With A Little Help From My Friends

[Chartis]

Is that him? No, too tall. There! Oh, no. Definitely not. Annnd--nope, not him either.

Standing in the middle of the lobby of the Natural Museum of History, freezing even in a thick sweater and fluffy hat, Clarity Cleine sighed again. She was a tiny woman, small in both size and stature, with pale colouring and white-blonde hair that made her look very much like a china figurine. Despite having paid the admission fee almost half an hour ago, she had yet to actually venture into the depths of the museum. Instead of looking at the exhibits, Clarity was nervously watching the public trickle in.

This was a bad idea. Calling him out of the blue, after so long. It's too early. You should have told him to come in the afternoon, there's probably traffic and he's certainly kept busy enough--


"Mum! Look! There are skeletons!" A small boy wearing a red fleece sweatshirt and holding one of the woman's hands interrupted her thoughts. He was pointing to a wing on the right, which housed an exhibit of late Jurassic dinosaurs. His dark eyes sparkled with excitement, and he tugged on her hand eagerly. Clarity nodded, trying to look suitably amazed despite her anxiety.

"Wow, Rids, that's pretty neat." She trailed a hand through her son's black hair, fondly. "Is that a Tyrannosaurus over there?"

Ridley scoffed. "No. Tyrannosaurus lived in the Cretaceous, Mum, everyone knows that."

Well, of course. How could she have forgotten? Clarity shook her head wryly and continued to scan the faces of the crowd, 'mm-ing' as Ridley kept up his commentary with mounting excitement. According to her watch it had only just turned eleven o'clock local time. It seemed that the seconds were creeping by unusually slow. Clarity tapped the face of her timepiece and squinted to make sure it was working.

She was just turning to look at something "really cool!" that Ridley had spotted, when Clarity saw a vaguely familiar figure approaching the museum entrance. Her heart fluttered in recognition.

A smile stretched across her narrow face. Yanking her hat off, Clarity knelt down so that she was level with her son. "Hey listen, Ridley." She paused until the boy turned to look at her, fidgeting. "Why don't you go on ahead and look at the dinosaurs while I wait for my friend? You've been very patient but there's no reason why you can't take a peek."

"Are you sure?" Ridley asked. His eyebrows rose; his mother had told him specifically not to stray from her side once they got to New York. It was much bigger than George Town.

Clarity nodded and tucked her short, wavy hair behind her ears. "I'm sure. As long as you promise to stay within sight and don't leave the exhibit."

Ridley grinned. "Okay! I promise!" Before he was even finished his sentence, the boy had twisted and was running towards the display. Clarity watched his form retreat before she stood up and turned to meet the incoming figure. For the moment her pleasure at seeing him after so long eclipsed the nerves that had plagued her all morning.

Self-consciously running a hand over her wispy hair (it was all over the place, from the hat) Clarity waved. She was so small it would be easy to miss her in the crowd.

[Ethan Daniels]

Ethan's surprise in being here outweigh his nervousness in seeing an old friend.

Had it really been eight years?, he mused to himself and stepped forward to pay for his ticket. Clarity Cleine had left Cullen's without much word as to why. Now completely out of the blue, she had called Ethan and wanted to meet. She didn't divulge any ideas as to why, just that she was in town and wanted to meet at the Natural Museum of History. Even when he asked her where to meet Clarity said 'Don't worry. I'll find you.'

As he walked through the line, his mind weight heavily on what Clarity needed. Was she in trouble? Did she want to come back? Of course, maybe it was simple as wanting to see an old friend just because. He almost laughed at that thought. Being a mutant never made things simple. Nothing was just because.

"Ticket please."

"Huh?" A teen-aged girl had her hand out expectantly and a look of 'duh' written on her face.

He smiled apologetically and handed it over. "Sorry."

"No worries," came her half-hearted reply as she ripped his ticket and became an afterthought.

Walking into the main corridor, a large red banner of a white horse's head wisp gently by the breeze caused by the influx of people. His eyes brightened a bit since he really loved horses, and there happened to be an exhibit here dedicated to them.

Perhaps it was a good idea to come after all. Ethan had not left the Institute since Fran was put into a coma. He had come to terms that the incident was not his fault, every X-man knows the risk involved when they head into battle. What ate at his heart is the possible truth that she may never wake up. Fran had retreated so far into her mind that no one could sense her. Not even him... The body produces electricity and each individual has a different 'hum' about them that Ethan can sense. He was no telepath, but it was hard to get the drop on him.

He pried his eyes away and started looking around. "Gyeah!" The bony head of a Velociraptor was mere inches away from Ethan's startled face. Straightening out the collar of his leather jacket, he stood up right again and looked to see if anyone noticed.

[Chartis]

Luckily for Ethan's pride the only people who had were a couple of schoolkids standing next to him and Clarity. The kids giggled and bent their heads to whisper to one another, and Clarity put a hand to her mouth to hide a smile as she practically skipped over.

The last time she'd seen Ethan, she had been up to her neck in studying for her undergraduate degree, and he'd had a grand time freaking her out about the upcoming exams. Clarity felt a little payback was in order.

"Good God, old man," She exclaimed from behind, tugging on his jacket. "You're still wearing this ugly thing?"

[Ethan Daniels]

His black brows narrowed in confusion. "What? I like it. It's comfy. And who you calling old?"

Ethan's smile was bright as he took Clarity into a warm embrace. "I've missed you. Eight years is a long time."

[Chartis]

Even with Ethan bent over Clarity had to stand on tiptoe to wrap her arms around his neck. She squeezed tightly; there was something, a weariness in the corners of his eyes, that made her suspect he needed a hug.

"Too long." Clarity agreed, finally pulling back and grinning at him as she touched a hand to his temples. "Look at you! No grey hair yet, the kids musn't be running you ragged enough."

[Ethan Daniels]

"There's plenty to keep me running ragged," he responded with a weariness that Clarity was not used too. Ethan hid it well, as far as he was concerned. "But you're as spunky as ever. Good to know things haven't change. Which is a good segue into my next question. Is everything okay?"

He had a hard look on his face and wanted to know the truth. If Clarity was in trouble, Ethan had to know in order to prepare properly.

[Chartis]

His brotherly concern touched her. Allaying his fears immediately with a shake of her head, Clarity spoke. "No, no everything's fine."

Which was obviously not the case with Ethan. He carried his worries less openly now, but years of absence hadn't stolen her ability to read him. The draw of his shoulders, the subtle downward pinch of his lips even when he smiled...

They would speak about what was bothering him, that much was sure, but for the moment Clarity wanted to rid him of any suspicions about her well-being.

"Really Ethan," Clarity could practically see him trying to decide if he needed to roll out the whole X-team or if it was a one-man job. "I'm completely fine. It was just time, is all. Time to come back."

A shy look--foreign on her features--was cast his way. "Well, if there's room for me, that is."

[Ethan Daniels]

He was relieved that she was all right. Ethan was certain he couldn't take any more bad news right now, and the thought of her wanting to come back to the institute made him stand a bit taller and caused a bit of a sparkle to return to his eyes. "You're serious?"

Clarity, who was never one to act meek, shyly retreated back into a humbled stance. "You really are serious!"

A grateful sigh of relief washed over him. "We really could use the help honestly. We have a lot more students enrolled this past year and things are ... difficult with Hektor and his friends."

She knew quite well of whom Ethan spoke of. Hektor, or Saladin, was the leader of the Brotherhood. He had been a more visible presence in recent months causing havoc, proving that mutants were superior, and trying to lure young mutants to his cause.

[Chartis]

Clarity nodded gravely. She had kept abreast of current events--with both the public sources and more reliable ones. 'Difficult' was a euphamism if ever she'd heard one.

"Whatever I can do, Ethan. We're living in critical times." She repeated the phrase with a sad sort of fondness; it had been an oft-used expression of the late Dr. Cullen. "There is one thing..."

She paused, having a tough time wrapping her tongue around the next announcement. "Uh, well, eight years Ethan. A lot of things happen in eight years."

And it was at that moment that a tiny figure hurtled into the side of Ethan's legs, rebounded, and then pushed by to stand in front of Clarity.

[Ridley Rhee]

"Mum! Y'hafta come see this! There's a video of a Ceratosaurus fightin' a Stego and there's so much blood!" A breathless Ridley grabbed Clarity's hand and squeezed to emphasise his point. He didn't even realize she was talking to someone, not until she did that thing where she pointed with her eyes.

Ridley turned around and looked up at Ethan, mild surprise registering on his face. "Oh. Hi! Who're you?"

[Ethan Daniels]

A kid had interrupted their conversation by barreling into Ethan and then popped back up, like all kids manage to do, and charge right between them. It was all peculiar.

"Mum! Y'hafta come see this! There's a video of a Ceratosaurus fightin' a Stego and there's so much blood!"

Ethan's look of shock could not be hidden. He stared at his old friend, mouth agape with a tied tongue. He never pegged Clarity for the mom type with how much trouble she always got into.

"A lot did happen in eight years..." he muttered.

Ridley turned around and looked up at Ethan, mild surprise registering on his face. "Oh. Hi! Who're you?"

"Um," he was usually good at this. As Headmaster, Ethan was good with children of all ages and types that came to the Institute. Dealing with the children of your friend was another matter entirely. "I'm Ethan Daniels. An old friend of your ... mom's." The last word was accentuated by a heightened left brow that encouraged another conversation in greater detail later. But Ethan couldn't help notice certain physical characteristics of the boy that made things more awkward.

[Ridley Rhee]

Ridley scoffed at that. "Mum doesn't have any friends. Not any boy ones, anyway."

It was true. The only boys his mother knew were ones that she worked with, and they didn't count because she didn't ever invite them over for dinner like she did Ramona or Ivy or Ilse.

He raised his eyebrows and looked at Ethan meaningfully. "And my Mum doesn't go on dates, either."

[Chartis]

"Ridley!" Clarity gently pulled his head back so that he was looking at her and shook her head. She tapped his nose. "Be nice. He and I went to school together."

That changed the boy's attitute altogether--he silently 'ohhh'ed' and looked at the man with newfound respect. Ridley knew Clarity wasn't talking about Cambridge when she said school.

Ethan's look of shock and query was met by a wry smile on Clarity's part. She shrugged as if to say, 'I know, right?', and patted Ridley's shoulders proudly. "Ethan... this is my son, Ridley. Ridley, this is your Uncle Ethan."

Ridley glanced between them. "Real uncle or polite uncle?"

"Polite uncle." Clarity bit her lip and looked at Ethan. "Why don't we take a walk? There's a lot to catch up on."

[Ethan Daniels]

"It's nice to meet you Ridley," Ethan said as they moved deeper into the exhibit. His eyes wandered to a display of egg that archaeologists had found during a dig. It was quite a find too. They looked more like rocks then anything, but they were in pristine condition. Perfectly round and smooth, the brownish tan orbs still protected the life that was once inside them.

The Headmaster was at a lost for words to really start the conversation. He was hoping Clarity would pipe in soon to prompt a response from him. Francoise's condition was still weighing heavily on his mind, and Ethan was fighting the urge to excuse himself to put a call in at the Institute for an update on her condition.

[Chartis]

"Whoa boy, Ridley, look at that!" Clarity widened her eyes and gestured to the eggs Ethan was studying. Responding to the excitement in her voice, Ridley lit up and whistled lowly.

"Cool!"

"Why don't you go take a look?" The little boy bounded forward, leaving his mother and Ethan alone. They kept strolling, slowly, and Clarity studied her friend's profile keenly.

"You're awfully quiet, Ethan. I thought you'd have a lot to say, considering." She placed a soft hand on the arm of his jacket, her voice dropping to a comforting murmur. "What's wrong?"

[Ethan Daniels]

Ethan exhaled sharply through his nose as his shoulders sagged. He couldn't find the strength to look at Clarity.

"It's Fran," he answered softly. "She's in a coma."

[Chartis]

The news was startling and hit like a physical blow. Clarity flinched; now the meloncholy etched on Ethan's face made sense. She felt her own features press into an expression of confused sorrow.

"Oh Ethan," Clarity murmured, guiding them to a vacant corner of the exhibit. She cast a wary eye on her son before continuing. "How? When did this happen?"

[Ethan Daniels]

"She's been in the coma for about 8 months." His nostrils flared, a sign that Clarity recognized all too well when her friend was angered. "One of Hektor's cronies, Spectre, did this to her."

[Chartis]

The line of Clarity's jaw tightened imperceptibly, and she swore in Dutch under her breath.

"I would've come sooner if I'd known." Her eyes were very bright. She didn't repeat his name, but the blunt disbelief at the mention of Hektor was still as fresh as ever. It seemed impossible that things had come to this.

Clarity pressed a hand to her neck. "What's being done?"

[Ethan Daniels]

He raised a flustered hand feeling useless. "We're monitoring her down in the basement, but without a telepath strong enough to break through Fran's mind, there's not much we can do.

I've been with her everyday since the accident, hoping my voice can trigger anything to help her find a way back. But ... nothing ..."

Ethan was just so very. Mentally he was a wreck and hadn't been much of a public figure to his students. Physically he was always teetering on the edge of 30 seconds from collapsing. He knew it wasn't healthy, but he dare not sleep in case there was any change in Francoise's condition. But that was just a lie that he told himself to feel better. It was really punishment for allowing this to happen to her.

[Chartis]

The agony in Ethan's tired voice was like a livewire, vivid and tangible. For the first time Clarity looked, really looked, at him and noted the litany of small details which ratted him out. Ethan was very good at hiding himself but even he couldn't disguise the abuse that guilt was hammering on his body.

She placed a cool and in his and squeezed. As if she could somehow provide him with a reserve of strength by the power of touch.

"Come on," Clarity tugged gently. "You need to get off your feet and have a cup of coffee."

Caffeine was a bandaid solution; what Ethan needed was a good sleep but it seemed unlikely, given the expectations and responsibility he put upon himself, that it would happen.

"Ridley, come on!" Clarity motioned for the boy and he reluctantly trucked over, casting a wistful look over his shoulder. "We're going to get something to eat."

"Can we go to the place with the space stuff?!" Ridley had studied the museum's brochure thoroughly, immediately proclaiming that the Starlight Cafe was his absolute favourite place to eat of all time.

Clarity nodded and they headed towards the North American Mammals exhibit, the opposite end of which contained the cafe.

[Ethan Daniels]

Ethan was led on in silence, not even the jovial nature of Ridley uplifted his spirits. There just wasn't anything to be good-spirited about with Francoise comatose. He was darting around within mother's eyesight at the stuffed animals on display, some real, some designed based on scientific fact - the Woolly Mammoth was of exceptional design.

He fell into a free booth with a grunt and straightened out his jacket, his particular nervous habit. Eventually Clarity came back with two styrofoamed cups of steaming caffeine. When he took a sip, his eyes danced with surprise. "Two sugars. You remembered."

[Chartis]

"You made me fetch you enough cups during finals - couldn't forget even if I wanted to." Clarity replied with a smile, blowing on her own cup. Beside her, Ridley was absorbed in spooning whipped cream from his hot chocolate into his mouth, not paying either of them any attention.

The diminutive woman passed a napkin to her son and then shook her head at Ethan. "I've suddenly had the feeling that I'm outside looking in. How did we get here?"

Clarity sipped her coffee. It wasn't as strong as she liked, but the roast was dark and balanced. "Do the students know what's happened?"

[Ethan Daniels]

"Yeah. They do. We couldn't hide the fact that one of their favorite teacher's had mysteriously vanished." He chuckled. "It would work for John, but Fran's not the type to go poof."

The coffee shocked some life back into his body. Just the sensation of the hot liquid rattled his brains enough to snap him more coherent. The rhetorical question to Clarity was simple. Dr. Cullen's death is what caused events to unfold they way they did. If their beloved mentor had not died, Viktor wouldn't have become twisted in his ideals and fought against their fallen teacher's cause.