take these broken wings and learn to fly [Jean]

[starchilde_lost]

[Dated 1-6-11]

Rachel was quiet when she awoke early, not wanting to disturb Jean if she were still asleep, not wanting to disturb anything in the quiet morning light. She slipped on her running shoes, a pair of pants, tank top and was reaching for warmer clothes to put on top of that when she looked out the window... and saw trees. Tropical trees to be exact, replacing the winter wonderland that she'd gotten accustomed to over the last few weeks. Dropping the warmer threads, she smiled and headed towards the front door, glad to not have to run through snow.

And that was when the next shock arrived. Standing outside, Rachel simply stared, not quite comprehending the sight in front of her. It was a birdcage, taller than she was, with artificial trunks built near the top, leaves shading the interior. Thinking she saw movement, Rachel approached, peering inside to try and see better.

"Hello? Little birdies?" At least she hoped. If it were snakes, she was going to be pissed. Someone sure had a sense of humor on them.

Comments

[risesagain]

Jean has been something of an early riser for quite some time now. She can't help it. Her attempts to sleep in only take her as far as nine in the morning. It might be a sign that she has finally grown out of that adolescent need for sleep. Or it could be a sign that no matter what the circumstances, her body knows that there is no reason to not be prepared for anything.

Walking past the window when she saw that the snow had disappeared, she walks outside her hut with every intention of enjoying the return of good weather before going about her daily business. She's still dressed in the sweats she went to sleep in, already too warm for the day.

"Rachel?" she calls seeing the birdcage first. "Well, this is new."

[starchilde_lost]

"Yeah, pretty sure I didn't order this." She moved to the other side to try and get a better look, catching a glimpse of some kind of bird before it disappeared into the greenery again.

"I wonder if we have to send it back? There's a pretty bird in there, maybe more than one, if this is supposed to belong to someone else..?"

Looking around, she saw a book lying on the ground nearby and she moved to pick it up.

"The Resplendent Quetzal: Caring for Guatemala's Heritage. Guess that tells me what's inside, but who would leave a birdcage here?"

[risesagain]

"It does that. Brings things that weren't exactly asked for," Jean comments. It has the habit of bringing things from home that are entirely unwanted. She's grateful that she has managed to avoid being on the receiving end of one of those things.

She's not entirely certain how long her luck in that matter will hold out. "Last year I got an examination table. It happens this time of year. But birds, that's a new one."

[starchilde_lost]

"So this is like, late Christmas from whoever sent us here?" She chuckled a little, still flipping through the book and occasionally looking into the cage. They were beautiful, if that's what they really were and there were pictures of clothing and jewelry that the ancient civilizations had made from the feathers.

Looking over at Jean with a sly smile, she innocently added, "And here I thought Dr. McCoy was graduating from flowers to feathers for you."

[risesagain]

"Something like that."

Walking in a slow half-circle, she examines the structure. As far as strange and mysterious gifts go this is definitely one of the nicer ones. She had heard of people getting presents that they couldn't quite figure out, either what they could be for or what they exactly were. This one seemed to be fairly cut and dried, not to mention beautiful.

Rachel's comment makes her roll her eyes slightly, feeling oddly girlish. It is like she has a secret that has just been found out, which isn't even remotely true. "If he had, I'd be a little impressed and more than a little concerned. They're nice, aren't they?"

[starchilde_lost]

"They're gorgeous. Here, look." She passed over the book. "They used to make stuff with of the feathers. Real pretty stuff, too."

It was her turn to peer into the cage, trying to get a count now that she knew exactly what she was looking for.

"Why would you be concerned? He's a nice guy, you're single, everyone else here seems to be seeing someone."

[risesagain]

Taking the book, Jean flips through a few of the pages. All of things are certainly beautiful which their carvings and feathers. A thought quickly races through her head, one that she just as quickly pushes away. It isn't a question that needs to be answered. Knowing whether or not South American ancient civilizations had phoenixes in their mythology is something that can wait for another day.

"Because birds are not exactly a baby step up from flowers. They're more like a giant leap," Jean says with a smile, looking up at Rachel and shrugging. "Everyone does pair off rather quickly don't they? It must be something in the water."

[starchilde_lost]

"And would a giant leap be a bad thing? I mean, you guys like each other, right?"

Rachel gasped a little as one of the birds popped into view. It was beautiful, brightly colored and good-sized - at least Rachel hoped, she was going to have to do some serious studying to learn about caring for these. She pulled back a little to watch Jean a little.

"Or are you both a little gun-shy?" Which would make sense, with Jean's history. For a moment, Rachel was angry at her father all over again. She loved him, but he was an idiot and had treated her mother like crap. If Rachel had been there for it, she would have hit him. Hard.

[risesagain]

What Rachel is saying makes sense. It should be simple. It should be easy. She likes Leonard and she’s fairly certain that the feeling is mutual. Unfortunately Jean cannot stop her head from getting in the way. It is more than just a little ironic that the one who is the most afraid of being burned used to do most of the burning.

Payback has always been a bitch. She should know: she practically wrote the book on it. The sight the bird makes her smile, utterly unexpected and more than a little impressed by the lovely creature. “Oh, what a cutie,” she says before pulling a hair tie from her pocket. She knots her hair low on the back of her head, just enough to stop it from sticking to everything. “I think it might be that. Things are just a little bit more complicated than they were when I last did this sort of thing.”

Even if Scott wasn’t here, he would always be just a little bit in the way. She had loved him and probably always would even if part of her still wishes for some sort of payback. But she’s rising above that. Being dead helps with that.

[starchilde_lost]

"Well, whatever happens..." Rachel gave Jean a smile as she poked a finger into the cage to see if the birds would approach. "And I mean, whatever, I just want you to be happy."

She'd heard the stories, sooner or later she'd gotten the whole sordid tale and when it didn't make her angry, it broke her heart. She just wanted her mother to be happy, she earned that. Her father, too, which was why she'd settled into an uneasy friendship with Emma back home. She guessed she just wanted all of her family to be at ease - they spent so much time fighting and dying...

She shook herself a little, she was thinking about death far too much of late and that was the last thing she wanted to do. Happy family. That was what she needed to focus on.

[risesagain]

"Thank you." Jean looks at Rachel and offers up a bright smile before taking a step closer and sliding an arm around her daughter. She knows that she's not technically Rachel's mother, has no memories of her early years or anything like that, but she's never felt that that lessens the bond.

Time has always been complicated when it comes to Greys. It never seems to stay as it should.

"I want you to be happy too. We all should be happy."

Frankly they all deserved it. It was just about time.

[starchilde_lost]

Leaning into the embrace, she smiled a little and gave her a squeeze back. "I am happy." It was only a little lie, and only partially one. She was happy, most of the time. She had her mother and brother, no one out to kill her.

But sometimes, especially when she was with Jean like this, it was really hard not to think about what they've lost, what's been taken from them.

"So..." Time for a topic change. "What do you think we're supposed to do with them?

[risesagain]

“Good,” Jean gives a slight nod of her head. She isn’t going to pry further, ask for proof of such happiness. The idea that it is even a remote possibility after everything that the Greys (and Summers) have been through is enough. There is no need to push the whole thing further. If Rachel wants to share, then she will. It is as simple as that.

Tilting her head in consideration, she considers them. “Raise them? I don’t know. I’ve never been much for pets that weren’t the ‘run and fetch’ kind. I’m pretty certain that you aren’t supposed to make masks out of them. At least not yet.”

[starchilde_lost]

"This place is weird. Not quite Mojo weird, but definitely up there."

She watched the birds for awhile, wondering why they were there and still going back and forth as to whether or not they could be a gift or like Jean said, something that just appeared. Both were a mystery, but she still found herself smiling as the birds moved about.

"I'm signing up for some classes, did I tell you that yet?" It was a random topic change, but something she'd been meaning to tell Jean for awhile.

[risesagain]

"Yeah. Definitely up there."

Which is saying something given that the very definition of her life had been weird. This place is referred as weird by the majority of people who live there, but often she finds it to be the sleepy kind of slow. Jean cannot help it. She knows better, but often gets the feeling that excitement is passing her by before she can notice it.

"No, you didn't. That's good. That will be something to distract you. What are you thinking of taking?"

[starchilde_lost]

"Yoga." She chuckled, looking over at Jean with a smirk, "It's about the only physical discipline I haven't been drilled in since I could walk."

Oh, the hazards of growing up one of the X-Men, while she knew she could always work on her core skills, she wanted something new, something different, something she wouldn't drift through.

"I'm also thinking of polisci and one of the psych classes."

[risesagain]

Jean laughs, finding the similarity in choices between her and Rachel to amusing. It is coincidental, pure and simply, but there's something nice about it.

"I practice yoga," she says with an easy shrug of her shoulders. "It's a good calming activity. Very useful for a variety of reasons."

One of those reasons that was always lingering in the back of her mind. The reason that had tried to destroy everything she loved at some point or another.

[starchilde_lost]

"Sure could use that calm." She snickered, adding, "Because this place is soooo exciting."

She was pretty sure she'd seen all of the usual places on the island, her days of walking and walking out of boredom had probably made sure of that. Maybe she should try and get to the other island, not that she'd heard there was anything exciting over there.

[risesagain]

Another laugh as she bobs her head in agreement. "Oh yes, practically exploding from all the excitement."

There is a decided lack of excitement which is both comforting and troubling. These days the calm that Jean spends her time seeking is of the inner-calm variety. The sort that makes her not want to lash out for increasingly desperate reasons.

[starchilde_lost]

"So... what do people really do for fun? I know there's a couple bars, or a club or something, but... is that it?"

Rachel was curious. She used to like to go shopping, go see movies, go shopping again. But around here? She could only go for so many walks and so many workouts.

[risesagain]

"Board games. Some people hunt, though that's more out of necessity than recreation. Some swim or go boating, but it isn't the sort of place where there is an active nightlife."

Jean reads. She goes on dates. She does things that are better suited to a child or an old woman than anything else. Taking a step towards the cage, she shrugs. "The options are sort of limited."