Shake the Lead Out

[Tess Abrahams]

7 a.m was a strangely peaceful time on Banyon Street. The garbage trucks were an hour gone and with them the groaning mechanical grind of the back lift. Early commuters had left in their cars and for their buses with hopes of avoiding the trap of morning rush hour, where it was easy to become snared and helpless to the waking heat of day. With school out of session, the neighborhood was quiet as children took advantage of lazy alarm clocks.

Redención House was filled with this latter peace and Tess was mindful not to disturb the quiet as she eased in through the front, balancing a drink tray in one hand. While it was unlikely that something as miniscule as a banging door would penetrate through the impressive cocoon of teenage slumber, it never hurt to err on the generous side of courtesy.

The young woman pried battered running shoes off her feet with a grateful sigh and prodded them into some sort of neat order with a toe before she passed on through the den. Jamie was there, perched on the couch with her pajama shirt tugged over her knees, little feet wriggling against the cusions. On the television screen an episode of Wild Kingdom played lowly. Tensions were running high in Savuti, a fierce drought driving a family of elephants to search for water in lion territory. Tess ducked as she went past the television, flashing a grin at the girl and waving with her free hand before she made for the stairs.

Another benefit to the summer lethargy was that it made finding people much easier. Once the day kicked off, there were so many crisscrossing schedules that it was impossible to keep track of who was where without the big calendar Anna kept pinned in the kitchen.

With a warm hum in her belly, Tess let herself into one of the bedrooms with her cargo. There was a blanket-covered lump on the bed, a spear of sunlight from the fluttering curtains cutting over what was, presumably, a pair of legs. With all the predatory skill of one of Jamie's lions, she crept closer and quietly set down the cardboard float holding a pair of coffee cups on the bedside table before flopping down on the mattress.

"Morning," Tess whispered gleefully, collapsing on top of Aidan's back. She grabbed the blankets and tugged them down, scratching lightly at the fine hair on the nape of his neck. "I made you breakfast."

[Aidan Fox]

All things considered, even with the sudden jumping of the mattress, it wasn't an altogether unpleasant way to wake up. Aidan hmmmed lightly and rolled his neck under the gentle caress, and then he rolled over and let the sheets fall to his bare abdomen as he propped himself up on one shoulder and gave Tess a sleepy smile from underneath his bed head.

"Morning," he mumbled back, and he took in a deep breath through his nose, smelling the bittersweetness of the coffee and other pleasant things.

"You're up and at 'em. What's the occasion?"

[Tess Abrahams]

"Does one have to have an excuse to seize the day?" Tess smoothed a hand through his hair and leaned down to kiss him - her post-run sweat was a fair trade for his morning breath. "Not all of us can sleep the morning away."

Reaching over to the side table she grabbed one of the Styrofoam cups of coffee and passed it to him, plucking a silver-wrapped packet from the waistband of her running pants with her other hand. With a proud flourish she peeled back the foil to unveil the beige-and-fuchsia corners of a pair of frosted Pop Tarts.

"I slaved all morning to make these," Tess sighed dramatically, wiping away the strenuous effort with a back of her hand. "It's an old, very secret family recipe."

[Aidan Fox]

Aidan's eyes widened in earnest. "No kidding."

He pulled his Pop Tart free of the foil and conjured some low, blue flames in his free hand. "Want yours toasted?"

[Tess Abrahams]

Tess laughed and clambered over him, flopping into the space and wriggling under the covers. She held out the spare square of refined flour and sugar and artificial flavorings and chemical dyes and tried to convince herself that it wasn't absolutely freaking delicious.

"You're the best boyfriend-slash-appliance ever," she grinned. "Anyone ever tell you that?"

[Aidan Fox]

"No, but I have been called a fire hazard before."

He held the little pastry flat between his hands until the frosting grew soft and the doughy exterior had acquired a light tan. "At least I'm not the only one here who's hot in bed."

[Tess Abrahams]

"Mm, and you're charming even before coffee. What a catch."

There was a faint hint of a blush in her cheeks but any bashful impressions were rendered null by the wicked gleam reflected back at Aidan in bright brown eyes. Tess accepted her Pop Tart with a little hum of thanks and began to pick around the frosting, nibbling away the unadorned edges.

"I got something yesterday when Jen and I went shopping. Any guesses?" Tess took one look at the smirk on Aidan's face and shook her head, pointing at him with a teasing finger. "And no it's not what you're thinking right now. This is practical."

[Aidan Fox]

Aidan grinned as a corner of cinnamon-sugar syrup-filled pastry crumbled into his mouth. "Okay, okay, practical. And, uh. Worth breaking out the old family recipe to celebrate."

He tilted his head back. "Oh, let me think. You got your own set of torque wrenches."

[Tess Abrahams]

Underneath the blankets, Tess's foot nudged one of Aidan's calves.

"Ha - that's not something a girl gets for herself. Torque wrenches are serious business," she rolled over onto her side to face him and tugged loose the elastic holding her long hair out of her face. Wiping crumbs from the corner of her mouth, Tess relented a little. "Okay, here's a hint: I lied about my weight."

[Aidan Fox]

Aidan's mirth drained away in favor of self-preservation instincts. If there was a handbook for males, the page headed "Women's Weight, Discussions Of" would be blank except for the words, "Good luck, kid, you're on your own."

"Okay," he said cautiously. "I think you're beautiful anyway?"

[Tess Abrahams]

The trepidation on his face was earnest and Aidan looked like a small boy, caught trying to explain his way out of a lie with only a vague sense of damning consequences hanging over his head. Thankfully he was not a child because the effect was decidedly adorable and the fond rush of feelings it incited would have been entirely inappropriate otherwise.

"Points for effort, Champ," Tess winked and leaned across him, trading her picked over pastry for the rocket fuel that they brewed at 7-11 and marketed as coffee. That pleasant looseness that came after a run was settling in and Aidan's bed was rumpled from his sleep to create maximum nesting comfort, made all the better by his presence and uncanny knack for acting a very good human pillow.

Sinking back, Tess uncapped her coffee and released a cloud of steam, announcing, "I got my learner's permit. Figured it was probably a good idea in case there's ever an emergency or if we decide to go all Bonnie and Clyde and need a getaway driver. Plus," she took a slurp of dark brew and gave him a sly look over the lip of the cup, "I know this really cute mechanic. Hopefully if I get tarted up and use some of my slick moves, he'll give me driving lessons at a discounted rate."

[Aidan Fox]

Fortunately he'd already dealt with the shock of learning that Tess had no driver's license, practically a disability for any American over the age of sixteen. They hadn't really talked about it since.

"Well, it wouldn't be the first time I've dealt with a needy mutant charity case," he said. "Learner's permit, huh? Good for you. So..."

He reached across her for the other coffee. "When were you thinking on getting started?"

[Tess Abrahams]

"Whoa whoa whoa," Tess scoffed. "Who said <i>you</i> were the cute mechanic? I`m holding out for Six-Pack Don from the Fast Lube."<br /> <br /> Six-Pack Don was the thrice-divorced (and proud of it) manager of the little service shop on Elm. Somewhere in his late forties, he was most often found sweating behind the counter in the stuffy front office, perpetually accompanied by chewing tobacco, a slew of jalapeno Slim Jims and a sixer of Bud that he tried to keep hidden under stacks of paper. Any girl over 18 was considered fair game and it was an exercise in lewd humiliation to go in for an oil change.<br /> <br /> Tess fanned herself dreamily. "You better watch out, he`s stiff competition. Might even have an opening in his schedule today..."

[Aidan Fox]

"Oh, gee." Aidan let out a deep, dramatic sigh. "I just don't know if I can compete with that."

He curled his free arm up under Tess's neck and played with her hair in his fingers. "Are you sure I can't change your mind?"

[Tess Abrahams]

"My heart says no but this <i>is</i> America, where equal opportunity is supposed to be afforded to all." <br /> <br /> Aidan`s idle ministrations made her shiver and Tess looked up at him with a baleful expression. "I suppose I`m morally obligated to give you a fair shot. It`d be unconstitutional otherwise and that`s a terrible example to set for future generations."

[Aidan Fox]

"I'm glad you're willing to set me on an even plane with Six-Pack Don. That's esteemed company right there."

Aidan's fingers trailed up and down her neck, somewhere between caressing and tickling. "Did I really just beg you to let me give you free driving lessons? Because that's... Jamie!"

There was a small bump from the bedroom door, which Tess had left open by a handsbreadth idan pulled his arm out from under Tess and pushed himself upright, but little footsteps were already retreating down the hallway.

[Tess Abrahams]

With breakfast consumed and the privacy of the moment knoacked on it`s rear end, showers appeared to be the next logical step. And despite Jamie`s unexpected discovery, Tess found she couldn`t stop giggling remembering Aidan`s pricelessly surprised face - nevermind the fact that she`d jerked upright so quickly she`d nearly sent them both tumbling off the bed. Coffee stains would come out in the wash (his sheets needed to be done anyway) and there were worse ways for a secret to be uncovered in the House; Tess was just glad that Jamie hadn`t caught them in a more compromising position.

Outside the day was shaping up to be pleasantly overcast, the sort of sky filled with lacy grey clouds that made everything brighter than the sun would have. Kitted out in a fresh pair of Nike shorts, a tank top, and a ballcap tugged low over her head, Tess appeared ready to tackle a marathon rather than the 10-and-2 wheel position. She whistled cheerily as she came out the backdoor with wallet in hand and made for the detatched garage where the truck sat. Aidan was waiting.

"She winked at me over her Froot Loops," Tess laughed. "I guess that`s a good sign?"

[Aidan Fox]

"Better her than Jen, to tell the truth," Aidan said with sidewickered grin. "Hop in."

Aidan tossed her the keys and stepped around to the passenger side of the truck.

[Tess Abrahams]

"Oh. Um..." Tess looked at the keys in her hand and then to the truck, down the even line of the driveway and finally back to Aidan. She looked a little thrown as she gestured at the Toyota. "It`s facing the wrong way."

[Aidan Fox]

Aidan paused before the open passenger side door. "Yeah, that's what the reverse gear is for."

[Tess Abrahams]

He wanted to start with reversing? Why not cut right to the chase and go over the finer details of pulling off the perfect drift?! Tess glanced nervously toward the road again; the driveway was actually a lot longer than it looked. And it kind of dipped a little, no, now that she looked closely it sloped more like a bunny run at a ski resort.

"Right, right." Tess nodded. "But, um... you know, they say it`s important to start any new endeavor in a forward motion, with good energy. It sets a positive tone and creates a safe psychological environment condusive to learning."

[Aidan Fox]

"I figured I'd start you at the beginning. The driveway's a straight shot." Aidan shrugged. "But I don't want you feeling uncomfortable."

Twenty seconds later he'd parked the pickup in front of Redencion House, popped the driver's side door open, and handed the keys across the bench seat. "Chinese fire drill time."

[Tess Abrahams]

The keys jangled loosely on their ring as Tess jostled them between her palms, crossing around the front of the truck. She offered a gameface grin to Aidan as they passed - there were little coils of excited energy twisting in her stomach but they were accompanied by swooping nerves that she didn`t want him to see.

"Okay, so, this part I got," said Tess as she climbed behind the wheel and shut the door. With precise attention she buckled her seatbelt and began adjusting the mirrors, making tiny corrections until they afforded the clearest view possible of the necessary angles.

Slapping a grip on the wheel, she tilted her head back and looked at Aidan from underneath the white brim of the baseball cap. "Have at it, Instructor."

[Aidan Fox]

Aidan settled into the passenger side seat and quickly ran through the tour of the pedals, parking brake, and gear shift, and the pickup did them the service of actually starting on the first try. "Okay, good. Now press the brake pedal, and the gear shift will move. Go ahead and put us in drive, then let up on the brake. The truck's going to roll forward on its own, just get used to that."

[Tess Abrahams]

Tess nodded intently while the idling engine vibrations echoed against her palms. There was no hiding the white-knuckled grasp she had on the wheel but she resolutely followed Aidan`s directions. Brake pedal depressed, Tess reached out and took hold of the gearshift attached to the steering column, pulling it forward and down until the little tab on the dash pointed at the D. She inched her foot off the brake with all the speed of molasses rolling uphill. The Toyota groaned and moved in increments, finally lumbering into motion.

Well, this wasn`t so bad. As long as she kept her arms straight, everything else took care of itself. Great!

As the truck began to slow, residual momentum waning, Tess asked, "Should I give it a little gas?"

With eyes on the asphalt and Aidan`s assent hanging in the air, she toed at the acceleration pedal.

Like a charging bull the truck roared and lurched forward hungrily. Tess let out a yell and reared back as though yanking on invisible reigns, slamming on the brake pedal with both feet. Just as quickly as it had started, everything came to a violent halt. "Holy crap!"

[Aidan Fox]

Aidan jerked forward against the shoulder belt and then back against the seat. No matter how cool you were behind the wheel, there was something about the herky-jerk motions of a novice driver that set you on edge. "It's all right, it's all right. The gas is a little sticky on this truck. Just take it easy, let it coast. Smooth movements."

He gave her a one-sided grin. "Emphasis on smooth."

[Tess Abrahams]

"Smooth," Tess repeated shakily. She cleared her throat and then knocked her cap back, clearing up the view. This time her foot whispered against the gas and the truck creeped forward, building up to a cool 15 mph.

"There`s a stop sign up ahead," Tess whispered, unsure why she was whispering. "Aidan, where am I going? It`s - oh wait, wait, here`s another car."

A little teal Honda Accord came crusing around the corner and Tess slowed to a near stop, unconciously pulling the truck to the far end of their lane as they approached.

[Aidan Fox]

"It's all right. He'll stay in his lane if you stay in yours. Just watch the -"

He reached over and corrected the wheel just before they drifted into a parked minivan on their right. Tess jammed the brakes again on reflex, and Aidan just rolled with the punches.

"Don't worry, pretty much every new driver does that when a car comes the other way. You'll get over it. Just get back into the lane and go straight at the stop sign."

The stop sign was another head-banging experience - this time Tess had tried braking more gradually, but it had turned into two hard stops instead. "Okay, now, keep your eyes down the road. Doing good, Tess."

[Tess Abrahams]

"I bet you say that to all your charity cases."

Aidan was being exceptionally kind but 'good' was probably applicable only in a relative sense. Sure, she was doing good - compared to a nearsighted granny barely able to see out the windshield, say, or a kid whose only exposure to driving were Hot Wheels races and Dukes of Hazard reruns.

Okay, maybe that wasn't entirely fair. Tess had a fuzzy memory of being a kid, perched on her father's lap behind the wheel of the family station wagon on the way to Mount Hood. He'd let her take over and she remembered it being a heck of a lot easier than now.

A pair of boys, maybe nine and six and definitely brothers with the way their hair fell in shades of the same golden brown over similarly mischievous faces, jostled one another along the sidewalk. They were carrying baseball mitts and the older had a polished wood bat hooked over his shoulder. Headed to the park, no doubt, but all Tess saw were moving hazards and tiny coffins and an unsympathetic jury handing down a vehicular homicide conviction. The truck slowed down again and the kids looked over, eyes wide and faces uncertain.

"Maybe music would help?" Tess cleared her throat and risked taking her eyes off the road for a few seconds to glance at Aidan. "Vivaldi or something calming like that."

[Aidan Fox]

"If you like," Aidan said. He reached over to flip the radio on and used the half-second lag to crank the volume way down so she wasn't blasted with KLOS rock. With a little dial-surfing he found them an NPR classical station.

They circled through the development for about half an hour - a gentle course of curves, stop signs, and twenty-five mile-per-hour speed limits. They came within sight of Modena, the six-lane thoroughfare that connected the neighborhood to the commercial strip where Anna did all her shopping, but Aidan knew Tess wasn't nearly ready for that yet.

"Really, you're doing just fine," Aidan said as they stepped through the kitchen door back into the House. "Everybody's nervous the first time."

[Tess Abrahams]

"It was a lot harder than I expected," Tess admitted. "You know, I thought once everything got going it would just flow naturally but there's technique involved."

With a little smile she bumped Aidan's hip with her own. "You're a really good teacher, though."

[Aidan Fox]

Aidan smiled back and opened the fridge and pulled out a carton of orange juice. "I've been doing it for a long time, that's all. The key when you're learning is to just take it at your own pace, don't let anyone rush you. The confidence will come once you've got a little more experience."

[Tess Abrahams]

Before Aidan could swig right from the jug, Tess snagged a clean glass from the drainer by the sink and handed it to him with a pointed look.

"Not that it wasn't fun, but I think I need a couple days to recuperate before we try again," she said, rolling her neck back and forth. "It's pretty intense."

[Aidan Fox]

Aidan poured himself a tall glass with a patient smile.

"Yeah, it's a lot to think about at once when you're just starting out," he agreed. "It'll all become second nature to you pretty soon, and then we'll start throwing more complex situations at you."

He took a sip. "And at least you're putting a lot of thought into what you're doing. Believe me, Jen's first time? That was intense."

[Alex Kaine]

There was a distinct bump from the laundry room, and a moment later Alex emerged carrying a basket full of T-shirts and looking a little red-faced.

"Oh, yeah, you guys were talking about driving," he said. "I'll just, um. See you."

The teen hurried down the dining room hallway toward the stairs.

[Tess Abrahams]

"What did you think we were talking about?" Tess called after Alex's hastily retreating form, a delighted gleam in her eyes. "Eavesdropping leads to no good, Alex!"

There was some kind of mumbled retort but it didn't make it down the hallway. Tess shared a look with Aidan and then began to rifle through the cupboard above the coffee machine, looking for filters. There was a bottle of chocolate sauce in the fridge and ice in the freezer; nothing like a mocha freeze to toast breaking new ground.

She discovered the box of cone liners behind a huddle of mugs. "So," Tess said, stuffing one into the grind compartment of the old drip machine. "Is teaching people just a natural gift of yours or do you have experience in that, too? A horde of younger siblings, perhaps?"

[Aidan Fox]

Aidan took a deep swig of orange juice and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "No, no siblings," he said. "There were a lot of mutants around where I grew up. Not too different from this place, really. Exploring and learning and teaching was all pretty much second-nature."

[Tess Abrahams]

The coffee machine gurgled and spat while Tess dug out a plastic travel mug from the Tupperware drawer. "Mm. And that was, um... where was that again, New York?"

Had Aidan said that he'd grown up there or was it just that he'd known people from Cullen's? Tess couldn't remember.

[Aidan Fox]

"Yeah. Upstate."

That's all he'd told anyone else. To anyone who hadn't actually lived in New York, "upstate" was as specific as the Northwest Territories.

[Tess Abrahams]

"Ahh, upstate," Tess repeated in a knowing tone. She leaned against the counter while the hiss of the brewing coffee punctuated the silence and studied Aidan's face with a waiting smile.

When nothing more was forthcoming, she laughed. "Oh, come on. Are you really going to leave it at that?"

[Aidan Fox]

Aidan shrugged and sat back against the counter island, palming his glass of orange juice. "What else would you like to know?" he asked.

[Tess Abrahams]

"I don't know, just... something. You're such a mystery, it's a little..." Tess held up a casual palm. "Well, it's a little weird, don't you think? We've been caught in the middle of a shootout together but I don't even know your middle name."

He was being remarkably nonchalant about the whole thing and Tess felt a bit foolish suddenly, conjuring up a shrouded mystique where there was probably only a natural reticence. She tugged on the hem of her shirt, thoughtfully.


"Do you ever go home, to visit?"

[Aidan Fox]

"No," Aidan said, hesitantly. "I, uh. I don't really have a home to go back to anymore."

He glanced over to Tess, saw a look of budding mortification, and gave a nervous laugh. "God, that sounds so melodramatic. No, I mean, pretty much everyone I knew has moved away somewhere. Even my parents are out of the country. They're notoriously hard to get a hold of. I haven't seen them in three years."

[Tess Abrahams]

With the potentially champion foot-in-mouth momwnt averted, Tess gave way to the buzzing curiousity that followed Aidan`s divulgance. It was the most she`d ever heard him say about his family and it didn`t satisfy her fascination so much as left her hungry for more. She wanted to understand the wheres and whats and hows and whys of the man that Aidan had grown into. Foundations were important.

"Oh, wow," Tess said. Three years was a sizeable chunk of time, but then maybe he wasn`t close with his parents. "Is that for work or..."

Before Aidan could answer, Tess narrowed her eyes and pointed a playfully suspicious finger at him. "You`re not secretly the crown prince of a little-known European nation, are you?"

[Aidan Fox]

That coaxed a more genuine laugh out of Aidan. "You've got me pegged, I knew I couldn't hide it from you much longer. No, afraid not..."

He tilted his head back and studied the ceiling lights for a few seconds, just trying to frame an answer that made sense.

"Basically... they do the same thing I do."

[Tess Abrahams]

Tess frowned, eyebrows knitting together. "They`re... international mechanics?"

[Aidan Fox]

Aidan grinned and shook his head. "No, no. See, fixing cars isn't what I do. It's just how I get by."

He held her eyes for a few moments, then pointed up, to where most of the kids were still either sleeping in or getting up and ready for the day.

"This is why I'm here. This house, these kids. I owe a lot to older mutants who came alongside me and helped me grow into my abilities. My mom and dad most of all. Coming here... I think of it as a way of giving back."

[Tess Abrahams]

Listening to a person talk about something that meant a great deal to them had a contageous effect. One couldn`t help but feel a sense of being a part of something bigger, a recognition of enthusiasm, even if it was a quiet one. Tess had seen that sort of dedicated commitment in the faces of the professors at Cullen`s, and she saw it again here, a steady shine from Aidan`s eyes. He was always attractive but there was such a genuine cleft to his words, an open honesty that just...

"That`s really cool, Aidan," Tess said with a soft smile, before her brain could substitute something with far less substance. She was aware that she was staring but her eyes weren`t interested in anything else. "And your parents, they`re off helping other mutant kids? They sound very interesting. I`d like to meet them, one day."

[Aidan Fox]

"Yeah... yeah, I think I'd like that, too," Aidan said. And then the conversation drifted off into nonverbal territory, hazel and brown eyes locked together.

Finally Aidan broke the silence. "And it's John."

He smiled at the confusion that crossed Tess's face. "That's my middle name."

[Tess Abrahams]

"John," Tess repeated, rolling the broad roundness of it around. "Aidan John. I like that."<br /> <br /> The coffee machine beeped and Tess lifted the plastic mug off the counter, ready to fill it with ice. She hesitated by Aidan and ran a hand down his arm, thumb tracing absent circles around the knob of his elbow. "Hey, I`m not trying to be nosy or make you feel... I dunno, cornered." Tess hitched a shoulder. "I`m just curious because I sort of dig you. Gotta make sure you`re on the up-and-up."

[Aidan Fox]

Aidan caught her hand and rubbed it back. "You sure you want to ruin the mystery? You might ask too many questions and find out I'm boring."

He laughed - but there was a certain amount of relief behind his smile. "Seriously, though. It means a lot to me that you care."

[Tess Abrahams]

"Of course I care," Tess replied, leaning against his shoulder and slanting a warm look that was meant to be teasing but couldn't quite shake the authentic glimmer that turned it into something between a confession and an appraisal. "And for the record? You are, and may turn out to be, many things - but boring isn't one of them."

A beat passed and then Tess slipped her hand from Aidan's and patted his cheek conspiratorially. "Dull people don't ride motorcycles."

That much was true. It took a special brand of fellow to forgo the relative shield that a car provided in favour of a slim bit of supercharged steel. Cryptic inclination notwithstanding, Aidan was an engrossing pursuit. And what else there was to learn would come, Tess was sure. Given time it would come. Her interest wasn't wavering.