Breaking Point

[tudorrose]

The first thing she noticed was the sponginess of the grass beneath her feet. The sixteen year old took a cautious step upon the grassy terrain, a faint smile gracing her lips. Normally not one to walk about without shoes, she couldn't imagine anything softer than the grass blades currently beneath her feet. 

"Jeanie, c'mon!"

The sound of her former best friend's voice distracted her. She looked up, catching sight of Annie a few yards away from her. She grinned, face brightening seeing her friend. "Wait for me!" she called as she hurried across the green expanse. She ran as fast as she could, not thinking of the impossibility of her deceased friend standing before her. As soon as she reached Annie the girl disappeared. Frowning, Jean felt her forehead crease from her confusion.

"Annie?"

She didn't receive an answer.

The young woman dropped to her knees as she felt deep anguish wash over her. A flood of emotions assaulted her: fear, pain, anxiety. She remembered the attack quite well, as she'd felt the same emotions while watching her friend die. The horrible accident in the street in front of the Grey residence not only ended in her friend's death, but the emergence of Jean's mutant abilities. 

"Jean!"

Her eyes flew open, her mother's voice ringing in her ears. The teenager blinked a few times to process what was occurring in her bedroom. The objects that were currently flying about her room dropped to the floor, stationary after her telekinetic fit. Her father was by the door frame, a welt already forming above his eye. The redhead gasped, the noise garbled as she began to cry. 

"Jeanie, I know it was an accident...." Her father tried to comfort her, keeping one eye on the pile of books by the door frame that shuddered with the possibility of flight once more. A soccer trophy sailed through the air, knocking down a picture frame on her nightstand.

"Breathe, Jean," her mother instructed, a hand on either side of the teenager's face to allow her to focus. "In, and out. In, and out...." Jean did as she instructed, feeling her panic begin to fade. The woman brushed aside her daughter's stray tears as she regained her grip upon her telekinesis. 

Two days later found Jean perched upon a sofa in the sitting room, awaiting her monthly appointment with Professor Xavier. It wasn't fair to her family to have to put up with the liability that was their eldest daughter. The other night's fit- the third that month- cemented Jean's decision to accept Xavier's offer of admittance to his school. 

She knew her parents did not wish to see her leave, but she knew it was for the best. What if she really managed to hurt either one of them? Or her sister? She couldn't risk it. 

She waited quietly for him, blinking her bloodshot eyes tiredly She'd managed to grab only a few hours sleep the night before, too afraid of falling asleep and suffering another nightmare.

[x]

Each mutant was different. While most mutations manifested at some point during puberty, some mutants manifested at birth or in early childhood. Some didn’t manifest until they were nearly full-grown adults. Some were forced to manifest early for one reason or another. Certain mutations were ones that it could be argued that they would have never even shown up if extenuating circumstances hadn’t taken hold. There were those whose manifestations were violent and destructive, and those whose manifestations were as peaceable as could be. Every mutant was different, every set of abilities was different, and while it made teaching young mutants how to control their abilities a bit difficult on occasion, it was an understanding that was inherently necessary for any hope of success.

Jean Grey was an unusual case in that, while her primary mutation seemed to be her telekinesis, the story of her manifestation belied either telepathic or empathic powers as well. The poor girl had felt her friend die, and that was an incredibly difficult way to go about manifesting. While he’d located her a while ago, Jean had decided to remain with her family rather than leave them behind to attend his school. It had been a family decision, one Charles respected. Mr. and Mrs. Grey had nothing but love for their eldest daughter, despite any instinctual fears of what her telekinesis could do if left unchecked. And so, instead of Jean coming to stay at the school, they had arranged for Charles to visit once a month, every month in order to give her a bit of training as well as maintain the open offer of a place at the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters.

Hank parked the car and pulled out the wheelchair. After the minute or two it took to get into the blasted thing (still quicker than when he’d first be landed in it, but still), Charles settled himself into the seat. The two then made their way to the front door of the Grey residence and Hank rang the doorbell. It must have been a long night for Jean; he could feel her mind projecting a bit of her tiredness. Had she had another fit, then? They would need to figure out a better way for her to retain control even asleep. Charles began to outline a possible course of action as they waited for the door to open.

[tudorrose]

Jean felt her eyes droop as she waited on the couch. She'd tried to keep busy prior to Xavier's arrival in order to keep herself from sleeping. The second she sat down was when her body began to threaten to drift off. She jolted at the sound of the doorbell, so tired that she hadn't heard the car pull up out front.

Mrs. Grey answered the door, an easy smile on her lips. Her mother was nothing if not a strong woman. Despite her fears over her daughter's condition, she managed to outwardly hide her worries. Her father had been a leader of a battalion during the second World War; Jean knew that her mother had inherited her grandfather's ability to act clearly and calmly during a stressful situation. Her mother had grown up in a military household, constantly on the move from base to base. Mrs. Grey ran a tight ship of a home which took Jean's mutation in stride. The slightest tinge of darkness under her eyes gave away her fatigue, having suffered sleepless nights over her daughter. Other than that, Mrs. Grey seemed to be in control of her emotions.

"It's nice to see you, Professor Xavier. And you too, Dr. McCoy," she greeted them, stepping back to allow them inside. "Would you like anything to drink? I can put tea on, if you'd like." She led the pair into the sitting room where Jean was waiting.

"Hello," the teenager greeted the pair, trying to form a smile. It faltered; she didn't have her mother's gift of holding herself together. Mrs. Grey went off to the kitchen, leaving the three alone.

[x]

Elaine Grey opened the door with a pleasant smile; she was a wonderfully efficient woman, admirably calm under pressure, and she’d managed to take her daughter’s mutation well in stride. A woman after his own heart, really; the love she had for Jean was not easily missed, and it showed in just about everything she did. It was something that cheered him when he witnessed it, this bit of proof that he was doing the right thing. That there were mothers out there like Elaine, who loved their children regardless of their mutations and wanted them to have as bright and as happy a future as possible.

“It’s nice to see you, Professor Xavier,” she greeted as she allowed them passage into her home. “And you, too, Dr. McCoy. Would you like anything to drink? I can put tea on, if you’d like,” she said as she led them into the sitting room.

“Always a pleasure, Mrs. Grey,” Charles assured, taking in Jean’s mental state. The poor girl was utterly exhausted. “Tea would be wonderful, actually; Earl Grey, preferably, if you have it.” A nice cup of Earl Grey was wonderful for easing exhaustion, particularly when taken properly with a bit of lemon.

“Hello,” Jean greeted, offering a tired smile that faltered just a bit.

“Hello, my dear,” Charles replied, maneuvering his chair closer to her. “You seem rather tired, Jean. Another nightmare?”

Jean was as prone to them as any other child, but her telekinesis had a habit of getting out of hand when they occurred. It was something they had been working on, as Jean was concerned she’d end up hurting someone if she couldn’t maintain control even while asleep.