Hello! New chapter! Enjoy, and happy holidays everyone!
When Erik returned with the fresh lettuce, he set about making the salad while Laurien handled the pasta. She put on the record player in the living room with her powers, accompanying their preparations with the songs from the same Voulez-Vous record that the children had been dancing to the night before. Laurien didn't know what it was exactly about ABBA over any other artist or group, but the children loved them with a passion.
After about a half-hour of her and Erik trying to avoid getting in each others' ways as they cooked, but laughing whenever they inevitably did, they heard a knock on the front door. Unlocked as it usually was during the daytime, it swung open to reveal Raven bearing a bottle of wine in each hand.
"Howdy, family!" She greeted, raising the bottles in triumph. "I brought Boston's finest."
"Hey, how was your visit with Kurt?"
"Good! Got to see him and some of the other next generation X-Men." Raven said, closing the door behind her with her hip before approaching to lean against the kitchen counter. "God, were we ever that young?"
"Ah, don't remind me." Laurien muttered, instinctually rolling her wrists as she stirred the pasta and wincing to herself when the joints protested. "I'm feeling my age more and more with every passing day."
While Laurien was aware she'd aged, she hadn't really noticed how much until a cashier on the mainland had thought Sera was Laurien's daughter. It was a mistake that they hadn't corrected at the time, yet it had amused them to no end once they were out of earshot. She recognized how strange the situation was when she stopped to consider it. Her aunt now looked almost a generation younger than her, and with Raven's mutation, she still looked eerily similar to how she'd been when they first met almost thirty years ago to the day. When Laurien flipped through the scrapbooks they'd made since coming to Genosha, she was always baffled when she looked upon the older photographs in comparison to the newer ones. It was as if the two women had been preserved in a moment in time, with only the changing hairstyles and fashion trends to show that any time had passed at all.
Laurien truly didn't mind getting older. The scars she'd collected in her youth had faded further in the years since and were far less noticeable. Her hair colour was gradually lightening, and she wondered if it would eventually become white like how she remembered her Oma's hair. Her Oma was Laurien's only reference, as she never got to see how age changed her parents. At fifty-one, Laurien was now older than her parents had ever been, and the realization of that fact had hit with the force of a train.
While they didn't have any surviving photos of her family, a telepathic mutant on the island, Seline, was a very skilled artist and had offered to create a drawing based on Laurien's memories. Laurien had yet to give her a definitive answer on the matter, as while she trusted Seline, she was nevertheless self-conscious about what else Seline might see within her head. Even when she'd still been close with Charles, Laurien was never comfortable with the idea of letting him look into her past. Of course there had been the unauthorized inspection of her life when they'd first encountered one another on the street in New York City, but she'd laid into him quite harshly regarding that trespass.
"You've got perfect timing," Laurien declared as she picked up the pasta pot to bring over to the table. "Dinner's just about ready and the kids should be in soon."
"They might need a bit of coaxing." Raven said with a raised eyebrow as she grabbed some wine glasses from the cupboard, "When I passed by, Leni was deep in her tales of Egypt, and you know how time can fly when she gets going."
Laurien knew all too well. On evenings when they hosted Leni for dinner and drinks, they would end up chatting on and on for hours after the children went to bed. They would only realize how long they had been talking when the children came down the stairs for breakfast with confused expressions on their faces.
"Ah, right." Laurien murmured, setting down the pot of pasta on an awaiting heat cover lying on the table before heading over to the front door. She opened it and let out a loud whistle that cut across the clearing. The children looked up at the sound and Laurien waved towards them before closing the door again.
"So, Kurt told me some interesting news today." Raven started as Laurien returned to join her at the table where she was pouring the adults some wine, her tone of voice hinting that she had something juicy to share.
"Oh? Do tell." Laurien prompted, getting settled in her usual chair across from Raven.
"Seems like Scott is planning to propose to Jean soon."
Laurien's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Really?"
"Mmhmm," Raven hummed, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Kurt and the others helped him pick out the ring a few weeks ago."
"God, they're young."
Raven nodded, but then gave a slight shrug, "Actually, I'm surprised they waited so long. Scott and Jean have been dating for close to seven years now."
"Ah, well." Laurien conceded, accepting one of the glasses of wine from Raven.
"How long did your parents know one another before they got married?"
Laurien wracked her brain, trying to remember what her aunt Mathilde had told her about her parents' love story. "I'm not quite sure, to be honest. I know they were sweethearts in school, and they had my eldest brother two years into their marriage, so that would mean…" She paused, doing the math in her head before it all dawned on her. "Fucking hell, they were eighteen."
"Swear jar, Mama!" Kasia's voice called from the now open door as she and her siblings filed in.
Laurien stifled a yelp of surprise. "Sorry! Sorry." She said, her face rapidly turning red as Raven chuckled.
"Who was eighteen?" Nina asked, setting Darcy down on the perch he usually occupied while they had their meals in order to dissuade him from stealing their human food.
"My parents, when they were first married." Laurien explained as the children washed their hands at the kitchen sink before coming to join them at the table.
"Oma and Opa van Tiel." Ari stated with an assertive nod towards Laurien that she returned in confirmation.
"I remember walking by the little church where they got married every day on my way to school." She added, thinking back dreamily to the distinct architecture of the building. "I wonder if it still looks the same after all this time."
"Eighteen." Nina repeated, wrinkling her nose. "Ew, that's a year and a bit away for me. I can't imagine getting married that soon."
"And you don't need to anytime soon." Erik reminded her as he approached the table bearing the salad bowl, earning himself an exasperated sigh from their eldest daughter.
As she took her seat, Nina followed up with another question, "What about your parents, Papa?"
Erik's eyebrows raised in consideration. "Uh, I believe they were in their early twenties."
"And what age were you both when you got married?" Kasia inquired from the seat next to Laurien as she began doling out salad onto her plate, noticeably picking around the chopped pieces of zucchini.
"Let's see." Laurien murmured, finishing scooping out pasta for the plates sent her way. "I was thirty-five, and Papa was forty-five, is that right?" She asked, turning to Erik for confirmation.
Erik nodded, a soft smile gracing his face.
"That's late." Kasia remarked bluntly.
"No it's not, Kasi." Laurien admonished gently, noting with silent approval that Kasia still had a good amount of vegetables on her plate despite her dislike of zucchini. "It happened exactly when it was meant to."
Erik reached out and took the hand Laurien had resting on the table. She met his gaze and squeezed their joined hands. She knew that Erik always wished he hadn't wasted so much time when they were younger, but it didn't matter now. They were where they were meant to be.
Ari's voice then piped up. "But you knew each other for years and years before you got married."
Laurien glanced at their youngest, attempting to fully comprehend what he had just said. It hadn't been phrased as a question, but as a fact.
"Yes, we did." Erik uttered slowly, as Laurien met his equally confused gaze. "How did you know that?"
Ari simply shrugged, before taking in a mouthful of the pasta on his plate.
Laurien looked to Raven in askance, but she only shook her head in response, evidently as taken aback as the rest of them. They had never discussed the complex details of their past with the children, however Ari had been mentioning more and more strange things lately. The startlingly perfect Polish was only the most recent development in a list of things he had no way of knowing by normal means. Laurien could only hope that it was some aspect of his mutation kicking in that would soon explain how he suddenly possessed expert knowledge of so many things. In the meantime, it was best to remain patient.
"Have you heard from Sera recently?" Raven prompted, skillfully changing the subject.
Laurien cleared her throat, exceedingly grateful for Raven's intervention. "Um. Not on the last few mail runs, but she warned us beforehand that she'd be out of contact for a bit while she's going through the Carpathians." She explained, before gesturing towards Nina, "We'll be heading to the mainland on Monday, so I expect we'll get a letter from her then."
After the first few weeks settling in on Genosha, it became apparent that staying in one place for a long time was not Sera's style. She had her own private bungalow on the island, but she spent most of each year travelling around the world, returning to Genosha only for a few weeks at a time after months away.
"I hope she sends us some more postcards." Kasia added, her mismatched eyes gleaming in excitement. "Then we can start another row of our wall collage."
"How many do you have now?" Raven asked, taking a sip from her wine glass.
Kasia hummed as she gave it thought. "Not sure, but I do know for sure that we have over fifty."
"Woah, you're not going to be able to see your wall soon." Raven noted with a glowing smile. "And speaking of walls, can I join you on the supply run, Laur? I've been thinking about picking up some paint swatches for my bedroom."
"Of course, we'd love to have you tag along." Laurien said, making a mental note of stopping at the hardware store during their travels. "What are you thinking about the colour?"
Raven shrugged, leaning back in her chair as she finished chewing. "Maybe a soft blue of some sort. I'm not quite sure at the moment, but the paint swatches will help."
"And what does a certain someone think about the colour choices?" Erik queried, barely containing his smirk beneath his feigned expression of innocence, only to wince when both Laurien and Raven kicked him under the table.
"Who are we talking about?" Kasia asked, eyeing them suspiciously over her glass of milk.
"Oh, no one, hun. Your dear father's just being cheeky." Raven swiftly explained away, but gave Erik's shin another kick for good measure.
Laurien stifled a laugh and instead busied herself with her salad. Since their move to Genosha, Hank had taken them up a few times on their offer of taking his vacations on the island. He would usually only stay for a week or two in the summer, but due to the relatively close location of Genosha to Westchester, it was easy for him to come for a long weekend every now and then throughout the school year. It seemed as though the consistent contact between him and Raven finally permitted them to face their feelings for one another, and as a result, a romance had blossomed and was continuing to thrive over the past two years. Only Nina, observant as ever, had noticed that Hank no longer stayed at their house when he came to visit, therefore she'd been brought into Raven's confidence regarding the matter. Raven was hesitant to put a label on it just yet, however she did plan on broaching the subject with Hank of him coming to live full-time on Genosha. They were waiting for it to become official before telling the children, so as not to get their hopes up should plans not pan out. They adored their Uncle Hank, and the prospect of him getting together with their equally adored Auntie Raven would be a monumental development in their lives.
Nevertheless, they were all still unsure if Hank would actually follow through on his plans and leave Westchester. Despite his increasing frustration with Charles, Hank was still hesitant to part ways with him and the school. After thirty years, his loyalty and commitment to Charles was commendable, but in Laurien's mind, there were limits to what someone could stand.
"Has anyone heard anything yet from our newest resident?" Raven asked, changing the subject yet again.
"No." Erik stated, his brow furrowing in concern. "No one's even seen him, let alone heard from him."
Their newest resident had appeared suddenly three weeks ago without a single explanation. Selene, whose telepathy served as their eyes and ears for the security of the island, let them know that someone new was coming to the island on the ferry. When he stepped onto the dock, the first thing Laurien noticed was how sure and deliberate his movements were. She wondered if he had a military or performance background from the way he held himself and moved. As he came closer, the second thing that struck her was how young he looked. He couldn't have been much older than Nina, and Laurien's mind immediately wondered where his family could be and what circumstances had led him to Genosha.
When Laurien beckoned him forth to the community hall, the boy followed her without a word. He remained unnaturally still as she tried to speak to him, asking his name and age, but the questions went unanswered. Despite his silent nature that would generally be considered rather unsettling, his hazel eyes were kind, and he was emitting a pleasant warmth laced with only a slight hint of anxiety. Dark brown hair was peeking out from beneath a pristine New York Yankees baseball cap, while the rest of his clothes were dirty and far too large for him, practically swallowing him up. He carried only a raggedy backpack on one shoulder, which didn't seem to carry much.
Erik and Laurien had long since agreed to a policy of admittance to all mutants, no matter their circumstances, therefore she didn't bother with any more questions before providing him with a box of basic necessities to get him started on the island.
When Laurien showed him a map of the island documenting the various available lodging locations, she couldn't help but notice the large white scar stretched across his throat in the shape of a cross when his jacket collar shifted as he moved to look at the map. It then dawned on her that perhaps he couldn't respond to her questions even if he wanted to. He then pointed to the cabin in the middle of the woods, the farthest removed structure from the centre of the town.
Laurien walked with the boy to the small house they'd built in case of reclusive mutants. The boy still hadn't spoken a word, and didn't seem to react to anything Laurien said. Once at the house, Laurien let him explore. She was about to leave to give him some privacy, when the boy suddenly reached out, taking Laurien's hands in his. Laurien was somewhat taken aback, yet as a pleasant warmth passed through their joint hands and the boy's bright hazel eyes met Laurien's unflinchingly, it was suddenly clear what he meant to convey.
Thank you.
Despite this breakthrough, neither Laurien, nor anyone else was able to make any further headway with their newcomer in the weeks that followed. He seemed content to remain on his own, never venturing into the main neighbourhood, and never answering the door when Laurien or one of the children delivered baskets of food fixings or clothing to his doorstep. They'd had recluses before in Genosha, yet even they usually emerged every once in a while. Laurien hadn't managed to get another glimpse of the young man since first walking him to the house. It was getting to the point where they would wonder if he was even there if the food baskets hadn't been disappearing.
Raven frowned, swirling the wine in her glass. "How old would you say he is?"
"I'm not quite sure. Maybe seventeen or eighteen." Laurien responded with a slight shrug.
"I was thinking that we could ask Selene if she'd check in on him with her powers." Erik proposed, as he passed the salad bowl back to Laurien. "Not to pry, exactly, but just to get an idea of how we can best help him."
"Or to see if he's even alive, at the very least." Raven added, tilting her head to the side as she considered this. "We do have a duty of care to the inhabitants here, and since he came alone, he may not have any family looking out for him."
"I'd be curious to know where he's from." Laurien mused, taking the salad tongs. "You know, he might not speak English, so that could be stopping him from trying to interact with anyone here, even on a written basis."
"Do you mean the guy living in the Mirkwood cabin?" Nina asked curiously, and Laurien glanced over at her thoughtfully as a flare of warmth exuded from her daughter, wordlessly noting the slight flush in Nina's cheeks when she mentioned the young man.
The children had taken to naming places around the island after locations in J.R.R. Tolkien's many books. The forest was Mirkwood, the centre of town was the Shire, while the grassy plains of the eastern point of the island had been designated as Rohan. Nina, who was quite talented in fine arts and took lessons with Selene, had created a map of the island in the style of Middle Earth, which now adorned a wall in the study.
"Oh. He's Ukrainian." Ari announced happily.
Nina cleared her throat, before hurriedly adding, "Well, we're pretty sure he's Ukrainian. Not one hundred percent, though."
"How did you find that out? Did you speak with him?"
"No, but we saw him."
"You did?"
"We all did." Nina noted, nodding towards both Ari and Kasia. "Assuming that you're referring to the young fellow with dark hair and the Yankees cap."
"We are, but how do you know he's Ukrainian?" Erik asked with a frown.
"He was wearing a necklace with a pendant that looked like a fork. I remember seeing it in one of my encyclopedias." Ari explained, before leaning over towards his eldest sister and asking timidly, "What did you call it again, Nina?"
"A trident."
"A trident!" Ari repeated with renewed confidence.
"Hmm." Laurien hummed, frankly relieved that there was a logical reason for why Ari had this knowledge. "Well, Polish has some similarities to Ukrainian, doesn't it? That could be a starting point."
"If you can even track him down, that is." Nina commented, finishing off the last of her salad. "We haven't seen him since that one time, and that was a week ago."
"Where did you see him?" Erik inquired.
"In Mirkwood." Kasia replied nonchalantly. "He was listening to a walkman in a tree."
"Well, music is always a good topic for making new connections, it can transcend all languages." Raven stated, a wide grin stretching across her face as she excitedly pointed at Nina across the table. "You should take a boombox and stand outside his window like John Cusack while playing Peter Gabriel's In Your Eyes."
Nina turned bright red, and groaned, "Jeez, Auntie. Not Peter Gabriel."
Raven snorted, "That's the part you have an issue with?"
"We should hide your Blockbuster card." Laurien chuckled, shaking her head fondly at her friend. "These new films are obviously having a bad influence on you, Raven."
"Hey, you enjoyed Back to the Future." The blonde retorted, raising an eyebrow as if daring them to stay otherwise.
"A bright shining light in a sea of awful movies you've rented." Erik murmured under his breath as he skewered another piece of pasta with his fork, the table shuddering with a resounding thunk as Erik narrowly avoided getting hit again by Raven's foot.
Poor Nina has only seen this boy once and already has a crush!
The core Dark Phoenix plot is kicking off next chapter when they go on that supply run to the mainland, so buckle up!
Thank you all for reading, I hope you enjoyed, and please leave a comment or review! Hope you all have a happy and healthy holiday!