Chapter 5
Jean wasn't sure what she expected from Ms.Raven, but she not expecting the all blue woman wearing a full length black trench coat who stood in front of the receptionist desk. The woman stood arms crossed over her chest, staring down the front desk lady.
The receptionist stammered, "I'm not saying there's anything bad about shapeshifting, you know I once knew a mutant in college and he was a fine young man!" Jean couldn't tell why it was the wrong thing to say, but based off the reaction of the blue woman, it definitely was not the right thing.
Right before her eyes, the woman's skin flipped, scales all over her body, shifting into an exact copy of the receptionist. Jean gasped in excitement. It was the most amazing thing she had ever seen. She tried reaching out with her mind, her inhibitor bracelet annoyingly dampening her ability, she wanted to know everything about her. The woman turned to her, and like magic she transformed back into her blue form.
"Hey kid, stay out of my head it's rude to intrude." She smiled warmly, and turned her back on the receptionist. Jean turned as red as her hair, mumbling an apology. The woman only laughed, "don't sweat it, let's get outta this joint." She held out her arm for Jean to hold, and off they went to the car.
As soon as they reached the car Ms.Raven pointed at her yellow bracelet, "take that disgusting thing off right now. No restraints in my ride." Jean undid the clasp, removing it. She felt her powers flow through her, and she breathed a sigh of relief.
"So," Raven started, "what can you do? Just the telepathy? Or something else." She shifted her car into drive, Jean hesitated, not sure how much she should tell the woman.
"I can move things with my brain. But my telepathy isn't as good as...other people." Mr.X kept his mutation a secret, she didn't want to make him mad.
"People like Charlie you mean?" Jean stared at her side profile, unsure if it was a trick or not. Ms.Raven waited for her to respond for a second before glancing over to the passenger seat. She started laughing, "jeez kid, it's okay! I'm his sister, I've known he was a telepath since we met. Secrets safe with me, scouts honor." Jean relaxed a bit at that.
"Mr.X is gonna help me learn to control my telepathy, he's been nice to me." She liked him, he was safe.
Raven nodded to herself, "he took you in right?" She wasn't looking at Jean anymore, focusing instead on the road.
Jean nodded, "yeah, I've been staying with him for the last few days, but... Well I don't know how long he's gonna let me stay with him." She started picking at her cuticles.
Raven hummed, "well he never kicked me out, and I was a hellion as a kid. As long as he's allowed to he'll keep you around, trust me. I was you, kid." She has a small smile as she said it.
Jean cocked her head to the side, "what to you mean? I thought you're his sister?" Jean thought back to her own baby sister, missing her dearly.
Raven shrugged, "I mean, I was born blue, as soon as I was old enough to walk and talk, my parents threw me out to the wolves. I tried to rob Charlie's house, and instead he gave me a place to stay. Kept me safe all my life. I've been his little sister ever since." She was so...so casual about it. Jean just stared in awe.
"I want to be like you." She blurted the words out without meaning to, and for the second time since meeting Ms.Raven, she had embarrassed herself.
Ms.Raven laughed loudly in surprise, "oh sweetheart, you don't have to be like anyone except for you." Jean felt less embarrassed at her words. She decided she liked Ms.Raven.
As they pulled into the mall parking lot, the question came to mind, "Why do you call Mr.X Charlie? Kitty from school calls me Jeanie, and I don't know why. Do you think it's the same?"
Raven smiled, "of course! I like Charles, he's my brother but he's also my friend. It sounds like Kitty wants to be your friend too." Jean wondered briefly if this lady was actually the smartest woman in the world. "Lets shop, Charlie told me there wasn't a limit, so we can give this credit card a work out!"
Jean smiled, and for the first time in a long time, she felt comfortable.
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Charles was not worried, per se. He trusted Raven implicitly, and he knew she wouldn't let anything happen to Jean. But it was already eight o'clock. He hadn't made dinner, he figured Raven would buy them food at the food court. But what if they were lost? What if the car broke down and Raven didn't have any change for a phone call? Or if Jean didn't like any of the clothes at the mall, or-
As he was spiraling in his thoughts, he heard the door open, the sound of giggling filling up the foyer of the house. He breathed a sigh of relief.
Maybe I was a little bit worried.
"Mr.Charlie I got so many cool things at the mall! Ms.Raven is the coolest person ever." Jeans smile was the weirdest he had ever seen, and he couldn't help but smile in return.
You have her calling me 'Charlie' Raven? Seriously? He projected to his sister.
She gave him a pointed look, No, I told her to call you doctor dipshit but she thought it was too vulgar.
"I'm so glad you had fun! Wow thats a lot of bags," he watched Raven laugh as she struggled to close the door, dropping armfuls of bags onto the floor.
"Your girl has style, and I had free reign on the credit" her mischievous grin told Charles that his next payment to the credit card company was going to hurt. But seeing Jean pull out all her things and excitedly show them was worth any amount of money.
"Mr.Charlie, Ms.Raven said she spends the night here sometimes, do you think maybe..." She trailed off, shrinking into herself, and Charles could feel her anxious brain working herself up.
He interjected immediately, "I would love for Raven to stay the night! Raven, you can tell Ms.Jean all the embarrassing stories of my youth, and I can make us hot chocolate." He smiled at both of them, projecting waves of calm to Jean's mind.
Raven smiled, "I need to leave early tomorrow, but I would like that."
They stayed up last Jean's bedtime, sharing funny stories, Charles felt Jean slowly relax again. Beginning to laugh, she even showed them how she can open and close the door with her mutation, a trick she was very proud of.
Charles felt warmth in his chest as he watched the two, and for a moment, they felt like a family.