose to read instead of the text book. Much more informative."

"Quite." Hank agreed with a laugh. He sat on the edge of the bed, bringing up images he'd saved of Shawn's new equipment. "It's fairly basic, for the average woman. The womb goes through a cycle each month, building up a lining to protect a fertilized egg, if there should be one. If an egg fails to implant in the uterus, the lining sheds itself. That would be the bleeding you're experiencing. The cramps stem from contractions in the uterus to expel the unneeded lining. The average period lasts four to seven days, varying in flow as the lining diminishes. Now, we don't know that you will go through this every month. That is something you need to keep track of. Once you have a reasonable pattern, you can predict when you will be fertile, if you are."

Shawn groaned. "I don't need this. How do women do this? How do they bleed for a week without dying? Or wanting to die?"

"It becomes a normal part of life, after a while. Granted, most men don't have to deal with such issues, but we have our own crosses to bear. You get to experience both sets of complications that come with reproduction." He patted Shawn's thigh in commiseration. "You seem healthy, thankfully. Staying hydrated will help with the cramps." He advised. Shawn took this to heart. He wasn't a fan of the H2O, but if it meant heading off these gut punches at the start, he would become a camel. Hank went on. "I've seen permutations of hermaphroditism, but never an example so fully formed. Under normal circumstances, the reproductive organs would be malformed or ambiguous. There is nothing ambiguous about the appearance or purpose of your new organs. You aren't intersexed, as we call it, but a true blue definition of the word hermaphrodite. I wonder if your mammary glands have altered to produce milk more readily? Most men have the potential to produce milk, under the right circumstances, but…"

"I'll let you know if I start lactating, Doc. I assume that comes with pregnancy, and Lassie and I haven't decided whether we want kids. That would bring up all kinds of complications, and out me as a mutant."

Hank nodded, understanding. "If you do find yourself pregnant, you have an obstetrician, gynecologist, and pediatrician in me. It would be interesting to see how your genetics blend." He mused. Shawn shuddered. "Let's jump that hurdle when we come to it. Just to get things straight, you think that because Carlton and I are in an intimate relationship, my body adapted to make it possible for our naked fun time to produce progeny. I admit, I have had dreams about holding a little Carls Jr. in my arms, but it looked more like a burger and less like a bouncing bundle of joy."

It took Hank a moment to catch on to the joke, but he did, and he laughed. "The subconscious mind does create some interesting imagery to portray our deepest wishes. He's immortal. You want a link to him. Hence, you made a way to create one. Mutant bodies are fascinating."

"Yes, my body is a wonderland." Shawn quipped, getting up. Hank followed him into the living room again, ready for the questions his father would have. He wasn't disappointed. "When did this start?" Henry asked, wiggling two fingers between his son and Carlton. Shawn sighed tiredly. "About two years ago, when he learned my mutant ability. I confronted him about some steamy dreams he was having about yours truly." He bounced his eyebrows and Carlton glared at him. He winced. "Right, that was a bit of an overshare. Anyway, it was basically me sticking my foot in my mouth and then begging him not to tell anyone that my ability is real. He agreed, since he had his own abilities to hide." Shawn summarized.

Carlton got a call from Chief Vick. Another vampire wannabe was found, and this one was dead. He looked to his lover. "Are you up to work? This is the second attack on a person in the goth community. We need to find the culprit."

Shawn nodded tiredly. "Just…keep your distance. Professor X is right about your inner demons being the source of my flare-ups. We need to figure that out."

Carlton was surprised, but then he realized that Shawn and Professor X must have been carrying on a telepathic conversation about Shawn's new problem. "You know the deal. Go have a psychic vision and pester Ohara until you have what you need. We may need to sit down with Chief Vick again. I think it's time we were honest about our mutant abilities, and why yours have been so erratic lately."

"You want to take our relationship out of the closet and tell her we're mutants?" Shawn asked in disbelief.

"I don't want to, but it's necessary. The world is changing, Shawn. She has to know she has people she can count on, and she needs to understand that sometimes, things will be complicated with you. At some point we also need to address my anger issues so they aren't complicating your life."

"We'll have that chat later. Get out of here. I'll fake a vision and get Dad to give me a lift to the scene. It's at the rare book store on Laguna. Juliette is already there." He said helpfully. Carlton gave Professor X and Hank a lift back to the school, disappearing with them in a vortex of flames. Henry shook his head tiredly. "That is going to take some getting used to. What's this thing about anger issues? He's not hurting you, is he?"

"No, Dad. It's…being aggressive is in his nature, and my psychic brain is picking up on it. He needs to learn to deal with his issues so I'm not constantly caught up in a rage vortex. It's making my powers go nuts."

Henry wasn't sure he liked this, but if he knew anything about his son, it was that ordering him not to do something would make him want to do it more. Lassiter was a good guy and a cop. Maybe he'd convince Shawn that his true calling was in law enforcement after all. He could only hope. He grabbed his truck keys and they drove to the scene.