The real estate in San Francisco was truly horrendous. One reason why there was so much homeless in that city. Not that any of this was either here or there, thought Caitlin. Although hiding out in what was considered by many locals to be a homeless centre, as non-mutants were bound to check in for accommodations. John "Thunderbird" Proudstar left Caitlin in charge with running the Underground's mutant refuge. Marcos "Eclipse" Diaz and Lorna "Polaris" Dane were out of town to spend time with their daughter, who was cared for by Lorna's aunt in Minnesota. Clarice "Blink" Fong and Esme were with John somewhere in the city finding more mutant refugees. And Caitlin had sent her kids to go shopping for supplies. Esme was able to obtain a few "voluntary" financial donations for the Underground: they had cash to burn.
"You're not getting corvette, Andy!" Lauren told her brother in her usual bossy, mother hen way.
"I said 'I'd like one". Jesus!" Andy shot back.
Caitlin smiled at her son and daughter's customary bickering. Better than sullen, gloomy silences which sometimes occurred between them when they were really angry with each other.
Lauren and Andy brought in groceries, sundries and blankets through the backdoor of the shelter. "What's this about a corvette?" Their mother asked them.
"Someone souped up their ride, that's all." Andy told Caitlin in reply.
"We saw it on the way back," added Lauren. "It was all he could talk about."
"Yeah," said Andy, "it took my mind off the gloomy stuff you were droning about."
Lauren rolled her eyes. "Really, Andy? Me telling you that we need two hundred blankets is 'gloomy', is it."
"You're talking about it like we haven't done this before ever. I know what brands we need, I know we shouldn't over-spend. Like we haven't done this done this two hundred times."
Lauren shook her head in bemusement. "I swear, I'm the only one who takes this seriously."
Andy laughed bitterly. "Yeah-yeah! Saint-fucking-Lauren is the 'only one' taking this seriously...."
"Okay, enough!" Caitlin declared firmly. She did not want this to turn nasty. "Let's just these where they need to be". They unpacked the essentials in silence.
-----------------------------
Later that evening, the Struckers were seated in the lounge. It was after lock-up, and all the refugees in the shelter had their blankets and ready-meals, their inflatable mattresses and blankets. Caitlin, Lauren and Andy were sitting around the TV.
Lauren was on the couch next to her mother, checking messages on her phone. Andy leaned back in the armchair, gazing at the TV. Caitlin peeked at each of her children.
"So, did anything interesting happen today?" Caitlin asked.
"Nope," replied Lauren.
"Andy?" Caitlin asked her son.
"Not a thing," he shook his head.
"Have you met any new people?"
"No," the boy mumbled without taking his eyes off the screen.
Caitlin sighed. "Don't you think you should...you know...I mean, there's some girls your age here. Might make a friend?"
Andy stirred in his seat. "Please don't, Mom!"
"I just want you both to find some happiness. To..."
"Have a life?" Andy finished her sentence. "This is our life."
"We're fine, Mom." Lauren, the dutiful daughter, smiled. Caitlin knew it was forced. She stroked Lauren's blonde hair. Caitlin shifted closer to her and beckoned Andy to join them. He paused before standing and taking a seat next to his mother, who draped an arm around the boy's lean shoulders.
"Look," started Caitlin, "I know we're living under the radar. I know we have a lot of responsibilities. We usually have a lot of people to take care off. But you know, there are those who want to stay with the Underground and volunteer. They could be with us for a long time. You might...get to know them?"
"What.. you mean biblically?" Caitlin frowned, but Andy smiled and then so did she. Even Lauren smirked. All three laughed. Andy shook his head. "Maybe at some point Mom. I mean...I'll start seeing someone one day."
"You always can, you know."
Andy's face became more solemn. "I-I'm just not ready, Mom. Not after...her." He meant Rebecca Hoover, the mutant girl who he had known briefly and fell for when he was with the Inner Circle. Caitlin and Lauren knew the story. They even heard tell of it from Lorna and Esme.
"She was a psycho." Lorna told the Strucker women months ago. "Reeva didn't say much about her until after we freed her from that place. I knew there was something off about her. But Andy thought that the mental hospital broke her." Caitlin and Lauren told her that she was at the hospital because she was a psychopath. Lorna shrugged. "She tried to kill us after Andy freed her. He was prepared to ditch the Inner Circle. Can't say I blame him, as I was close to running out on them too. Rebecca would have turned us inside out if Andy hadn't been there. He didn't mean to kill her. Poor kid!"
"I'll know when I'm ready Mom." Andy told Caitlin. "What about you?" The boy asked in a solemn tone without a hint of rancour or sarcasm.
Caitlin was quiet for a long moment. "Your Dad and I had many wonderful years together." Lauren, with moistness in her soft eyes, took her mothers hand. "It's okay, Mom," her daughter half-whispered.
Caitlin smiled before laying a kiss on Lauren's hand and kissed Andy's forehead. "I see your father in both of you. As long as I have you, I still have him."
Both siblings cuddled up to their mother.