Where to go from here

[Lindy Rudd]

A week had passed since what'd happened at Doc's, and it seemed as though life had returned to normal despite the events that had transpired. However, it seemed as though neither Lindy nor her Father said much to each other aside from whatever small talk either of them tried to make.

Her Dad had taken the diamonds and put them somewhere safe, and Lindy had placed the two remaining pieces of coal on the nightstand beside her bed. She'd not dared to touch them since setting them down, instead simply staring at them as she fell asleep each night, lulled into slumber by their soft and muted ringing - the sound belonging to the diamonds contained within.

And coupled with the thought of what she had done was that of what happened to her Dad. His leg had broken. She'd seen the bone sticking out herself, but when Doc stopped the truck, there was no sign of any sort of break.

She'd heard talk at school of mutants and their powers, but never gave it much thought. Those kinds of people just weren't around here. They were in the big cities and stuff. But still. Was quick healing a mutant power? And if so, did that mean that her Dad was a mutant? It was a foreign thought that constantly buzzed in the back of her mind. And what about making diamonds appear from coal? Was that a mutant power too?


It was evening, the sun just dipping below the horizon, and Lindy sat alone in her bedroom re-reading an old batman comic, trying to take her mind off the thoughts that'd plagued her. Her Dad was making dinner, but she wasn't very hungry. The house was quiet, with the exception of whatever noises were being made in the kitchen...

... and of course the constant, muffled ringing coming from the coal at her bedside.

[Randall Rudd]

Randall stood over the stove, holding a box of instant mashed potatoes but not really reading the instructions. Instead, he was busy with the cordless phone tucked into the crook between his head and shoulder.

"Fred? Yeah, its Randall. Look, I got a wild hair up my butt, but I think I might a found somethin' a few days ago. Wonderin if I can bring it in for appraisin?"

He shook the powdery contents of a pouch into a pot, and gave it a stir.

"I don't know. Hell, that ain't my forte'. Thats why I'm askin' you. It probably ain't nothin', but I don't wanna jus assume an' such."

He continued to stir.

"Hell, bout the size of a grape? ...aw hell Fred don't go a-bustin' my balls I don't know what's normal for diamonds. Like I said it prob'ly ain't nothin', jus gotta know, y'know?

A'ight. Thank ya Fred. I'll be out there in an hour."

[Lindy Rudd]

A sigh, and Lindy tossed her comic to the foot of her bed. Reading about superheroes and mutants wasn't exactly the best way to take her mind off of things, and sliding to the floor, she padded on bare feet into the livingroom.

Her Dad was on the phone, and she wasn't exactly in any particular mood to interrupt him, so she silently moved to the small two-person kitchen table and climbed into a chair.

Resting her elbows on the tabletop, Lindy patiently waited for her Dad to get off the phone.

[Randall Rudd]

Now, the tricky part.

"Hey pumpkin."

He smiled at his little girl, and pulled out a cookie sheet with chicken fingers on it. Serving two plain-looking dishes of peas, mashed potatoes, and chicken fingers, he sat across from Lindy and poured each a glass of sweet tea from a pitcher.

"I'm gonna be talkin' to Fred, bout them rocks you found."

[Lindy Rudd]

Lindy stared down at her food for a little bit, not bothering to pick up her fork just yet. Instead she reached for her tea and took a sip.

Carefully setting the glass back on the table, she looked up at him from over the tops of her eyes, her voice timid.

"I didn't find them. You know that."

[Randall Rudd]

"Yes, you did."

Randall replied quickly with a voice that he'd practiced to give a sense of artificial certainty. It was really important that whatever they were capable of not get out, at least not to people around these parts.

"You found 'em when we went hikin' a week ago."

He knew he was asking a lot out of Lindy. She was too good to be forced into this situation. He backed off, softening his voice.

"Sweety, I know I always told you lyin's bad, an' it still is mostly. But this is one of them times when we ought to fib."

[Lindy Rudd]

"I know that lyin's bad."

Picking up her fork, she idly poked at her chicken fingers.

"But we don't have to do it to each other when it's just us here. Like your leg. I saw it broken, and then it healed.

"And besides, what about Doc? He saw it too."

[Randall Rudd]

"The more we're comfortable sayin' it, the easier we can tell other people."

Randall dug into his mashed potatoes, shoveling three quick bites in succession.

"Don't worry bout Doc, he ain't gonna say nothin'. Nobody in their right mind wants to be called crazy."

[Lindy Rudd]

Lindy cut off a small portion from a chicken finger.

"I guess."

Chewing thoughtfully, she swallowed.

"So you just gonna say that I - you I mean - found that diamond in the mine?

"Wouldn't people start goin' there to look for more after word got out?"

[Randall Rudd]

"That's why we ain't sayin' it was in a mine. Gonna say its jus' off the Appalachian Trail. That way, we ain't inconveniencin' Doc any with no idiots lookin' to get rich."

Randall sipped his tea, crunching a cube of ice as he thought it over.

"I don't want you to go plunderin' around any more coal, sweety."

[Lindy Rudd]

"I won't."

She pushed at her peas with her fork, mixing them together with the mashed potatoes. It always made it easier to eat without having to chase down rolling peas with a fork.

"I still have two more pieces left in my room though."

Lindy took a bite of her mixed potatoes and peas.

"I don't know what to do with them. I want to try it out again, but I'm not sure."

[Randall Rudd]

"Keep 'em 'round, jus' in case."

Randall's mind was spinning faster and faster, and he was trying to think of thier moves ten steps in advance.

"I heard 'bout a place on the public access radio. Some place where they deal with mutants."

That word was hard to come out. He almost choked it out. He didn't really want to put it out there, but what were they then? This wasn't like being double jointed or being able to speak ten languages. This was beyond different.

[Lindy Rudd]

As strange as it seemed to hear the word 'mutant' in her thoughts, to hear him say it was even stranger. Lindy gave him a blank look, then shifted her gaze down to her food and blinked.

Curiosity got the better of her though, as always, and she lifted her eyes back up to meet his.

"What sort of place?"

[Randall Rudd]

"Some school or somethin'. Up in New York or somesuch."

Randall shook his head, trying to dismiss the thought as he returned to his food.

"Ain't important."

[Lindy Rudd]

Lindy made a face at him. This wasn't the first time that he'd dismissed such things that were 'not important'.

"Yes it is," she countered.

"What kinda school is it?"

[Randall Rudd]

"I dunno."

He resisted having the uncomfortable information wrenched from him.

"Some private school thing for people who'r diff'rent & such."

He pushed some peas on his plate before cornering them with his finger and setting them on his fork.

"We don't need to be diff'rent. We're family, and nothin' you or I do's gonna make us anything else."

[Lindy Rudd]

"A private school?"

She thought on that, considering the possibilities of a school full of mutants. Taking another bite of her mashed potatoes, the followed it with a sip from her sweet tea.

"Yeah well, I bet it's neat."

Lindy ignored his vocal disapproval of being different. She was already trying to picture in her mind what such a school might look like.

"All those people in one spot, with their own special powers? I wonder if they teach regular stuff, like history and math and science and stuff, too?"

[Randall Rudd]

Randall shifted uneasily in his seat. He could tell that a fire had been lit under Lindy, and she was critically curious now. She was a bright kid, and always fascinated with new things. Randall never wanted to get in the way of her being what she could be, but now that desire stood directly opposed to his desire to keep her safe above all else.

How had their lives suddenly become so difficult? Yesterday was seemingly simple when they were both dirt poor and that was the only thing to worry about.

"Private schoolin's expensive. That aside, so's the gas to get to New York."

[Lindy Rudd]

Her shoulders slumped, and Lindy gave her Dad a withering stare. How could he not be interested in something like that school? If it was full of people who also had special abilities, wouldn't it be something to consider, even if it was just to look about? It didn't matter if it was too expensive. Just to be able to get a glimpse of it would be something wonderful, in her mind.

"I'm not sayin' I wanna go there for school."

She set her fork down and rested an elbow on the table.

"But it might be neat to look at it, maybe meet some of the people that go there."

Looking at him rather pointedly, Lindy nudged his healed leg with her foot.

"Maybe there's someone there that can heal quick, like you can."

[Randall Rudd]

Randall didn't say anything. He busied himself with eating quickly, averting his eyes from the inevitability of Lindy's suggestions.

"Maybe they can find a cure."

He somehow slipped what was in the forefront of his mind.

"Whatever this is, I don't want it."

[Lindy Rudd]

Lindy's eyes went wide, and she stared at him with an open mouth.

"A cure?"

Now he was just being stubborn and ornery.

"Your leg bone was sticking out of your skin, then healed itself in like, five minutes. Why would you want a cure for that?!

"I bet if you got shot you'd heal up from that, too."

She leaned back in her seat, her appetite suddenly gone as she crossed her arms at him.

"Mom would say it was a gift."

[Randall Rudd]

At that, Randall set his fork down on the table. For a while, he didn't say anything. It never was fair to bring her up, but then again Randall couldn't blame her for it.

"I ain't hungry anymore."

He rose from his seat, conflicted as ever about what to do.

"I'm gon' go and see Fred now."

[Lindy Rudd]

She knew that she'd touched a nerve, but at this point, and because of the nature of their conversation, Lindy didn't feel too bad about what she'd said. The look on her Dad's face did make her bite her lip in nervousness though, and she looked away from him.

Only a few seconds passed though, and she too stood up.

"I wanna go also."

[Randall Rudd]

He almost said no, but seeing as how they were both invested into this, even in the slightest degree, he relented.

"A'ight, get your things."

Within five minutes, they were bounding down the road toward Fred's. The sun had just begun to dip behind the rolling Appalachians.

[Lindy Rudd]

For most of the ride Lindy was quiet, staring out the window. She thought of the school that her Dad had mentioned, wondering what it was like, and what the students there did in their classes. Already she was curious to see if it was on the internet, though she knew that she'd have to wait until she was at school to be able to look. The small computer lab that her own school had wasn't anything special, but it would work well enough.

Unless...

The library was just across the street from Fred's!

Lindy looked over at her Dad.

"Can I go to the library while you talk to Fred?"

[Randall Rudd]

Randall thought about it. The town library fortunately kept hours into the early evening, and it was a good way to keep Lindy close without her saying something about their conditions that might get Fred a little spooked.

"A'ight."

The truck rolled into town, and Randall pulled into the library parking lot.

"I'll be about an hour or so. Don't run off, ya hear?"

Randall eased a little weight into his caution, hoping she'd remember what happened the last time she had done so.

[Lindy Rudd]

There was only one thing she had in mind, and running off was not on her agenda.

"I won't. I'll stay here, I promise."

Hopping out of the truck, Lindy made sure to put enough force into closing the door so that it would shut all the way. She went around the front of the truck ang gave a small wave to her Dad.

Her pace quickened to a light jog, and she paused at the top step of the library, reaching up to open the dor. Another wave, and she disappeared inside.

[Randall Rudd]

Randall watched her go into the library, and after the door shut, he headed over to Fred's shop. The light was on.

He opened the door, which caused a little bell to tingle.

"Evenin' Randall." Fred, an overweight man with a gentle face, glasses, and receeding hairline met the plumber with a handshake.

"Fred." Randall nodded as he shook his hand. Both men wasted little time as they headed over to an opaque mat and some tools which had been laid out on the counter.

"Alright friend, you got me interested. Lemme see this gin u wine Appalachian diamond of yours."

[Lindy Rudd]

She knew the layout of the library like the back of her own hand; she'd been in it too many times to count and had the entire building almost memorized. Past the history section and the newspaper tables was a long-ish table that held three computers. Sitting at the one that was against the wall, Lindy moved the mouse so that it would come out of 'sleep' mode.

At this time of the evening she knew that there wouldn't be very many people about, but she still tried to keep an eye out for anyone coming near.

She clicked on the icon that would open up the internet browser, and after it'd loaded she typed in the address for the first search engine she could think of.

Her Dad hadn't said the name of the school, but she typed into the search bar some of the other things that he'd said about it.

'Mutant, school, New York'

[Randall Rudd]

Fred had a very slight bemused expression which betrayed his skepticism of Randall's find. They were pretty close friends, which is why he'd even etertained the seemingly tall tale in the first place. Fitting his jeweler's lens over his glasses, Fred peered into the rough stone that Randall handed him.

It didn't take long for the bemused look to evaporate. Fred stood up from where he had hunched over the stone.

"Where'd you find this again?"

"Told ya, Fred. Down a stroll off the side of the AT. We took a stroll down I reckon six miles far on the slope."

Randall lied, hooking his thumbs into this pockets. Fred shifted on his feet, a little uneasy at his explanation.

"I ain't callin' you a fib or suggestin' you pullin my leg Randall, but them trails are fulla folks jus' with nothin' better to do than to look about. I ain't never heard'a nobody findin' any diamonds up in them parts."

Still, the evidence was in his hand. Fred rolled it about, trying to find words.

"Well hell Fred, ain't diamonds come from coal? If you're gon' find any diamonds, why not right here?"

Fred removed his glasses and sighed.

"Randall, this state is poor as hell. Damn, we always been poor. If them mountains had more a-these, you'da hear more a-folks like us hittin' the big time."

[Lindy Rudd]

The search engine was quick to list the possible matches to her query, with the first one looking the most promising. Clicking on the link, Lindy waited patiently as the site loaded up, and she cast a casual glance around; no one was about. She was still unnoticed.

Going back to her reading, she soon enough became lost in the world of the school her Dad had heard about - Cullen's.

Cullen's.

What she read was fascinating, and Lindy poured over everything she could; coursework, the student body, the teachers, everything.

It was amazing... all of it.

And the pictures! Children of all ages, and even some whose mutation manifested itself in outward appearences!

Lindy continued to read through the site as it seemed that every link she clicked on took her to a new treasure of information.

[Randall Rudd]

Fred couldn't manage to allow his suspicions to override the evidence in his hand.

"You mind if I do some cuttin' on this? To bring it out some?"

Randall looked visibly uneasy, but Fred patiently smiled.

"Easy there, it ain't gon' hurt it. Ya gotta cut on 'em to bring out the color an' the shine. Look at them rings over there. Y'know, like that."

Randall's eyes followed Fred's gesture, and he suddenly felt the gravity of the situation. What he had given Fred dwarved stones in the case that would take four months of his income to buy.

"Hey Fred, how much you reckon that thing is?"

He looked up at his friend, a little apprehensive to really know. Fred sat down, and sighed.

"I ain't exactly sure, but I figure enough for you to get the hell outta this town, thats for sure."

[Lindy Rudd]

She was utterly engrossed in the website, and any other tidbit of information that she could find about Cullen's. It was all so wonderful looking, and Lindy found herself wishing that she and her Dad could at least visit it; just to look around.

Reaching a hand into her pocket, she fingered the small piece of coal she'd brought with her. There was no way that she'd really try using her power on it right now... she'd told her Dad that she wouldn't for a little while, and so she simply felt the rough contours and edges of the black rock.

Lindy looked back up at the monitor, and then over to the printer that sat on an adjacent table. Another few clicks, and soon enough the printer came to life, printing out page after page of information about Cullen's.

[Randall Rudd]

Fred got to work, and Randall tried to give him room to work. Inexorably, he kept drifting back toward his work station to catch a peek. It took Fred about ten minutes to say anything.

"These lines are real clean. Makes puttin' an edge on easy as hash."

A tap of the hammer, and one of the rough sections slid away, leaving a remarkably-straight facet.

[Lindy Rudd]

It took at about thirty minutes before she'd been able to finish printing all that she had deemed interesting enough to print up and bring home with her, and it wasn't long before she was once more searching about the site, eating up whatever information that she could.

One link caught her eye, and she stared at it. It was for a chatroom, and it was more than enticing.

What if there were other students chatting in there? Or maybe even a teacher?

The icon hovered over the text, and blinking, Lindy clicked the link.

[Vipul Chandrashekar]

<center>Westminster, New York</center>

Vipul worked at his desktop with about six windows in the background, passing from window to window as he split his attention between reading online science journals, downloading some music, watching a video podcast, and answering some student emails. It was his turn to be the shut-in, as the other Vipuls pulled more extroverted duty. Of course, to be technical, he was doing all of this at once, so it never really took a toll on his interest.

Pausing to get a few bites of potato and avocado soup, Vipul heard a familiar chime, letting him know that somebody else had come into the chat room. He brought the chat window up to check it out.

Tamillionaire2000: Hello?

[Lindy Rudd]

Lindy hadn't expected such a quick response after her entrance, and it took a few minutes for her to type a response.

wvgirl11:Hello

It was overly simple, and despite her intitial excitement, she suddenly found herself nervous despite the anonymity provided by the internet.

[Vipul Chandrashekar]

Well, what now? Vipul leaned forward, setting his soup aside for the moment.

Tamillionaire2000: New student? A/S/L/P

[Lindy Rudd]

She bit her lip, unsure of what this person meant.

wvgirl11: No, I'm not a new student. I'm just looking around at the website. What does A/S/L/P mean?

[Vipul Chandrashekar]

Vipul smiled - a newbie. Always good to see new people, even outside the school. He switched on some Nas to listen to as he typed.

Tamillionaire2000: Oh cool, a visitor. Welcome to our chat. I'm one of the professors at the school. My name is Vipul. You'll have to excuse the abbreviations. I was asking your age, gender, location, and what your powers are, if any.

[Lindy Rudd]

Lindy thought about what she read for a moment. A professor, in a chatroom? She was expecting students, but never one of the teachers. Ever curious, she went back to typing.

wvgirl11: Oh, ok. I'm 11 years old and a girl. I live in West Virginia, in a town called Monongah. It's not very big, but that's ok. I like it.

Thinking a little more, she typed in another line.

wvgirl11: I don't really want to say what my power is, since my dad told me not to tell anyone. But he has powers too. He can heal quickly.

[Vipul Chandrashekar]

Hereditary strains? Vipul rocked back in his chair and thought about it. Usually the X-genes didn't actively express themselves in parents and children alike. This was an interesting case.

Tamillionaire2000: Wow that is very special. Very few mutants have parents who are also mutants.

Taking another bite of soup, he continued.

Tamillionaire2000: Are you planning on coming to visit our campus?

[Lindy Rudd]

At that Lindy frowned.

wvgirl11: I don't think so. My dad says that private school is expensive, and so is the gas to get to New York. I'd like to visit sometime, just to look around, but I don't think he would ever agree to that either.

wvgirl11: He said earlier that he wonders if there is a cure for his power at Cullen's. The school doesn't do that, does it?

[Vipul Chandrashekar]

Vipul thought about it for a moment, and began typing again.

Tamillionaire2000: Actually, our school is funded by donations. We are very fortunate to have people with us who are very helpful to mutants everywhere.

Also, if you're having trouble making the trip, we can take care of your travel needs. If you decide to visit, let us know and we can help. :)

Vipul's smile faded somewhat at her other line. He continued to type.

Tamillionaire2000: Your dad is worried about his powers. A lot of us were, and some of us still are. That's okay. The changes that happen to us are very strange and are sometimes really scary. It's not wrong to want to go back to the way you were.

Right now, there isn't a way to do that, but we help people who are scared to cope with themselves too.

[Lindy Rudd]

A sigh, and she cast a look about before going back to her conversation.

wvgirl11: I don't think he's scared. He just said he doesn't want to be different.

Truth be told, she didn't know of any time that her Dad had ever been scared of anything.

Well, except for when her Mom died.

[Vipul Chandrashekar]

Tamillionaire2000: That's very natural. In fact, that's why so many of us are here at Cullen's Institute. It's tough sometimes when you're the only mutant you know in your home town. At the school, we're sort of all a big community, and its easy to find people who share what you've gone through.

Vipul finished off the soup, setting the empty bowl aside as another track played.

Tamillionaire2000: If you're not quite ready to make the trip, I can come and talk to you and your dad as well, if you like.

[Lindy Rudd]

Even though the conversation was taking place over the internet, Lindy balked at what he'd written. Him come here? To Monongah?

wvgirl11: I don't think that's a good idea. My Dad would get angry.

She knew the professor meant well, but odds were good that her Dad wouldn't take kindly to the sudden arrival of some stranger from New York showing up on their doorstep and trying to convince him that going to Cullen's was a good idea.

wvgirl11: Thank you though.

It was kind of him, but she knew it'd probably be best if he stayed right where he was.

[Vipul Chandrashekar]

Vipul shrugged. It was a long shot, but worth a try.

Tamillionaire2000: That's ok. If you change your mind, feel free to email me. Were their any other questions you had about the school?

[Lindy Rudd]

She looked over at the wall-mounted clock, remembering that her Dad was going to be returning shortly.

wvgirl11: I can't think of anything to ask. I was just curious about the school, since my Dad had heard about it on the radio and mentioned it.

Reaching over, she gathered her printouts together, then returned to the chatroom window.

wvgirl11: Thank you for talking to me. It was fun.

Her Dad was due back very soon, and without any further farewells, Lindy closed down the chat and exited out of the internet browser.

She folded her new reading materials carefully so that no names showed, and getting up from her seat, she started for the front of the Library.

[Randall Rudd]

"You ready?"

Randall waited on her in the library's lobby. He smiled at her, but looked burdened and a bit preoccupied. Fred had finished up his work, and the results were in a felt pouch, tucked deeply in Randall's pocket. What he was going to do with those results was now the hard part.

[Lindy Rudd]

Giving him a smile, Lindy quickened her pace and gripped her folded papers a little more tightly.

"Yeah."

As she came up to him, she took hold of his hand.

They stepped outside, and Lindy looked up at him as they headed for the truck.

"What did Fred say?"

[Randall Rudd]

Randall waited until they were back in the pickup, and closed the door. Making sure Lindy's seatbelt was fastened, he cranked the car and shifted into reverse to back out onto the thoroughfare.

"It's a diamond, sure 'nuff. Fred said jus' under ten carats, after the cut."

[Lindy Rudd]

She knew it! She knew it was real! The thought of being able to make diamonds made her grin unexpectadly, as she imagined her Dad possibly being able to not have to work anymore. Without thinking, she spoke up again.

"Is ten carats a lot? Like, will we get enough money from it to let us take a trip to New York?"

[Randall Rudd]

Still a bit shook up by it, Randall answered her excited question.

"Pumpkin, that thing's worth more'n your daddy makes in four years."

He was just as excited as she was, but equally tempered with dread. How on earth would he sell this? What if somebody else found out he had it before he did? Could he actually take the money and keep Lindy safe?

[Lindy Rudd]

"Four years?!"

Lindy stared wide-eyed out the window.

"Are you gonna try and sell it then? And if you do, what're you gonna do with the money?"

She had an idea.

"I could make more, and you wouldn't have to work anymore, and we could live in a new house... "

She gave him a sidelong look, too curious to hold back.

"... or maybe even I could go to that school?"

[Randall Rudd]

Randall drummed his fingers on the wheel, saying nothing. The silence broke after a minute.

"A'ight. I'll sell that one. Fred ought to be able to get us a buyer without us gettin' all twisted up in this fuss. Then..."

He looked at Lindy.

"...we'll go up to New York."

[Wren Baker]

The drive to West Virginia had been a quiet one, interrupted only by a few stops to rest and refuel. The radio remained untouched and silent, and the only sounds to be heard were those of the tires on the road. How long had it been since she'd been back to Monongah? More than a few years at the least. She'd always tried to visit a few times every few years, but in the last five things had been hectic; travel to the Middle East, China, and anywhere else the company had sent her to. It was only a matter of time before she knew she'd be burned out, and apparently that time had come. And now it was back to her hometown. She'd left straightaway after high school to look for bigger and better things outside of Monongah, but it seemed that life was bringing her back.

For good, she hoped.

Easing her car onto the offramp that led into Monongah, Wren Baker - her mother had been an avid bird-lover, and Wren bore the fruits of that love - lifted her foot from the gas pedal and drifted down the incline towards an unassuming stop sign. A left turn, and she accelerated once again along the overpass.

Another fifteen minutes down the two-lane county road, trees on both sides, and she finally saw the first signs of the town. It seemed like it'd not changed at all, and she smiled.

She made a few stops here and there to say hello to old friends, catching up on the town news and who had moved away or who had had children. Of course it didn't take long for the subject of Shirly-Faye to come up, and Wren's face fell at the news of her death two years previous. The two had been best friends back in high school, teasing one another about the boys that they had crushes on, sleeping over at each other's houses, and the normal stuff that teenage girls did together. The last time they'd seen each other was when Shirley-Faye gave birth to Lindy. Eleven years. It was a long time to be gone for anyone.

And so, with such news weighing heavily upon her, Wren set off once more, this time with her destination firmly in mind. It took about half an hour to reach the Rudd home, and as she pulled up the long drive that led to the doublewide, she frowned.

There were no vehicles parked. No one had said anything about Randall moving, so odds were good that he was simply out. The lights were off inside, and as she killed the engine, Wren opened the door and stood up.

She'd wait. She was a patient person; always had been.

Walking over to the front steps, Wren lowered herself to sit. Randall would be back at some point, and she would be here waiting for him.

[Lindy Rudd]

As they drove, Lindy chattered on about how neat it would be to go to the school in New York, and it didn't take long for her to unfold her printouts. As they were stopped at a red light, she held the first page up.

"It's called Cullen's. I looked it up on the internet at the library."

[Randall Rudd]

Randall took the paper, skimming it briefly before the light turned green. He didn't seem enthralled about the idea, but he could tell that Lindy was.

"What 'xactly are you gon' be learnin' there that you can't learn nowhere else?"

The truck continued down the road, as they headed up the mountain to get back home.

"I ain't gon' have you fallin' behind on yer school on account of learnin' about whatever it is we do."

[Lindy Rudd]

Lindy thumbed through her papers until she got to the one that had the school's coursework.

"The teach all the stuff that regular schools teach, so I wouldn't get behind in anything."

Her Dad was being cautious for good reason, she knew, but still. Couldn't he be a little excited?

"And the other stuff they teach, like about your powers and stuff, they help you learn about them and control them.

"That's what the professor that I talked to said."

[Randall Rudd]

"You talked to a professor?"

Randall looked mildly bewildered. How long had she been in that library again?

The truck bounced up the driveway, and Randall spotted another vehicle.

"Now who & the hell..."

Beyond the truck, he spotted a familiar face.

"...Wren?!"

[Wren Baker]

She'd heard the truck coming up along the long drive before it came into view; one of the benifits of having worked for the company.

Rising to her feet, Wren hooked her thumbs into the back pockets of her jeans as she took a few steps forward. She gave an easy, if not somewhat sad smile. Randall, from what she could see through the windshield, hadn't changed all that much. Maybe a few lines of age, but other than that he looked much the same as the last time she'd seen him.

A head popped up to look over the dash, and Wren knew instantly who it was. The last time she'd seen Lindy had been when the girl was just a newborn. Eleven years. Had it really been that long?

[Lindy Rudd]

Lindy made a face, and poked her head up so that she could look over the dash.

"Wren?"

She'd heard stories of the lady from her mom, but had never seen her. She studied Wren as the truck came to a stop. So this was her mom's best friend. Folding up her papers again, Lindy opened the glovebox and stuffed them inside.

[Randall Rudd]

Randall stopped the truck, turning the ignition off as he stepped out. He walked up to her slowly, not really sure how to suss out the emotions he was feeling now. She'd practically been a part of his family before Lindy was born, and seeing her again reminded him of Shirley Faye. Those two used to be joined at the hip.

"Welcome home, Wren."

[Wren Baker]

Wren let out a short breath, looking up at the sky. Stars were coming out, and she let her eyes wander the constellations before looking back down. The soft and easy drawl in his voice brought back many memories of when he, Shirley Faye, and her had spent so much time together.

"You look damn near the same as the last time I seen you, Randall."

[Lindy Rudd]

Carefully she opened her door, and sliding to the ground Lindy shut it once more. She came up slowly behind her Dad, and stepped up to stand beside him so that she could get a better look at Wren.

It was strange to finally see in person the lady that her mom had always told stories about, and she stared unabashedly while reaching up to grasp her Dad's hand.

[Randall Rudd]

Emotion finally came over Randall and he wrapped Wren up in a big embrace.

"I've missed you so much. Shirley did too. Lord knows if she were here, you two would be at it all night, I'm sure."

Withdrawing and feeling a little wistful, Randall let it out of his thoughts, and squeezed Lindy by the hand.

"Wren, you already know this little rascal. Lindy, this is Wren, your mama's old friend."

[Wren Baker]

Caught up in Randall's embrace, Wren wrapped her own arms around his shoulders in a tight hug. And when he let her go she smiled wide, brushing back long bangs from her eyes before kneeling down.

"Hey Lindy. You know, the last time I saw you was when you were just born."

A brief glance up to Randall, and Wren set her attentions to Lindy once more.

"You look just like your mom, now."

[Lindy Rudd]

Lindy didn't say anything for a moment, but she did let slip a little smile at what Wren had said about her looking like her Mom.

"Mom told me some about you," she started quietly.

Far from the excited little girl back in the truck, Lindy was uncharacteristically shy.

[Randall Rudd]

Randall was still a bit at a loss.

"So Wren, what are ya doin' back in Monongah? Didn't really figure you for comin' back, well, ever."

He was a bit envious when she left, he had to admit. Not that there weren't parts of the town that were endearing, but everybody here wished to some degree that they could find a way to leave.

[Wren Baker]

Rising up from her crouch, Wren gave a soft laugh.

"Eh, I'm kinda tired of the traveling thing. The company sent me all over the place, but after so many countries and everything, it wears a person down."

A shrug.

"Nothing's ever really like home, y'know?

"An' I figured it was time to come home."

[Randall Rudd]

"Well Wren, you ain't 'xactly comin' home to much."

Randall shrugged and smiled. Self deprication was sort of the unofficial dialect of Monongah.

"The mine had another layoff too long back. This town's dyin' a death of a thousand cuts. Matter of fact, I think me & Lindy might be lookin' to push on out soon."

[Wren Baker]

Wren gave him an odd look, and she leaned against the hood of her small black Mazda.

"You? Leave Monongah? Randall, I thought you always said you were gon' grow old in this town."

[Randall Rudd]

"Heh."

Randall tried to laugh at that, but felt the humor evaporate.

"I don't know anymore, Wren. There ain't no work. Barely enough for me to keep the bills up to date. I'm treadin' water and it don't look like it's gettin' better soon."

With a pained face, he shook his head.

"I hate that you jus' came in to hear that, I didn't mean to throw water all over our reunion. I'm really glad to see you."

He smiled at her, leading her and Lindy alike back to the trailer.

[Wren Baker]

An understanding nod, and Wren allowed him to lead the way. Lindy didn't say much, which Wren really couldn't blame her for. The girl gave her a few stares as they stepped inside, and then disappeared into the back; presumably into her room.

Left alone with Randall, she let her eyes wander the interior. It was cozy, and there were still touches of Shirley Faye's design tastes spread here and there. Picture of husband and wife still adorned the walls, and Wren found herself drawn to one in particular.

It showed the three friends on Randall's and Shirley's wedding day. Shirley looked beautiful in her gown, with Randall smiling wide at her side. Wren had been the maid of honour, and stood on the other side of the bride. All three had such life in their eyes, and it'd seemed as though on that day everything was right in the world.

Wren wrapped her arms around herself, and without taking her eyes from the picture, she spoke. Her voice was quiet.

"What happened?"

[Randall Rudd]

"Cancer."

Randall averted his eyes from the picture when he said it. He was glad that Lindy had temporarily excused herself.

"Got the diagnosis four years ago. Went in remission for a bit, then came back twice as bad."

Randall walked into the kitchen, liberating a pair of beers from the fridge. He opened both, passing one to Wren.

"She had time to get things in order and such. Still, it was hard to see a slow burn y'know."

[Wren Baker]

Wren only nodded, accepting the beer that he held out to her. Such a way to go for anyone.

Taking a sip, she moved away from the photo and sat down easily on one end of the sofa. Staring into the distance for a short while, she let herself sink into memory.

"I should have come back sooner," she got out finally, eyes downcast. She knew that it was really no one's fault; she'd been between Iraq and DC constantly during the last few years, and had given no one any sort of means to contact her with.

[Randall Rudd]

"Shirley Faye woulda said not to. You were doin' so well. What, weren't you workin' for the government or somethin'? We all understood that it was one of them opportunities you don't pass up. We're all proud of you."

Randall clinked his bottle against hers.

"Don't have second thoughts. Ain't a thing can be done."

[Wren Baker]

"I only really worked with them; not for them," she corrected vaguely.

Making a face, she took a sip of her beer. Praetorian served its' own purposes more than the government's, that much she'd learned well enough. But still it paid well enough, and she wasn't generally one to complain. Even after her first introduction to the 'medicine'.

"But I can't help feelin' the way I feel Randall. I'm still sorry that I wasn't there for her or you."

Leaning back, Wren looked up to the ceiling, then back to Randall.

"So you're thinkin' 'bout leaving. Where to?"

[Randall Rudd]

"Thinkin' bout upstate New York."

How to even approach this line of discussion? Randall took a deep gulp and pondered.

"Lindy's gettin' smart. Real smart. Like you are. She needs somethin' I can't provide her here. Been lookin' at a school up north to take her to. Figure I can make do with some work somewhere an be okay? People need plumbers in all parts, at least."

[Wren Baker]

"Upstate New York."

Wren thought on that for a few minutes.

"It's nice there. Only driven through a few times though, but it was pretty."

That he had intentions to work as a plumber didn't really surprise her. He was sometimes predictable like that.

"And there's a lot of really good schools out that way. You been looking at any?"

[Randall Rudd]

How much could he tell her? Would she think he was crazy? He found that he was desperately wanting to get this off his chest to somebody that wouldn't flip out or try to hurt Lindy.

"Somethin' called Cullen's Institute in Westchester."

[Wren Baker]

Wren stared at him, blinking as she digested this information. She knew of Cullen's well enough, and had been a part of more than one meeting concerning the school.

"I've heard of Cullen's," she started in a measured tone.

"Randall, Cullen's isn't just a school for regular folks like you or me."

[Randall Rudd]

He didn't say anything. Looking straight ahead, he quaffed his beer down half way, and then looked back at her.

He didn't need to say anything. The only question is what she would think about it all.

[Wren Baker]

His silence was answer enough, and Wren slowly leaned forward to set her beer on the coffee table. She was quiet still, looking at him before finally being able to speak.

"Randall... how... I mean... "

She shook her head.

"Wait just a minute now, you're telling me - you're telling me she's got powers?"

Wren gave him a bit more of a critical look.

"When did this happen?"

[Randall Rudd]

"Been about a week."

Randall gruffly replied, chafing at the whole idea of powers. Whatever they were, Wren seemed to be very knowledgable about all of this. Did the work she did for the government involve mutants?

"It ain't jus' her, either."

[Wren Baker]

These revelations seemed to slap her in the face, and Wren bent her head down, a hand going up to massage her temples.

"You too," she got out finally.

It was all so much to take in.

"Randall, I don't know what to say."

And how could she? She'd certainly not expected anything like this when she'd watched him coming up the driveway in his truck. And it wasn't just that knowledge. What if Praetorian tracked her down? She'd not exactly left on the best of terms with Brocius; in fact, she'd not even told anyone that she was leaving. She had just gotten in her car and left.

And now she'd dropped herself into the fire once more.

Wren smiled though, putting all of that out of her mind as she took a long swig from her beer.

"... congrats?"

[Randall Rudd]

Randall took a look at the expression on her face and closed his eyes.

"That word's got a helluva lotta baggage, don't it? Mutant. Hell, I can barely even tell you, how the hell you think I feel 'bout livin' with that skeleton in my closet here in Monongah? I know good friends that'd run us outta town for hearin' it!"

[Wren Baker]

Wren gave him a frown.

"Well, if they would truly do that, I'd not call them friends to be honest."

Another drink, and she let out a hissed breath, thinking.

"If you don't mind my asking, what's your... "

A funny look came over her then, and Wren stiffened. She could feel the thin rivulet of blood already before it became visible, and tilting her head back, she lifted a hand to her nose.

Looking at Randall out of the corner of her eye, she gave a sheepish grin.

"Tissue?"

[Randall Rudd]

"That ain't true. Even people meanin' well can act sideways like that. I mean -"

Randall paused as she froze up, asking for a tissue. A nosebleed? That was different. He rifled through a few things lying about, and peeled off a square of paper towel. Not exactly tissue paper, but close enough.

"Here you go."

[Wren Baker]

"Thanks."

The paper towel did well enough, and Wren soon enough had the nosebleed under control. A few extra dabs, and all was right as rain. She folded the paper towel neatly, and stood, heading for the garbage.

"Sorry bout that."

She turned once more to regard Randall.

"Look. All I'm sayin' is that true friends accept each other no matter what; shouldn't matter if you've got powers or not. You ain't any different than you were personality wise, and that's what makes a person; not some special trick."

Wren returned for her drink, but didn't sit down this time. Beer in hand, she wandered about, looking once more at the photos hanging on the walls.

There was a silence between the two for a minute.

"So. What's yours?"

[Randall Rudd]

Randall went over to the kitchen table, pausing by the counter to grab a steak knife. He was sort of working on autopilot and didn't really have any idea why he was actually doing what he was about to do. He started to think back, and wondered if it were all a fluke. If that were the case, this was going to be dumb. He was morbidly curious either way.

He paused, trying to psych himself up. Setting the knife down, he quaffed another beer down from start to finish.

[Wren Baker]

Pulling herself away from the pictures, Wren followed him into the kitchen and sat down at the table. She cocked an eyebrow at the knife, and crossed her arms as he downed another beer.

"If it's drinking copious amounts of beer, I'm afraid that there's many of those types of mutants already here in town."

[Randall Rudd]

"Nah, it's jus'..."

He picked up the knife again.

"...I ain't exactly done this on demand before. First time was kinda an accident."

Breathing deeply, he eased his hand down on the table, then suddenly stabbed downward with the knife into his hand with all his might.

"Aaaaaghh!!!!"

[Wren Baker]

Significantly startled, Wren rocked back in her seat, on her feet in no time at all.

A split second later she guessed what would happen next, but it still didn't put any sort of damper on having just watched one of her best friends stab himself in the hand with a steak knife.

"Criminitely, Randall!"

Brows furrowed, Wren calmed herself while moving to get a dishrag.

"You could have just told me and left it at that. It's not like I wouldn't've believed you."

Rag in hand, she stood beside him, and with a controlled motion swept his hand from the handle of the knife and pulling it out swiftly before dropping it on the table. The rag she pressed into the wound.

"Ah jeez. If you'da just told me," she reiterated, "... it'd saved you a lotta pain."

[Randall Rudd]

"I hadta know too!"

Randall managed through gritted teeth. Cautiously, he removed the rag from his hand. What little blood had escaped was now drying and flaking away. The deep puncture from the knife was puckering shut, leaving nothing but a pink line which also disappeared in a few seconds.

"Damn..." Randall muttered through a heavy breath.

[Wren Baker]

Wren gave him a 'hrmph', and taking up the knife, she moved the short distance to the sink, turning on the faucet so that she could wash away the blood.

That done, she turned about and leaned against the counter, her gaze first on his healed hand, and then at his face.

"Well, I'd say you got a pretty good power there."

An odd silence.

"You still smoke?"

The look he gave her was answer enough, and she inclined her head towards the door. She could use one right about now as it was.

"Come on then. Least between the two of us, we know which one won't keel over from those things."

[Randall Rudd]

"Well, guess there's a bright side." He said with a slight amount of sarcasm.

They both headed out the door, and he plucked his soft pack of Winstons from his pocket and shook a pair out, handing one over to Wren while taking the stay-behind.

"Still, hurts like hell though."

[Wren Baker]

"Oh I'm sure that it does."

Digging out a lighter from her pocket, she made quick work of igniting the cigarette, and taking an initial drag, she offered the lighter to Randall.

"Still," she took up his hand, turning it over and inspecting it for a few moments before releasing it, "... that's pretty damn impressive.

"And Lindy? She have the same power?"

[Randall Rudd]

This was a touchier subject.

"Nah, she's got somethin' a bit diff'rent."

Now was the real gut check. He really didn't know how to explain this.

[Wren Baker]

Wren waited for a little bit for him to continue, exhaling.

"How different?"

Randall's hesitation caused a small bit of worry to build within her, and the look on her face said as much.

She reached a hand out, laying it on his arm.

"Randall. How different?"

[Randall Rudd]

"Wren, I don't wanna sound bad sayin' this, but I need you to tell nobody. On Shirley Faye's memory, I need this to die with you, 'cause I don't know what'll happen if it ever gets out."

Randall took a long drag, his hand shaking ever-so slightly in his nervousness.

[Wren Baker]

She stared at him for a second, then nodded her head.

"Of course. You know I'd never tell a soul if you didn't want something known."

That he asked this of her spoke volumes of the gravity of the situation, and Wren tightened her grip on his arm momentarily.

"You have my word. On Shirley's memory."

[Randall Rudd]

Randall nodded. He thought about how to explain it, and decided on the simplest explanation.

"Lindy can turn coal into diamonds."

It sounded utterly absurd, but Randall was learning to take the absurd with a high degree of acceptance lately.

[Wren Baker]

For at least a minute, Wren said nothing. She simply thought about what Randall had said, and presently she released her hold on his arm Her first thought was why Randall was even considering looking for a new job up in New York when his daughter had such an ability. But of course, a split second later reality crashed down upon her.

"Randall, that's... that's amazing."

She took another drag from her smoke as the more analitycal part of her brain went to work, weighing the consequences to such a power.

"It's a little worrying, too. I mean, you're talking about - basically - a power that can render the world's economy almost worthless."

She made a face, knowing that something like that was probably not exactly what he wanted to hear right now.

[Randall Rudd]

The air felt stifling, even outside. Randall nodded an affirmative to her idle question.

"I've been scared to death 'bout this for the past week. I don't eat much, barely sleep. I can't wrap my head 'round this."

[Wren Baker]

Wren gave his shoulder a pat.

"I don't think you should worry about that too much right now. Jus' focus on gettin' your little girl to somewhere safe."

A last pull from her smoke, and she dropped it to the ground, crushing it with the toe of a black infantry boot.

"Cullen's is as safe a place as you could ever take her, make no mistake. Not to mention she'd probably be happy there."

[Randall Rudd]

There was still something else tugging on his brain about all this. He blew a breath of smoke, and broke the question.

"How you know so much about this place, Wren?"

No doubt it was something government-related and such, but it was still pretty peculiar.

[Wren Baker]

Not quite ready to tell him - or anyone really - about what exactly it was that she'd been doing after leaving Monongah, Wren looked off into the distance; past their vehicles and down the long driveway.

"Perks of working with the government. I got to hear about all sorts of things, and what with mutants startin' to show up, it makes it kinda hard to avoid hearing about places like Cullen's while in Washington."

She gave a sigh.

"World just ain't the same place we grew up in, anymore."

[Randall Rudd]

"No it ain't."

Randall mulled the thought over, discarding his cigarette and extinguishing it with a bootheel.

He looked at Wren, who herself was looking into the distance.

"Guess we're jus' passin' in the night. Me stayin', you goin'. Don't seem right, does it?"

[Wren Baker]

That comment brought her back, and Wren stuffed her hands into the pockets of her jeans.

"Maybe so.

"Look Randall, I came back 'cause I was tired of traveling and having to go everywhere. I wanted to be around family again, and you and Shirley were always just that. I didn't think drivin' in that Shirley would be dead, or that you had your eyes set on movin' to New York. I jus' figured that I'd roll up, set up a trailer up the hill a ways, and it'd be like old times again.

"That ain't how things turn out I guess."

Wren scowled, trying to find the best way to ask. Going to Cullen's wasn't the best of ideas, especially since Praetorian had their eyes on it, but who better to look after Randall and his baby girl than one of their own? She knew their tricks; had pulled her fair share of them out in the field.

"Let me go with you," she finally blurted out, opting to overlook any sort of tactful wording at this point.

[Randall Rudd]

"You never even needed to ask."

Randall was quick to agree, nodding profusely. He needed a good friend in this to lean on, and it was really hard for him to say it or communicate that need at all.

"Wren, it's hard for me to say, but I can't go it alone. I think you showin' up jus' made it clear in my head."

He wearily leaned against the side of the trailer, looking up at the sky.

"Lindy's gon' take some time. She ain't scared, she's jus' a lil' shy I s'pose. She's stronger than me, but she misses her mama too."

[Wren Baker]

Looking up at the night sky, Wren sniffed a little and rached up to wipe away a small bead of a tear that had formed. It was a curious mix of happiness and sadness that filled her; happiness at once more being with those she considered closest to her, and sadness at the loss of Shirley.

She wrapped an arm around Randall's middle in a casual embrace.

"We all miss her."

[Randall Rudd]

Randall didn't say anything immediately. He just shared a sympathetic moment and nodded his head in solemn agreement.

"If you want, I can carry you out to the funeral plot to have a moment."

He imagined that somewhere up there, Shirley Faye was smiling at them both.