Log: Laurie, Scott & Gail

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Backdated to Thursday 27th September.


Laurie and Scott go to visit Gail.




Laurie fidgeted nervously as she opened the door and gestured for
Scott to enter. She'd already phoned and let her mother know they were
on their way, but it was still the Headmaster of her school, going to
meet one of her parents and you could never tell how that sort of
meeting would work out.

From her seat on the living room couch, a rug tucked around her knees,
Gail looked up as Laurie showed Scott in. Her face was still thin and
drawn, but her smile was warm. "Mr. Summers, so good to see you.
Forgive me if I don't get up - the radiotherapy's taking a lot out of
me."

"I was about to say, 'Don't even think of getting up'," Scott said
good-humoredly, smiling back at Gail and taking one of the chairs next
to the couch. It didn't show on his expression, but he did feel a
little edgy. Gail had been through a great deal lately, and this maybe
wasn't the best time for this conversation, but Laurie had been
determined.

Laurie had quickly gone to her mother when they entered and now stood
back up from giving her a quick hug, frowning as she looked Gail over.
"You've been getting enough sleep, right? And Juanita's been helping
out?" she said, ignoring her Headmaster in her immediate concern for
her mother.

"I'm fine, Laurie. Bored, but fine. And if Juanita cleans any more,
forget about eating off the floor, you'll be able to see your face in
it." Gail brushed Laurie's hair away from her forehead. "Stop
worrying, sweetheart. Now, you didn't drag your headmaster all the way
here to ask me about my sleeping. You said something about wanting to
ask me something?" She glanced at Scott. "And can I offer you
something? Coffee? Tea? One of Juanita's churros?" Another
smile, more of a grin, really. "Please, take the churros.
Juanita's feeding me up and if I eat another I'll explode."

"I'll maybe take you up on that once we've gotten the topic of the day
out of the way," Scott said easily enough, although part of him was
wondering if she'd still be offering him churros when she found out
why he was here. "Laurie would like to do something for which she
requires parental permission, since she's not yet eighteen," he went
on, his voice steady. "I'm along to answer questions."

Gail raised an eyebrow. "Well, this sounds serious," she said, looking
back to Laurie. "What is it, hon?"

Laurie's chin came up, a stubborn set to it that Gail would know well.
"Mom, I want to be an X-man."

There was a pause, as Gail went still. "I see." Her tone was
absolutely neutral, holding neither condemnation or praise. "Well, I
suppose I saw this coming... Why now, Laurie? You're only seventeen."

"Because there's never as much time as you want, and I want to do some
good," she said simply.

"Hmm." Gail sat back a little against the cushions, contemplating
Laurie's expression. "You're my daughter, that's for sure." Shifting a
little, she looked at Scott. "And what of the risks? It's a dangerous
world out they're you're doing good in."

"I won't lie to you." He never did, in these conversations. "The risks
are high. We do our best to make sure we're properly trained to meet
them, to minimize the chances of something going wrong. But given the
sort of situation we encounter on a regular basis, there are no
guarantees."

Gail pressed her lips together at that, flashing a worried glance at
Laurie. "And have you thought about that, Laurie? With everything
that's gone on recently, are you sure you want to take those risks?"

Laurie licked her lips briefly and made sure to keep her gaze firm
rather then allowinging her hair to cover her eyes as she normally
would. "I'm a mutant, no matter what I do, there's always going to be
people who'll want me dead just for existing. I'm one of the lucky
ones, I can pass as human for the most part. But, Mom, there's some of
my friends who can't. I want to make sure there's a world where they
can walk outside and not be afraid. The X-men, they help with that.
Every time we help out in a crisis, every crazy madman we stop, it
moves us a little closer to acceptance. So yes, yes I've thought about
it. I think it's worth the risk."

Gail nodded at that, before turning to Scott again. "This training...
what's involved exactly? What's she signing up for? How long would it
be before she'd..." She paused, waving a hand vaguely. "Go into the
field?"

"The training involves a variety of things. Extensive work on her
powers, first of all. She needs control, and the ability to use her
powers in a deliberate fashion in a crisis situation." Scott leaned
back in the chair, exhaling. "Team training - how to work with the
rest of us. Hand-to-hand, so that she can defend herself without her
powers if she has to. More field medicine training, tactics and
strategy, flight training..." He hadn't answered her other question.
"She wouldn't serve as an active member of the team until she's
eighteen. She might go out as a trainee observer, or in a support role
- as a medic, for example - but we keep them well out of the thick of
things when they do that."

"Except you can't anticipate everything." Gail sighed. "Laurie,
honey... I know this is important to you, and I know you want to do
good, try and change the world - you wouldn't be you if you didn't.
But I don't want to risk losing you, especially after nearly losing
myself. I wish you'd wait until you were older, had more experience
with your powers..." It was obvious Gail was struggling with her own
doubts and concerns. "Just promise me you won't go out and do anything
stupidly heroic that'll get you hurt or killed. Listen to your
trainers, do what they say when they say it and for God's sake, be
careful."

"I promise, Mom," Laurie said, barely able to contain her excitement
as she reached over and gave her mother another hug. "You'll see, I'll
be the best X-man ever."

Scott didn't let himself sigh. Had there ever been a time when he
could look at one of the students wanting to don leathers and be happy
about it? There must have been, at some point... but those days were
long since gone.

"The training's not wasted, one way or the other," he said - to Gail,
not to Laurie.

"I don't doubt it." Gail gave Scott a brief nod over the top of
Laurie's head, her expression eloquent - fear, worry, a certain
resignation, a certain pride. "Thank you. I know you'll look after her
and make sure she stays as safe as can be expected when you're out
saving the world."

Scott just nodded. There wasn't much to say to that. 'I'll do my best'
went without saying, and 'You're welcome' would be lying through his
teeth. Just because he'd accepted those particular responsibilities
didn't mean he enjoyed them. A faint smile flickered across his
features, vanishing again just as quickly.

Laurie pulled back and gave her Mom a speculative look, "Tea?" she asked.

"God, yes," Gail replied with feeling.