(no subject)

[x-firestar.livejournal.com]

The morning after Angel manifests, Elizabeth gets in contact with Professor Charles Xavier in an attempt to figure out their options.



When Bart went in to see Angel, Elizabeth stood up and rubbed the back of her neck gingerly. The bandages on her hands weren't the most comfortable things in the world.

Wandering down the hall, she found an unused waiting area and sat down again, rummaging through her purse. After she found her cell phone, she then dug down until she got out her contact book.

She'd never actually been in touch with this man before but one of her latest clients had given her his name and contact information. Just in case, they said, of trouble.

A few seconds of ringing and a voice murmured in her ear. "Can I please speak with Charles Xavier?" Elizabeth was proud...her voice had only wavered once.

The voice on the other end asked her to please hold for a moment. There was a click, and then a different voice, male and kind-sounding. "Hello. This is Charles Xavier."

"Oh thank God." She gave a tired laugh, her free hand bracing against her forehead as if to push her headache back in. "Professor Xavier, this is Elizabeth March, I'm a lawyer in Seattle for minority groups. I'm very sorry to trouble you but I've...well...my daughter is a mutant and I'm not sure where else to turn."

"It's no trouble, Ms. March," was the reassuring reply. "My school is here to help young mutants and their families, after all, and I'm very glad you've chosen to turn to us. Now... I am assuming that your daughter has encountered some difficulty regarding her mutation? How old is she?"

"She's fourteen...and a half. The half is very important." Elizabeth smiled a little bit. "She manifested, oh, yesterday morning in my car. Blue fire and they're saying she's giving off microwaves but the radiation isn't dangerous."

"I see. Then your daughter, Ms. March, is what we here at the school refer to as an energy-projector." Charles's voice was calm, soothing and yet conversational at the same time. "It's a not uncommon type of mutation, but manifestation can be difficult. Was she or anyone else injured?" The question conveyed gentle concern.

"Angelica's fine. I've--I've heard of mutants who aren't immune to their own powers..." A touch of fear in her voice and then it was gone. "But she didn't burn. I've got some slight burns on my hands because I tried to put her out but I'm fine. She didn't do anything wrong."

"Of course not. She's fortunate to have had you there when this happened." And fortunate that Elizabeth was reacting the way she was, although Charles did not of course say anything of the sort. "We have had many students at the school with similar abilities," Charles went on. "Learning control can be a lengthy process for them, but it is almost always a successful one. The key is to help them feel secure and confident, rather than afraid. Control follows."

One by one, Elizabeth felt the muscles in her neck and back relax. She'd known he would be able to help her daughter but talking to him, like this, soothed a great many fears. "We've always been an open minded family," she said quietly, "but it's always a bit of a shock when it happens to you. I know we've been really lucky, no one's treated us with anything less than acceptance and concern. But she's young and scared. So are her father and myself. I'm thinking this school of yours would be fantastic for her but she'll need some convincing. She likes the school she goes to, is very active there and has never moved before."

"One of the great strengths of our school," Charles said thoughtfully, "is that many of our staff are former alumni. They understand the student experience at the school, having lived it themselves. I find," he said, and the smile was there in his voice, "that they make exceptional ambassadors to families such as yours."

A smile of her own appeared at that. "I think," Elizabeth responded, "that would be the best. I know Angel will want to go because she's worried that she'll be a danger to someone but it'll help ease her in with recommendations and a talk. I know you're on the other side of the country but she gets released from the hospital later today and we'll be home after that."

"We have gone farther than Seattle to speak to prospective students and their families," Charles said with a chuckle. "It won't be any trouble."

"Alright, then. Angel lives with her father, so that will be the best place to reach us." Quickly, Elizabeth gave him all the contact information, including her cell phone number. "I'll be staying there for a while because of this so we'll all be in one place. Thank you, Professor, this means a lot right now."

"You're very welcome. We'll be in touch very soon."

After saying her goodbyes and hanging up the phone, Elizabeth bowed her head. The worst was over and it really wasn't all that bad, was it? If only she could stop shaking.

Her baby, her only baby, had a much harder road to travel than Elizabeth had ever wanted for her. But they'd get through it, they had to.

Standing up, she wiped her eyes as she headed back to the hospital room. They had a lot to talk about.