Cat Scratch Fever || Home Again
May. 15th, 2017 11:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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xp_logsLorna and Quentin bring Collin home to his mother, and the small family tries to figure out what to do next. Slightly backdated due to plot runner brain failure.
It was nearly eleven o'clock, but all the lights were on in the Bush house were on as the trio approached, assuming Addison Bush wouldn't mind the late-night visit if it meant getting her son back.
#All this overtime, I'm taking tomorrow off#, Quentin said telepathically to Lorna as he climbed the steps onto the front patio. He yawned and pressed the doorbell, and then stepped aside so the first thing Addison would see is her son, safe and unharmed.
"Yes?" Addison opened the door hesitantly after everything that had happened, but when she saw her son standing before her, she flew forward, wrapping herself around her son. "Collin!!! Thank God you're home!!!"
"Mom!" Collin flew into his mother's embrace, nuzzling his head into her body as much as he could. He almost couldn't stop the tears from flowing down his face. It wasn't until this moment that he felt he could really allow himself to feel all the stress from the last little while. But he was with his mom now, and that meant things would be okay.
#Quentin, if you are still linked to my brain, don't tell me this isn't worth it. Kind of jealous.# She gave Addison and Collin a smile but wouldn't interrupt their reunion.
The telepath did not roll his eyes, but the general sentiment came across in the tone of his mental voice. #A mutant kid is off the streets and back where he belongs, which means we get a big fast paycheck coming our way. I'd be satisfied it's worth it, except for the whole his dad is in prison for almost shooting up a bank thing. You want to tell him that?#
#Is money all you can think about at a time like this?# Looking over at Quentin with a raised eyebrow. #And no, his mom can tell him that.# Turning back to family before making a little couch to alert them that they were still there.
Addison finally led her son go and she stepped away from the door. "Come inside. I guess you all have a lot to tell me." She guided them towards the living room and took a seat on the couch. "Anyone want some coffee or tea?"
He risked being up for the rest of the night, but it was a small price to pay to keep himself awake now. "Coffee," Quentin requested, and then belatedly added, "please." He sat on a plush chair, spreading out as if it were his own, and tried his best to not sneer at the scene of blissful domesticity before him. Something about a house like this — quiet, warm, secure, decorated with countless mementos of family and good memories, an actual home — made him irrationally angry.
Lorna sat down on the couch near by, "I am fine." Declining a drink, "The important thing is that Collin has been found. I promised his dad that much. The next matter would be what is the next steps."
"I'll be right back." Addison disappeared to make some coffee.
Collin bounced around on the couch, nervous energy emanating form his body. "Where's Dad, Mom? Is he in the back? Or is he still looking for me?" Collin's voice increased in volume. "Mom? Did you hear me? Did you tell him I'm home? MOM!"
There was the sound of cup shattering on the floor as Addison registered the her son's questions. Ignoring the cup, she quickly pulled the coffee fixings together with shaking hands before making her way back to the living room. "I'll let him know as soon as I can... But I have some bad news, son." She explained as she handed out the coffee.
Collin looked scared. "Bad news?" His eyes opened wide, and he started to shake involuntarily. It had already been a horrible few days, and all he wanted was to be home. "What do you mean, bad news? What's going on, Mom? Mom?"
Addison swallowed a few times before explaining very briefly: "Your dad was really worried about you... And the police wasn't helping either... Collin, your dad got into trouble and he is in jail at the moment."
Collin exploded. "Jail?! what do you mean jail?" This was all his fault. All of it. "What the hell.....how is he in jail? How long? Just like...for a night, right? Mom???"
"I'm afraid not. We are looking at a trial, Collin. And possible a few years of prison after that if things go bad." Addison confessed honestly. "But we are looking for a good lawyer..." She added quickly.
This was too much. "How can I stay here without Dad?? Who's gonna protect me now? I can't be here! I need to leave!"
Quentin was watching the scene unfold with dread. This conversation had to come, better sooner than later, but despite indications otherwise, he did not take pleasure in it. He sat up straight in his chair and leaned forward. "Yo, calm yourself," he said with uncommon compassion. "Your dad took extraordinary measures to help you. Don't squander that now."
"There is something else we can help you with." Lorna said before things got worse. "We call it the Underground and we have connections from all over. We help mutants that need protection, need to start over, or just need to disappear. And it is better than living on the street, where worse things can happen."
Collin could barely hear what the other adults were saying. His mother looked dejected, his father was in jail...and he couldn't help but feel like this was all his fault. He desperately wanted to turn the time back, but that wasn't something he could do. After sitting there in silence for a few moments, his quiet voice broke through. "Mom? Is that what you want? I don't want to cause anymore problems....."
"I don't know... I cannot just leave your father..."
"But it's not safe! We can't stay here!"
Addison turned to Lorna. "Aren't there any other options? Move or something like that?"
"Well yes, the Underground can help with that. The one thing we cannot help with is the trial, he will likely serve jail time - if he is lucky it will only be a couple of years, maybe less if he pleads. But I am not an attorney so please don't take my advice on that."
"Alright." Addison visibly pulled herself together. "I think we need some time to decide. Collin, why don't you go to your room and gather up some essentials. Can you provide us with a safe place to stay at least for now?"
"We can find you a motel for the next couple nights. "#Worthington doesn't notice charges less than a grand on his black card#, Quentin sent to Lorna, smirking. "You gotta think it over real careful, though. You wouldn't just be packing up and moving. This?" He gestured at the room, the drapes and the TV and the standing piano and the framed photos and art prints hanging on the walls. "It doesn't go with you."
"I see..." Addison was quiet for a long moment. "Like I said, let's at least get us a safe place for tonight and maybe the next few days. Then we can decide if we both should leave or if only Collin goes undercover while I return to support my husband."
Lorna nodded and stood up, "Alright. Pack a small bag of clothes." Pulling out her cellphone, "We will get you to a safe house within an hour."
"Essentials only, and leave all your electronics here, no GPS," Quentin instructed, standing up straight and gazing directly at Collin. "You're making a massive decision. I . . . good luck. Please be careful."
It was nearly eleven o'clock, but all the lights were on in the Bush house were on as the trio approached, assuming Addison Bush wouldn't mind the late-night visit if it meant getting her son back.
#All this overtime, I'm taking tomorrow off#, Quentin said telepathically to Lorna as he climbed the steps onto the front patio. He yawned and pressed the doorbell, and then stepped aside so the first thing Addison would see is her son, safe and unharmed.
"Yes?" Addison opened the door hesitantly after everything that had happened, but when she saw her son standing before her, she flew forward, wrapping herself around her son. "Collin!!! Thank God you're home!!!"
"Mom!" Collin flew into his mother's embrace, nuzzling his head into her body as much as he could. He almost couldn't stop the tears from flowing down his face. It wasn't until this moment that he felt he could really allow himself to feel all the stress from the last little while. But he was with his mom now, and that meant things would be okay.
#Quentin, if you are still linked to my brain, don't tell me this isn't worth it. Kind of jealous.# She gave Addison and Collin a smile but wouldn't interrupt their reunion.
The telepath did not roll his eyes, but the general sentiment came across in the tone of his mental voice. #A mutant kid is off the streets and back where he belongs, which means we get a big fast paycheck coming our way. I'd be satisfied it's worth it, except for the whole his dad is in prison for almost shooting up a bank thing. You want to tell him that?#
#Is money all you can think about at a time like this?# Looking over at Quentin with a raised eyebrow. #And no, his mom can tell him that.# Turning back to family before making a little couch to alert them that they were still there.
Addison finally led her son go and she stepped away from the door. "Come inside. I guess you all have a lot to tell me." She guided them towards the living room and took a seat on the couch. "Anyone want some coffee or tea?"
He risked being up for the rest of the night, but it was a small price to pay to keep himself awake now. "Coffee," Quentin requested, and then belatedly added, "please." He sat on a plush chair, spreading out as if it were his own, and tried his best to not sneer at the scene of blissful domesticity before him. Something about a house like this — quiet, warm, secure, decorated with countless mementos of family and good memories, an actual home — made him irrationally angry.
Lorna sat down on the couch near by, "I am fine." Declining a drink, "The important thing is that Collin has been found. I promised his dad that much. The next matter would be what is the next steps."
"I'll be right back." Addison disappeared to make some coffee.
Collin bounced around on the couch, nervous energy emanating form his body. "Where's Dad, Mom? Is he in the back? Or is he still looking for me?" Collin's voice increased in volume. "Mom? Did you hear me? Did you tell him I'm home? MOM!"
There was the sound of cup shattering on the floor as Addison registered the her son's questions. Ignoring the cup, she quickly pulled the coffee fixings together with shaking hands before making her way back to the living room. "I'll let him know as soon as I can... But I have some bad news, son." She explained as she handed out the coffee.
Collin looked scared. "Bad news?" His eyes opened wide, and he started to shake involuntarily. It had already been a horrible few days, and all he wanted was to be home. "What do you mean, bad news? What's going on, Mom? Mom?"
Addison swallowed a few times before explaining very briefly: "Your dad was really worried about you... And the police wasn't helping either... Collin, your dad got into trouble and he is in jail at the moment."
Collin exploded. "Jail?! what do you mean jail?" This was all his fault. All of it. "What the hell.....how is he in jail? How long? Just like...for a night, right? Mom???"
"I'm afraid not. We are looking at a trial, Collin. And possible a few years of prison after that if things go bad." Addison confessed honestly. "But we are looking for a good lawyer..." She added quickly.
This was too much. "How can I stay here without Dad?? Who's gonna protect me now? I can't be here! I need to leave!"
Quentin was watching the scene unfold with dread. This conversation had to come, better sooner than later, but despite indications otherwise, he did not take pleasure in it. He sat up straight in his chair and leaned forward. "Yo, calm yourself," he said with uncommon compassion. "Your dad took extraordinary measures to help you. Don't squander that now."
"There is something else we can help you with." Lorna said before things got worse. "We call it the Underground and we have connections from all over. We help mutants that need protection, need to start over, or just need to disappear. And it is better than living on the street, where worse things can happen."
Collin could barely hear what the other adults were saying. His mother looked dejected, his father was in jail...and he couldn't help but feel like this was all his fault. He desperately wanted to turn the time back, but that wasn't something he could do. After sitting there in silence for a few moments, his quiet voice broke through. "Mom? Is that what you want? I don't want to cause anymore problems....."
"I don't know... I cannot just leave your father..."
"But it's not safe! We can't stay here!"
Addison turned to Lorna. "Aren't there any other options? Move or something like that?"
"Well yes, the Underground can help with that. The one thing we cannot help with is the trial, he will likely serve jail time - if he is lucky it will only be a couple of years, maybe less if he pleads. But I am not an attorney so please don't take my advice on that."
"Alright." Addison visibly pulled herself together. "I think we need some time to decide. Collin, why don't you go to your room and gather up some essentials. Can you provide us with a safe place to stay at least for now?"
"We can find you a motel for the next couple nights. "#Worthington doesn't notice charges less than a grand on his black card#, Quentin sent to Lorna, smirking. "You gotta think it over real careful, though. You wouldn't just be packing up and moving. This?" He gestured at the room, the drapes and the TV and the standing piano and the framed photos and art prints hanging on the walls. "It doesn't go with you."
"I see..." Addison was quiet for a long moment. "Like I said, let's at least get us a safe place for tonight and maybe the next few days. Then we can decide if we both should leave or if only Collin goes undercover while I return to support my husband."
Lorna nodded and stood up, "Alright. Pack a small bag of clothes." Pulling out her cellphone, "We will get you to a safe house within an hour."
"Essentials only, and leave all your electronics here, no GPS," Quentin instructed, standing up straight and gazing directly at Collin. "You're making a massive decision. I . . . good luck. Please be careful."
