Book Two - Part Two: Silk Spectre

Chapter Eight

Charles strokes Laurie's hair as she sleeps hooked up to medical machines in the medical lab. His fingers soft through her hair. She's been out of it since they arrived back. He figures she's not been sleeping all that well whilst she was away and now she's home it's all just....flooring her.

"Laurel" Charles whispers and then remembers that he's not alone with her. Jean reads from the results on the screen behind him. "Jean" Charles states, she turns toward him. "Can you make sure there is something ready for Laurel to eat when she wakes...?" Jean gives a soft smile and nods before leaving the room. Charles turns back to Laurel. "I am truly sorry for lying to you all these years," he tells her quietly. "I wish I knew what was happening to you" he adds.

[It's the gamma] Charles hears in his head, he frowns a little.

"Laurel?" he asks leaning closer to her.

[It's the gamma from Philip] she repeats. [Through fetal cells] Charles nods and leans back.

"Passing on gamma mutated cells to you..." he finishes, realizing.

[My brain is green] She admits. [Betty did a brain scan....and it was green]

"Gamma radiation in your brain increased your mental capabilities.....enhancing your mutation to levels you've never had before....evolving into uncharted ground" Charles brushes his fingers through her hair. "Telepathy" he adds. "And who knows what else...." she turns her head to look at him, awake now.

"I'm changing" she admits, he nods. "I can't control it"

"Yes, you can" He argues. "Laurel, I've never met anyone with your determination, your drive...your stubbornness" she smiles sadly at him. "If you apply yourself...just as you have with everything else you've tried, you can control this, and become one of the most talented mutants here. Jean went through this" Charles adds. "Remember"

"With the Phoenix" She agrees.

"It took time and hard work but she and the Phoenix are now....symbiotic" Laurie nods a little and takes a breath

"How is he?" she asks. "How's...Philip?"

"He's fine" Charles answers, she frowns at him.

"You're lying" she accuses, Charles sighs a little and the nods.

"Yes, I am" he agrees quietly. "He's...healthy...and over there" he nods across the room to the basket. She turns to look at the basket. "But...he might not be how you remember him" he admits, Laurie sits up and turns setting her feet on the floor. She looks down at herself and begins removing the sticky tabs on her, the machines bumping as she disconnects herself. Charles moves to turn them off. Laurel stands and approaches the basket and peers down at her son. Her eyes widening slightly. Despite Laurie having been gone only a month, Philip appears more like he's 6 months old. Laurie stares down at Philip. She's missed so much and without meaning to. A month, he is only supposed to be a month old, but he's not, he's growing, changing, faster than he is supposed to be.

"What happened?" she asks.

"He has some form of accelerated growth" Charles explains wheeling towards her. "We're mapping it and...keeping an eye on it" she takes a harsh breath, alarmed by it.

"Why don't you try holding him?" Charles asks her, Laurie looks to her hands, they fizzle slightly with green energy and then disappears.

"What if I hurt him?" Laurie asks.

"You'll be okay" Charles assures her. "I'm right here....nothing is going to happen" Laurie takes a breath and reaches into the basket for Philip, her hands shaking, she's terrified of hurting him. Of losing control. "That's it" Charles praises as Laurie settles Philip against her chest. Laurie is gentle, careful. Philip starts crying, sensing Laurie's unease, which just makes it worse. Laurie stares at her son, uncomfortable in her arms.

"Professor" Laurie pleads. "I can't..."

"It's okay, he's just sensing your unease, relax," Charles tells her softly. "He's okay...." Laurie shakes her head.

"No, I can't do this" Laurie admits handing Philip over to Charles who takes him from her, Laurie cries as she leaves because she can't even hold her son without upsetting him. What sort of mother does that make her? Her own son doesn't want to be around her.

............

"Laurel?" Logan asks as she rushes past him in tears. "Laurel" he states grabbing her arm, she turns and slams him against the wall, her arm against his throat. Her eyes are glowing, her hair flowing and she's threatening to have an episode. Logan holds up his hands in surrender, trying to make her see that he's not trying to hurt her. "It's okay," he tells her. "It's okay, kid...do you want to talk about it?"

"My son" she whispers and then sobs a little. "He hates me"

"No" Logan argues. "No, of course, he doesn't....you just need to bond with him, spend some time with him....he knows you are his mother, he'll come around" she pulls back from him, her eyes and hair settling.

"I'm sorry" she whispers. "I think it's....linked to my emotions" Logan nods in agreement. Given that her....episodes seem to trigger when she's upset or angry, he would say her emotions are a very important part of her abilities. She takes a breath and turns away from him, ready to walk away. 

"You know" Logan starts causing her to turn back. "I think there is some ice cream tucked away in the back of the freezer" Logan whispers to her, she sniffles and lifts her eyes to meet his. "Wanna grab a bowl?" she nods. Logan nods back. "Alright, come on..." he starts to walk away, Laurie takes a breath and looks back towards the labs. "He's not going anywhere" Logan assures her. "Let's just calm you down first" She nods a little and follows him down the hall. "How are you feeling?" Logan asks. "Now you're awake"

"I don't know" She answers. "I can feel this....power flowing beneath my skin" she turns to him. "I'm sorry I hurled you" she whispers, Logan snorts and looks to her.

"Don't even sweat it" he assures her. "Had worse paper cuts" she smiles a little and glances up at him. "Must be....weird all this, like you've gotten your mutation all over again"

"Yeah" she agrees. "Though I was more excited about it the first time"

"Yeah?" he asks.

"I ran straight to my dad to show him....he didn't take it so well" she admits. "But not that that matters....turns out he's not even my dad"

"Let's not talk about that" Logan scolds carefully seeing her getting upset again, he's worried she's going to trigger another attack.  Her parentage seems to be a sore subject, and for now, best avoided.