LOGS: [Terry / Jennie, Marius] Visitors

[x-emplate.livejournal.com]

Fretting in the Medlab after the incident in the Danger Room, Terry encounters some unexpected visitors.



When they'd arrived in the infirmary, Terry was nearly in tears from worry. Bobby hadn't even tried to change back yet and wasn't sure that he could. Dr Voght, looking supremely unimpressed by this new use of powers, took on look at Bobby and motioned for him to follow with a curt, "this way, Mr. Drake." Being told that she needed to wait outside wasn't calculated to make Terry any calmer about this whole situation but that didn't really concern the Russian doctor who didn't even bother with more than a withering stare. After a short time, Moira had appeared but she'd just given Terry a pat on the shoulder and disappeared after Amelia and Bobby.

That was at least an hour ago. Terry paced restlessly, still in her grey leathers. What if Bobby couldn't change back? What if he was going to be stuck as ice forever? What if he changed back and died from it? He was okay now but the cracks in his...skin didn't look good. And there was a gouge in his stomach that no one without a healing factor could survive. What happened when that became flesh and blood again?

"Pardon me, miss."

Terry turned to see two strangers standing in the door of the Medlab. The speaker was a man, older and quite tall, with dark skin and gold wire-rimmed glasses. Beside him stood a slightly younger and significantly more well put-together woman with a mass of dark, curly hair that tumbled past her shoulders. Whereas the man was regarding Terry with an air of respectful attention his companion seemed busier assessing the Medlab with the eye of one inspecting a prospective purchase with the eye of finding some flaw that would justify lowering the price.

Terry wiped her eyes, forcing herself to some sort of calm that wouldn't reflect poorly on the school. "Can I help you? This...are you looking for someone?" They shouldn't have been downstairs. Not alone at least. It was a measure of how upset Terry was that the accent took so long to sink in. "Oh! You're from...um. Dr. Voght's a little busy right now."

The man gave Terry a polite smile. "Perhaps you can help us, then. I am Cartier St. Croix, and this is Amanti Laverne. Please excuse the intrusion, but we were directed here by Charles--"

He was cut off by a sharply upraised hand from the woman. "Yes, we have indeed made our way to this rather ridiculously chill locale at the behest of the illustrious Professor Xavier," she said in a tone that evinced both a faint accent and total lack of patience. "Now, perhaps you could be so kind as to tell us where we might find our son."



Marius has a meeting that's been long in coming, and Jennie walks in at just the right moment to share it.



Marius would give enforced convalescence one thing: it was giving him plenty of time to prepare for class. Given he'd missed he'd missed the first month and a half of it he could use all the prep time he could get. He barely even glanced up at the knock on the door.

"Come in. 'Bout time, rather helps to know what bits to study--" Half the sentence was out of his mouth before Marius's peripheral vision registered two figures rather than the expected one.

Then he registered who the two figures were.

"Mum, dad," Marius stammered as his father closed the door behind them. My parents, my parents are here, my parents are here. Why hadn't anyone given him any warning? Why hadn't anyone given him the chance to clean up, or cover up, or -- Marius shoved his hands under the sheets, then realized that was guaranteed to attract their attention. And it was ridiculous anyway, because they'd both seen the mouths before he'd left.

It was everything else.

Play it off, play it off. Marius forced his hands back onto his lap in a more normal position. "Apologies, I'm a, I'm in a bit've a state. In a transitional phase right now, these aren't mine. The claws I mean, I'm just borrowin'." As if anyone was even going to notice those between the eyes, the skin, and the respirator. "I'm not . . ."

And that was as far as he could go. He felt hot and small under their eyes in a way he hadn't since those first few weeks outside Xavier's after he'd lost any chance at passing. For an excruciating moment Marius sat in silence as their eyes raked him, mother and father alike just as speechless.

Then, finally, his mother spoke.

"Sami, you little fool."

Without hesitation Amanti strode across the room and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, unconcerned with the awkward bulk of the respirator. One blush-brushed cheek touched the scarified flesh of her son's.

"My poor little fool," she murmured.

He had an absurd flash of Jennie the night before, but this time there was no instinctive urge to bite. He realized, dimly, that was because there was no trigger. He was the only mutant in the room -- his mother looked and felt the same to him as she always had. Just the same.

Marius squeezed his eyes shut and let his head sink until his chin rested against her shoulder.

"Sorry, mum," he whispered.

"As well you should be," his mother replied with absolute assurance. She gave him a last squeeze and pulled away to sit on the edge of his bed, crossing her legs in front of her and settling her weight back on the heels of her well-manicured hands. She inspected the rumpled sheets appraisingly. "These linens are of a depressingly low quality. Clearly a complaint must be lodged with your supplier."

"Mum -- what're you doin' here?" Now that the initial shock was broken Marius didn't even try for a subtle segue. As far as his mother was concerned there wasn't much point.

"I was treated to a phonecall from that incomprehensible Scotswoman who has so valiantly shouldered your case. Shockingly, it seems there is a certain protocol that engages when one of the school's charges yet again requires serious medical attention. Which, one imagines, would have come as something less of a surprise to your father and I had the student in question responded to any one of his parents' frequent attempts at contact in the last two months." Amanti raised her hand to push one of the dreadlocks away from his eyes. "Although I must say, had I known what you'd done to your hair I would have come sooner."

Marius looked at her, then over at the man who'd still not spoken a word since coming into the room. "Dad?" he said, the word uncertain.

Cartier smiled faintly. "Hello, son," he said.

Before Marius could respond there was a knock on his door.

Jennie stuck her head in. "Hey, I brought by those notes like you--" she broke off when she saw that Marius had company. Two adults Jennie had never seen before, except in pictures. "--Or, I can come back later."

"Ah, no worries," Marius said, almost grateful for the interruption. He straightened a little and nodded to her. "This would be Jennifer Stavros. Jen, these are my parents." He gave his mother a wary look. "Distressingly."

"Oh, hi," Jennie said, smiling her best and suddenly keenly aware of the bandages on her wrist and neck, which she hadn't even bothered to cover. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

After an obvious split-second of processing the name, the notes, and the tenor of the situation Cartier extended his hand. "Likewise," he said with a smile. "Sami has spoken quite highly of you. Ari Niarchos' daughter, yes?"

Amanti tilted her head, regarding Jennie appraisingly. "Stavros, Stavros . . . Ah, so you would be the one my son tempted into a life of crime and viciously attacked Thursday." She turned to give Marius a bright smile. "Let it never be said I don't take an interest in your life."

Cartier sighed.

"So many things make sense now," Jennie muttered, smile never wavering. She grasped Cartier's hand and shook it firmly. "Yeah, He's my Dad. I'm pretty sure you've probably crossed paths at some point." Jennie turned to Amanti and decided against offering a handshake, instead offering her sweetest smile. "And I dropped a tree on his head, so we're even."

Amanti gave her a solemn nod. "Of which I entirely approve, being well-acquainted with the force often necessary to knock sense into it."

Marius rolled his orange eyes. "Missed you too, mum."

"And so yet another third party comes to understand the long-standing arrangement that I be the primary participant in all parent/teacher functions," Cartier muttered with a shake of his head. He turned to Jennie and gave her another smile. "Ah, well. Miss Stavros, could you perhaps show me the washroom?"

"Yes, it's just down the hall here," Jennie pointed behind her, turning to deposit the notebook on the table by Marius's bedside. "I'll show you, it can be kind of confusing if you don't know where you're going."

"Take your time," Amanti said with an airy wave of her hand. "It will allow us ample opportunity to discuss you behind your back." Her attention was already back to her son as they moved to leave, one hand raised again to finger his hair. "Honestly, Sami, dreadlocks? I know people in desperate situations are wont to make foolish choices, but was I really so appalling a failure as a parent? . . ."

"I feel compelled to assure you that Amanti loves our son," Cartier said to Jennie once the door was safely closed behind them. "Truly. Despite both tangible evidence and her very vocal declarations to the contrary." He was silent for a moment, his gaze falling to the bandages on her neck, then her wrist. "That said . . . your injuries. Sami was responsible?"

Jennie waved a hand dismissively. "It's actually fascinating to watch, now I understand so much about him." They turned a corner, and Jennie fingered the bandage on her wrist. "It was stupidity on both our parts," she said by way of explanation, "he shouldn't have run off when he wasn't feeling well and I shouldn't have gone off by myself. They look worse than they are, really, and it has the unique side benefit of teaching him how to cheat at Gin with my powers."

"And yet still it happened. And more." Cartier let his eyes fix on the end of the corridor. "Sami is an exceptional boy. Any expectation we set for him, anything he has ever set his mind to, he has been able to achieve -- effortlessly. Academically, athletically, socially. He never learned to accept there are some things he cannot overcome alone. Or that some things simply cannot be overcome at all. Life did not prepare him for this sort of extremity, and nor did we."

Cartier pushed the wire-rims further up his nose, a gesture more habit than necessity. "During the initial manifestation he kept saying 'I'm fine, I'm fine'. We let him persist in that, though he could not have been. He almost died. He nearly did again twice more after coming to the school. Both times his mother wanted to go to him. I insisted we respect his wishes and give him space. We did nothing, and you and two others suffered for it."

The girl paused, thinking for a moment. "Look, pointing fingers, even at yourself is not going to help him. Or me, come to think of it. I accept your apology, but it's not really necessary. What's done is done. He and I are friends again and hopefully barring another monumental bout of stupidity we will remain so." Jennie sighed. "And I was every bit as bad with the denial. Every time something bad happened to either of us, we'd do our hardest not to think about it. But unlike him, I learned the hard way that sometimes bad things happen and there's nothing you can do. You just pick up the pieces and do the best you can, and I think he understands that now." She stuck her hands in her pockets and frowned. "If it's any consolation, I think we've both learned enough not to do any repeats."

"So one hopes." A smile ghosted Cartier's face as they drew to a stop in front of the restroom. "Somehow I suspected you would be sensible. Sami has his flaws, but he also possesses a certain talent for surrounding himself with those who make up for what he lacks." The man extended his hand to her once again. "I deeply regret what you have been put through. I do not think that shall ever change, for me or for him, regardless of the value of moving forward. However, for your friendship with my son, I offer you something other than apologies: my thanks."

"He's actually one of the best friends I've ever had, believe it or not." Jennie smiled a little at the irony and clasped Cartier's hand. "I shall do my best to see that he doesn't wind up dead. I have an issue with that."

"Selfishly, I have no complaints. I admit to some personal attachment myself." Cartier shook her hand briskly, the contact firm and sincere, then withdrew. "And now if you'll excuse me, I really shall use the washroom before returning to my son and the lovely woman who is not my wife. Feel free to join us. I believe Sami would welcome the moral support."

Jennie grinned. "The entertainment alone should be worth it. Perhaps I will even get to witness him feeling shame." She turned around and made her way back to Marius's room. Pausing outside the door, she could hear Amanti's voice, chiding her son. "Yes, so very many things make sense now."