Continued from yesterday:
Sara giggled and blushed in spite of herself. Todd was turning into a very happy puddle under her fingers. His expression of bliss was almost - comedic, in its way.
_If mother ever heard that I was in a bedchamber with a shirtless male…_ Mother! Aw *crap*. She still had to impersonate her mother and call the school.
Sara let go of Todd and dived for her mobile, punching numbers.
“Mwf?” said Todd.
“Shh. I need to be my mother for a minute. Hush, I beg you.” Sara sublimated herself and let the character and voice of her mother rise.
“Bayville High, please hold."
Phone tag. Mother sneered and rolled Sara’s eyes. The hold music was some static-y radio station playing things designed to give people migranes. She kept the phone a little distant from her ear until she heard, "Bayville High, how can I help you?"
"This is Mrs Adrien,” she said in her mother’s voice. “My useless *daughter’s* gone and caught some kind of influenza. She won’t be in today."
Clicking carried over the line. "Uh… Are you sure your daughter attends this school Mrs Adrians? I can’t find any records…"
"Try spelling it A-D-R-I-E-N, dear,” said mother sweetly.
“A-D-R…” intoned the secretary. “I-E-N-S."
"No S, sweetie,” corrected Mom.
“Oh,” Clicketty tap tap… She had to re-enter the spelling. “I have an entry for an Adrien, SL…"
"That’s her. Sara Louise. She’s ill and won’t be in, today."
"Thank you, I have those details down."
"Thank you so much,” she almost sang the words, then hung up and became the Dragon. “Stupid illiterate little *slattern*. Barely worth anything at all. I should write a letter to the education board about the people they hire. *My* tax money goes to–"
_Away,_ thought Sara. _This is still *my* body and you don’t own it yet._ Sara flickered to the surface. "Sorry you had to see that, dear."
”…whoah…“ squeaked Todd.
~
"I didn’t know you could channel *demons*, sweetheart,” Todd said, trying to relieve the tension. Sara looked like she was suffering a migraine. He reached forward to rub at her temples.
“I wouldn’t call it *channeling* per se. We’re the Adrien family. Her genes are my genes, and she’s part dragon so I must be too."
"Yo, I only known you for a short time, but I can tell you that you ain’t *nothin’* like yo momma."
_Ignorant trash,_ Mother sneered. _Can’t even speak proper English and he smells like he’s been living in a garbage truck. Of course *you’d* find him charming._
Sara shuddered. _Off with you. Now._ "She’s already imprinted on me. Someday I’ll be at least a little bit like her. Either that or I’ll be a schizophrenic.” She laughed. It had a wavering hollow ring to it. Todd stroked her cheek.
“I used to think I’d be like Pops. He hurt me and Momma a lot.” Todd moved his free hand to cover hers. “I was scared of doin’ that to anyone *I* cared about, so for a while I closed myself off to people. Better to be alone than a monster, y'know? See you ain’t gonna become your momma ‘cause you’re too worried about hurtin’ people like she hurt you. I *been* there, b'fore. I think you’re gonna be okay."
"Just promise me you’ll leave if she makes me hurt you,” Sara whispered.
Todd held her.
“She couldn’t hurt me enough to promise somet'in like that.”
~
“I know *I* couldn’t, but…” Sara tried to steady her breathing. “Have you ever known someone so well that you have a sort of copy of them inside your head?"
Todd shook his head.
"It’s a kind of telepathy by osmosis,” she explained. “One absorbs everything they say, the patterns of their speech, the way they act… until you can know exactly what they’re going to say about something, down to the last inflection."
Todd’s eyebrows vanished into his hair. "Yo, I *never* wanna meet yo’ mama."
"She *is* a dragon for me,” Sara managed, “but Dad loves her."
”*WHY*?“ boggled Todd.
"She’s a completely different person with him. He’s the realisation of her dreams… the best thing that happened to her. I’m the one who’s the nightmare."
"Sara…” he chided.
“I know. I know. I shouldn’t talk like that… Mother’s still ascendant.” A few tic’s shivered across her face. Todd helped her still them. “I honestly don’t know why Dad loves her. I can’t see it. It’s as if I’m permanently eclipsed from all the good in her. Kept in the dark.” She sighed.
“Yeah,” said Todd. “I never got why Mom stayed with Pops, neither."
"Either,” corrected Sara. “At least you’ve 'met’ Mother in a way… Perhaps you can tell me when she’s coming out…"
"Easy as,” he soothed. “Ain’t no way I ever wanna see her again.” He snuggled up beside her and gave her a gentle squeeze. “Ain’t gonna let her get yo’."
It was such a relief to have someone to rely on, Sara didn’t know how tense she’d been about the entire mess until she let it out in one, deep, breath-long sigh of relief. ”*Thank* you, darling.“
"Be my pleasure,” cooed Todd.
She winced at a cramplet under her wrist. “Nng. Sorry, dearest, but I must get back to work."
"Aw, man. Yo’ don’t gotta…"
"I need to *do* something, darling,” she explained. “It keeps my mind off the cramps, you see."
"Just promise me you drink something before you get back to it?"
Sara kissed him. "You’re cute when you’re being a mother hen."
+
Todd followed her downstairs and gave himself the task of supplying her with water. She guzzled the first five mugs without taking a breath.
"Tole yo’ so,” he said.
“Noted and logged, darling,” Sara said, fetching herself another mug-full. “Watch. I’m being a *good* girl."
Todd found himself grinning like a fool as she chugged it. Even when desperate for water, she had a kind of grace to the way she knocked it back. Poise. If there was a polite way to chug a drink, Sara had found it.
He even wound up helping her sort through the piles of stuff she had found under the topmost layer of takeout containers and loose papers.
"Dayumn, yo. I never knew we had so much shi– uh… *Stuff*."
"You *can* say the words, dear,” Sara giggled. “I have heard them before."
"Yo, but– I don’ wanna embaress yo’.” He grinned as he chucked out a rat-worried magazine. “I like it better when yo’ blush from *compliments*, y'know? Yo’ get this cute little smile…"
She gave him that very smile as she evicted a bundle of empty envelopes.
_Wow,_ thought Todd. _I got a girl who likes me and I’m voluntarily cleaning this place *up*. I be takin’ *baths*, next._ And somehow, that thought wasn’t all that very alarming. _I must be in love. Wow._
~~
The grin didn’t go away all through the cleaning cycle. Todd realised he could clean very well when he didn’t realise he was doing it. Anything that looked salvageable like clothes went into a wicker basket (which had previously held pre-chewed gum, old newspapers, and splinters of wood from logs for the fireplace). Todd worked on picking debris off the floor, unconsciously clearing paths to be near Sara whenever she moved to a new spot.
By the time the living room looked liveable to Sara’s standards, it was already noon. She moved to the kitchen just as the phone rang. "I’ll get it, yo,” Todd said hopping toward it. “Brotherhood Boardin’ House, wassup?"
"Can’t wait to hear the outgoing,” giggled Sara from the kitchen.
“Hey, it’s me Lance. Everything cool?"
"Yeah, why?” Todd asked, glancing in Sara’s direction. Lance sounded nervous. Not good.
“The X-geeks just approached me asking if I happened to know where Essel was."
Todd cleared his throat meaningfully.
"Yeah, I know. Sara. But they asked if I’d seen Essel. I told them to fuck off but I know Jean tried to pry. Todd, if Sara loses control of her powers, they’re gonna be all over you. Xavier can pull all the strings he wants to let them out of school early if he wants to make things convenient for himself, you get my drift? Be careful. Don’t goof off."
"Gotcha,” Todd said meekly. Lance hung up. Todd returned the phone to its cradle, feeling his stomach lurch. The X-geeks knew. They didn’t know very *much* but they at least knew she was a mutant and they knew her school name. *Fuck.* Sara was in the doorway, looking at him quizzically.
“Something wrong?"
He looked at her, trying not to appear as worried as he felt. "We might be expectin’ some company is all. From the X-men.” He gulped suddenly at a new thought. “At least… after they try yo momma’s place.”
~
Sara fumbled for her cell. Redial. _Please, Ray… answer?_
“Adrien residence? How may I assist you."
"Ray… Everything’s going nuts."
"Oh dear. What’s the problem, miss?"
"There might be some people coming by,” she began. “They’ll be looking for my male alter-ego *or* me, I’m not sure which… Mom can’t know where I am. Mom can’t know I’m not at school. They can’t know I’m not at home."
"You’re unwell?"
"Ray? Do you have anything against mutants?"
A moment’s silence. "Oh."
"Yeah. I’m changing… Right now I’m not exactly presentable for company… or the press. *Nobody* can know. Please…"
"I’ll do my best to send them along, then."
"Where *is* Mom?"
"The lady is out of the house for the day. I believe she was going to a gallery."
Ah. So she’d be coming home shickered and incoherent. If she didn’t spend the night at a friend’s place.
That meant twenty-four hours where they wouldn’t get anything out of the family.
"Bless you, Ray. I have to go and concoct a plan B."
"Best of fortune, miss."
She hung up, trying to control her breathing. A small experiment revealed that - although she could hide herself, her dead skin refused to blend. Damn.
"If they come anywhere near us… I’ll have to wear hazmat gear or bunk and hide in the shrubbery or–"
"Or come clean,” said Todd. “We could surrender?"
"But–"
"Yo, if we head 'em off at the pass, nobody gets hurt, yaknow?” he said. “Xavier can pick yo’ up wit’ that machine o’ his an’…” he sighed. “He can can handle yo’ Mom."
Her stomach rumbled. "We have to think *and* eat, dear. Is there any place we can see the school?"
"Hey, yo, up on the roof.” Todd grinned. “If we see them X-geeks leavin’ 'fore school ends, we can get ahead of 'em, yo."
Sara offered him a handful of meusli bars. "Doing the rest of the house can wait,” she said, “this takes priority."
"And how,” added Todd.
+
The climb onto the roof was only slightly tricky when they came to the loft ladder. Sara had to psyche herself up it.
“Ironic, don’t you think?” she quavered. “Someone like me… afraid of heights."
"Ain’t gonna let yo’ fall, sugarlips,” said Todd. “I’d never let yo’ get hurt.” He reached down for her. “You can do it, babe."
"I have to,” she breathed. Her face went blank again and her trembling stilled. Blank and empty, like some horrible automaton with Sara’s face, she climbed up, paced away from the hole, and then collapsed, shaking, as Sara returned.
Todd moved to comfort her. “It’s okay. It’s okay, hon…"
"I’m sorry… I’m sorry… there’s no box big enough for a phobia… I’m sorry."
”…uh,“ Todd managed. "What?"
"It’s just mental compartmentalisation,” she said. “You take something that’s - inconvenient - and put it in a box in your mind. And you seal it off. Contain it. Put it away.” She shuddered and grabbed at him in spasms. “The really big things can’t be contained permanently. I have to put them away, but it only works for a moment…"
_Okay… the woman I love is in serious need of professional help…_ "It’s okay, baby,” he soothed. “It’s okay. I don’t think worse of ya for it. Shh… ’S awright."
Sara breathed raggedly. "I…” she managed. “*Hate*. Heights."
"Just a li'l further, now,” he encouraged. “We get onna roof an’ we can see whassup. 'Kay?"
Sara nodded.
"It’s cool. Ain’t gonna let yo’ fall."
Sara whimpered in assent. Her hand held his in a death grip.
As it turned out, they didn’t actually get to the roof, because Todd could see all he needed to from the hatch.
"Aw *fuck*, no…"
The black van was at the gates, and several little dots were piling in.
"Honey?” he said, patting her hand. “We gotta go back *down* the ladder…"
+
"So his name’s Adrian Adrians?” said Scott.
“Nein, you’re not *listening*,” argued Kurt. “From the top, okay? One. There is no such person as Adrian Essel, ja?"
"Rrrriiiigght…” he said.
“The person we *think* is Essel is actually a girl, ja?"
”*Oh*… we musta got her name backwards,“ said Scott. "It’s Isselle Adrians, right?"
”*Nein*! Wait. Listen…“ Kurt persisted. "Her name’s Sara Adrien."
"So why’d she go by 'Isselle’?"
Kurt rolled his eyes. "You know,” he said. “I’m beginning to see why she doesn’t bother correcting anyone any more.” He produced a piece of paper. “Here. Just read her record summary."
Jean took it off him as the van started down the road. She telepathically shared the information with everyone aboard.
"Kicked out of a lot of schools, lots of behavior demerits… fighting… random absenteeism… Are we sure we want to talk to him?"
"Her,” corrected Ororo.
“Whatever,” said Jean.
“Uh. Jean…” said Kurt. “A lot of those schools were for girls only? I think they’d *know*, ne?"
"The Professor says that there’s a blip at the boarding house,” said Ororo. “They might be holding her captive."
Scott started swearing and taking off his shoes. "Damnit. I *hate* changing in the van."
Kurt just turned off his holowatch. "Don’t know *what* you’re complaining about."
"I hate it when he does that,” grumbled Kitty, seizing her uniform and beating everyone else to the girls’ cubicle in the back[1].
[1] I don’t know about you, but I was always creeped out when they left a place in civvies and turned up somewhere else in uniform. Yes. I *do* think about things way too much
~