Generation Next (X-Men fanfic)

Twenty Nine

"Holy crap! A'Cadia lives here?" Mellissa called out from the backseat as they pulled up in front of the huge mansion.

"You are lucky Storm took her car, Mellissa, or she'd be telling you to fork over a dollar," Ziva told her from the front seat as she stared at the house that rivaled the size of Xavier's school. She'd already known from Stevie's little investigation into A'Cadia when she'd come to the school that the other girl had a major amount of cash, but this was a shocker. The house was a friggin' castle. Next time she'd ask Booger Boy for a little more information. She parked in the circular drive behind A'Cadia's little Spyder, and they piled out of the car.

Angela was staring opened mouthed up at the mansion. "I could probably dance down the hallways without hittin' a wall!" she said in awe.

"Come on everyone, let's get inside, and get settled in," A'Cadia called out.

Logan scowled at her. "Why'd you bring us here?"

She sighed. "She's on a girlie trip with her friends, Logan, she isn't here." That seemed to cheer him; he gave a curt nod and shouldered his bag, heading for the steps up to the front door.

It took a bit to get everyone settled. They all seemed good with the rooms she'd assigned them, except Storm who didn't seem comfortable no matter where she was. She'd been feeling somewhat under the weather all morning. As the morning passed she seemed to feel worse and by the time she unpacked, she was miserable. Her nose was stuffed and she was coughing. Every time she sneezed lighting flared around the room. Ziva was the only one who could safely enter the room without getting fried.

Ziva kicked the door shut behind her and moved to where Storm lay in the bed, a box of kleenex clutched to her chest. "Logan wants to know if you think this has anything to do with something called Legacy."

Storm groaned, sniffled, and jammed a piece of kleenex against her dripping nose. "Lord I hope not. I'm praying it's just some sort of flu virus that mutants are susceptible to."

"I'll let him know." She set a box of crackers and a glass of orange juice on the nightstand. "In case you want a little something. Mellissa wanted me to bring you whip cream but I talked her out of it."

"Thanks, Ziva." She sneezed and lighting zinged around the room, charring the wallpaper.

"I'll let you rest." She turned and left the room.

A'Cadia had just settled herself on the sofa in one of the many rooms downstairs with a magazine when she heard the distinct click of heels on the highly polished marble of the foyer. She froze mid-page-flip and set her magazine down, stood and crossed the room to the door, leaned out, and stared down the hall toward the front door with a frown.

She watched her mother as she clicked her way down the hallway toward her. "Damn."

Stone looked up at her from where he lay on one of the couches watching TV. "What's wrong?"

She looked over her shoulder at him. "My mom's home. She wasn't supposed to be here."

"Pru, dear what are you doing home? Aren't you supposed to be at that school?"

Her mother didn't simply say school, no because it was a school meant for mutants it was that school. It had been stupid to inform her mother she was going back to school. Like a fool, she'd believed her mother would be happy she'd stopped wandering and was beginning to take things seriously. Instead, she sneered and made nasty little comments. She turned back to face her mother, the last person in the world she wanted to see right now.

"How many times have I told you not to call me Pru? My name is A'Cadia now."

"Sweetie, it's the name I gave you and I will continue to call you by it."