The Value of Impurities

[Lindy Rudd]

Lindy Rudd burst in through the front door of the small apartment that she and her dad shared with Wren. It was the end of another school day, and the girl was excited to be home. She'd fallen into the daily routine of life at Cullen's with the sort of easy transitioning that young children possessed, and by the second day had already made friends. There were times when she missed the old trailer, but those times were quickly becoming few and far between.

Now, as she dropped her bookbag on the sofa, Lindy beamed wide as she cast her eyes in all different directions. She spotted Wren coming from out of the bathroom, towel-drying her hair after a mid-day shower no doubt, but there was no sign of her dad anywhere.

Thinking for a moment, Lindy gave a puzzled expression before turning to the best way any child had of getting the attention of their parents.

"Daaad!"

[Randall Rudd]

Randall cracked an eye open at the sound of Lindy' voice, and groaned. She was his unofficial wake-up call.

"Lindy I'm wakin' up."

He coughed and slowly rolled out of bed, stumbling momentarily in the dark of his bedroom. He'd hung bath towels in the window to block out sunlight more than the blinds and curtains did.

It was the price he paid for keeping bills paid. In addition to getting odd jobs done at Cullen's, he'd taken a graveyard shift handyman position at a nearby corporate park. That was only after the illegals there had gotten shipped back by immigration and they had to turn domestic for the hired help.

The door creaked open and Randall shuffled down the hall, squinting in the brighter light.

[Lindy Rudd]

His shambling form was becoming a familiar enough sight, but Lindy wasn't entirely sure that she'd ever really get used to her dad sleeping during the day. But, she was there to give him a brief hug, arms wrapping around his middle.

"I was jus' making sure you were here."

Lindy watched as Wren passed by with a little smirk, stepping into her own bedroom before closing the door behind her.

"Don't worry about making anything to eat, I'm not hungry."

Turning about, she returned to where she'd set her backpack, unzipping it and pulling out textbooks.

"Did you sleep good?"

[Randall Rudd]

"Eh."

He shrugged as he shuffled into the kitchenette. Opening the fridge, he bent down, pulling out a leftover deli sandwich he'd picked up at the corner shop. The late hours meant that he didn't exactly do much cooking for himself, and he was at the mercy of takeout, restaurants, and whatever he could grab.

"You all done with class?"

He turned back to look at her, his makeshift breakfast now in hand. Walking back in the living room, he eased onto the couch and sat.

[Lindy Rudd]

Piling each book on top of one another, Lindy gave a nod.

"Yeah. Got lots of homework, too."

She scooted herself up onto the couch beside her dad, pulling one of her literature workbooks into her lap.

"It's fun here, but I didn't think there'd be so much work."

[Randall Rudd]

"Well, it can't all be a cakewalk I reckon. You gotta stay sharp like you was before Lindy."

He tussled her hair as she sat beside him. He was proud of her for doing well in school, but still fearful. This was a long way from Monongah, and he was worried about being able to provide for her the same way he'd done before. In ways it was easier. They weren't living quite so hand-to-mouth here, but in a way, they were strangers in a strange land.

[Lindy Rudd]

Lindy gave a grin up to him, and watched for a few seconds as he took a bite of his leftover sandwich before turning to open up her workbook. For a few minutes she stared at the page that she'd been assigned to do as homework, but sure enough it wasn't long before she looked back at her dad.

"You know," she started carefully, "I bet Mom woulda loved this place."

A quick stare back over her shoulder towards Wren's room. It'd only taken a few days, but once her initial shyness had worn off, Lindy had taken to Wren like a duck to water. The two had become a rather common sight in the afternoons around Cullen's, taking walks and having early suppers outside under the trees.

"And I bet she'da been really happy that Wren was here too."

[Wren Baker]

Following her midday shower, Wren had given a smile to Lindy as the girl'd come home from school. Now though, secluded in the peacefulness of her own room, Wren pulled the damp towel from her shoulders to drape it over the back of a wooden chair.

Staring at herself in the small vanity mirror, she brushed back a lock of wet, blonde hair.

How long could she keep hiding? How long would it take before Jack sent someone after her? It was only a matter of time she knew, and until then she had to make every effort to prepare herself. Would he send Jan? Wren knew that the Afrikaaner had often been given assignments to watch Cullen's, so she suspected that it would be him who'd stumble across her.

From one of the small duffels she'd brought with her, Wren pulled out her Walther P99. The small pistol she'd carried religiously during her time with Praetorian was now her main defense against them. She never left the house without it; to do so would be a grave mistake. Slipping the sidearm into its' slim holster, she nestled it out of sight on the inside of the waistband on her jeans.

Again she looked into the mirror, and after a moment of staring, grabbed the towel she'd set down. Draping it over her shoulders once more, Wren pulled open the bedroom door and padded her way into the kitchenette.

[Randall Rudd]

He thought about what Lindy said, and reluctantly agreed. He was still liable to mourn in his own way, but the strangeness of the situation had compelled him to find a way to move on, if only for her sake. He looked at Wren, wondering if indeed his late wife would think it right that he found another.

"How's the day been?"

He asked as Wren walked by, hair ensconced by a towel as she was fresh from the shower.

[Wren Baker]

Giving Randal a grin, Wren shrugged.

"Been quiet mostly. Did some shopping earlier and bought groceries - "

Moving to stand behind father and daughter, Wren gave Lindy a wink before plucking the leftover sandwich from Randall's hand, moments before he could take another bite.

" - so now you can eat fresh food instead of this stuff."

[Randall Rudd]

"Hey!"

He looked up in surprise at Wren's thievery.

"Well I sure's hell hope you're a better cook than I am. I ain't eatin' no ramen noodles neither."

[Wren Baker]

Wren gave him a pained look, and turning to head back into the kitchenette, she waved him off.

"Course I'm a better cook than you."

Tossing the h alf-eaten sandwich on the countertop, Wren opened the fridge, pulling out a bag of spinach and other assorted vegetables.

"Lindy, you should ask your dad about the time he made your mom and me his famous 'potato bean custard stew'."

[Randall Rudd]

"Them wasn't the right potatoes for what I was makin', that's all."

Randall grumbled but definitely conceded the point. He could probably burn a salad if he wasn't careful.

[Wren Baker]

Wren laughed at that as she began to cut at a stalk of celery. She paused to give Lindy a look and another wink.

"S'what he says every time it's brought up."

Lindy gave her a wide smile, and Wren went back to cutting the vegetables she'd pulled out. Ten minutes later, and she returned to hand Randall and Lindy each a bowl of salad.

"You want ranch or italian dressing?"

[Randall Rudd]

"Ranch I guess."

Randall wasn't exactly an expert on rabbit food. He picked through it with a fork, sorting it all out as he began to eat.

[Wren Baker]

Lindy nodded as well that she wanted ranch, and Wren gave them both a smile as she set the bottle down on the coffee table. With her own salad in hand, she took a seat opposite the two in a recliner.

"I figure tonight I'll make us some chicken and mashed potatoes," she noted Randall's look with a smirk.

For as innocent and relaxed as the three seemed to be, Wren herself couldn't forget the threat that still loomed over them all - even if Randall didn't know. He'd been so concerned with simply providing for Lindy that it'd consumed his thoughts in their entirety. Not that she could blame him.

[Lindy Rudd]

She hadn't had fresh veggies in so long; at least not since her mom had died, and Lindy eagerly ate the salad that Wren had made her. Her workbook set on the table, the girl focused all of her efforts on her meal, and even snuck one of the little tomatoes from her dad's bowl.

"Chicken and mashed potatoes sound great," she grinned.

Another mouthful of spinach, and Lindy swallowed, looking sideways at her dad.

"I know your night off is tonight, but one of my friends invited me over to her room for a slumber party, and since it's Friday, I was hoping I could go."

[Vipul Chandrashekar]

A knock came at the door of the apartment.

[Wren Baker]

If Randall had been paying hard enough attention to her, he'da seen Wren snap her head towards the door uncommonly fast while letting a hand fall to her lap, fingers tensed. She hid the motions however, and rose to her feet in a deceptively casual motion.

A hand went out to keep Randall from getting up himself.

"Finish your breakfast," she offered lightly.

Looking through the door's peephole, Wren felt her body relax; the man on the other side she recognized from her time out with Lindy... he was one of the school's professors.

Unlocking the latch, she pulled open the door and smiled.

[Vipul Chandrashekar]

Vipul carried a basket full of odds & ends with him as he stood at the door. He felt a little out of sorts on these ad hoc orientation visits, but he enjoyed meeting the new students, so he always volunteered for it.

"Hello, my name is Vipul Chandrashekar. I'm from the school. Would it be alright if I come inside?"

[Wren Baker]

For a few moments Wren stared at him, then the basket he held. She blinked, and a second later her smile widened to one of genuine kindness.

"Yes of course."

A look over her shoulder was given to Randal, and opening the door further, she stepped to the side so that Vipul could enter.

[Randall Rudd]

Randal's brow furrowed at the sight of their unannounced visitor. It was that young Arabstani guy he'd seen just about everywhere.

"Uh, hi."

Wiping his hands on his jeans a little, he eased off the couch and tenatively offered his hand to shake.

"Randall Rudd."

[Lindy Rudd]

Lindy stayed put, choosing to remain on the couch and finish her salad. 'Sides; this kinda stuff was more for grownups. She recognized their guest, as much like her father she'd seen him all over school. Chewing thoughtfully, Lindy scooted herself farther back on the sofa so that her bowl sat more comfortably in her lap.

[Vipul Chandrashekar]

"Hi, I'm just coming over to check up and say hello to all of you, and welcome you to the school."

Vipul eased the basket onto a clear spot at the table.

"I know it can be a little difficult making a transition like this, so I want to let you know that we've all been there before, and we'd be glad to help in any way."

[Wren Baker]

Wren watched him, listened to the tone of his voice and essentially allowed old training to take over. It wasn't anything out of malicious intent, it was simply so ingrained within her that now it had become second nature; an involuntary reaction to all those she met since coming to Cullen's.

She kept her smile.

"Your concern is much appreciated, Mr. Chandrashekar."

Looking to Randall then, Wren gave him a prodding look, quietly urging him to offer his own thanks.

[Randall Rudd]

"Yeah, thanks for taking us in. Really glad we found a place for Lindy, given her situation and all."

Randall felt a little odd with the visit, but the guy seemed nice. He didn't hardly have no accent, either.

"Where my manners at Mister Chanda, Chandahabab, er? You want a beer?"

[Wren Baker]

Wren only gave a silent groan at that, but other than her internal exasperation, she kept her genial attitude.

"Or if you'd rather, we have water or orange juice."

[Vipul Chandrashekar]

Knowing that first impressions count, Vipul broke with his usual preference to avoid alcohol when on the job.

"A beer would be very pleasant, thank you."

Vipul smiled with understanding at Wren's attempt to be considerate. He looked to the little girl quietly picking through her salad.

"I've also brought some study materials over for you, Lindy. Just some things that you might find useful in your first courses."

[Lindy Rudd]

Lindy gave a nod to him, along with a small, thankful smile.

"Thanks."

Of course, the thought of such things only made her eyeball the giftbasket a little more, and leaning forward to set her salad bowl on the table, she reached out, pulling the basket closer to her so that she could look through its' contents.

[Randall Rudd]

Randall went to the fridge, pulling a trio of Busch beer cans out, offering one each to Wren and Vipul.

"Didn't rightly think Muslims drank beer, but who'm I to say?"

He popped the top before passing it to his guest.

"We've just about got settled in, I reckon. I found some work, so at least we can keep the lights on."

[Wren Baker]

In the middle of opening the can that Randall had given her, Wren stared a moment at him in surprise. 'Muslim'? Her expression took on a slightly pained look, but she said nothing as her eyes closed in slight exasperation.

[Vipul Chandrashekar]

Again, Vipul cast a knowing expression to Wren. He'd gotten used to the whole 'Being Brown in America' Syndrome, and wasn't offended when it came up. It was just one of many prejudices that were being gradually pushed back with time.

"Actually, I was raised as a Hindu. But I'm glad that you brought this up. It's important to talk about preconceptions and prejudices if they exist. That's part of what we do here, is to create an open forum to talk about mutant issues in society."

He paused to sip the beer, keeping a genial expression.

"In our lifetime, a person's genomes have become a category very similar to a person's race, sex, ethnicity, creed, religion, and other things which can potentially be divisive."

[Wren Baker]

Eventually taking a first sip of her beer, Wren gave a nod.

"It's a phenomena I've seen more often than not lately. I admit that I'm not gifted in any way, but I'm not blind either."

She gestured for Vipul to sit if he so desired.

[Randall Rudd]

"Hindu huh?"

Randall nodded, wishing he hadn't quite jumped to conclusions.

"Yeah, I know whatcha mean. I ain't gonna take my chances with Lindy back in West Virginia. They done found a mutant boy in the next county and the school board went and kept him out of class. Like they's thinkin' you can catch it."

[Wren Baker]

"Always felt that humanity's greatest demon was the fear of that which isn't immediately understood."

Wren's words were said with a sigh as she lowered herself to sit next to Lindy, effectively taking Randall's spot. She gave a look at one of the new books Vipul had brought with him, now open in Lindy's lap.

"But I also figure us normal folks have a bit of hope left in us. We'll come 'round eventually."

[Vipul Chandrashekar]

"It's the same with everyone. Likewise there are gifted people who think that non-mutants are in collusion to destroy them. Their distrust is easily turned into hatred."

Vipul shook his head.

"Everyone has a journey to take to renew themselves, and to remember to respect their fellow man."

He looked at Lindy, and smiled.

"What do you think?"

[Lindy Rudd]

Caught by surprise by the question being directed at her, Lindy looked up from the book she'd opened up. She thought for only a moment, unsure of how she was supposed to answer.

""Oh, um... I guess so.."

She bit her lip, trying to think of more to say.

"I don't really think about it all that much."

[Randall Rudd]

"You mean them Brotherhood guys like that Russian fella?"

Randall nodded at Vipul's example.

"Yeah they ain't no better than folks who might raise hell at a mutant in a public school. I guess we ain't quite yet on havin' a fix for that are we?"

[Wren Baker]

Wren frowned at Randall's mention of the Russian. She knew him as Aslan, and thankfully had never been in his presence. She'd read reports of those who had though, and they never failed to cause a healthy amount of fear of the man.

"Both sides of this thing aren't blameless," she conceded while taking a sip of her beer.

[Vipul Chandrashekar]

Vipul nodded.

"That is right. We all have to come together and live with each other. The same as anything that has caused divides in men before, we have to put this aside as well. It's a slow process, and we may not see it fully finished in our lifetime, but it's something we all believe in here."

[Wren Baker]

"That's a good thing to know."

Wren smiled once more, pushing away the memory of Aslan and focusing on instead their guest.

"How long have you been a teacher here, Mr. Chandrashekar?"

[Vipul Chandrashekar]

"Not very long. I've been here for about eight months, and been teaching for perhaps half a year."

Vipul took another drink, inwardly glad to turn away from the negativity of brotherhood talk.

"I haven't had much formal education I'm afraid, but thankfully my gifts make me a fast learner."

[Wren Baker]

She'd read enough from Jan's reports to know the nature of Vipul's particular mutation, but Wren maintained a disciplined silence, broken only by an understanding nod and another drink of her beer.

"It's good to know that even the teachers here don't rest on their academic laurels."

[Vipul Chandrashekar]

He smiled sheepishly.

"I don't think many of us have any laurels to rest on at all. Before we found ourselves, I guess it's fair to say that few if any of us considered ourselves teachers by trade or choice."

He allowed himself to think about the past, and the surreal journey he'd undertaken to come to this place from New Delhi.

"I was a chemical engineer, but without any academic background. Of course that seems like lifetimes ago. For lack of a community of our own, we have all had to find callings we may otherwise not have sought out."

He looked at Lindy and Randall.

"I think it's something we will all do, even those of us who aren't mutants. We're still bound by affection. You do many things for people you care about."