Motherly Love

Posted on Tue Jan 14th, 2025 @ 6:51 by Claire Cavendish & Kaylee Ashton BSc

Chapter: Besieged
Location: Physics classroom, Avalon Institute
1912 words - 3.8 OF Standard Post Measure

Claire stood in the doorway to the physics classroom, the bell had just rang and the students were slowly filing out of the room. She gave a few friendly nods and a shoulder pad here and there to the passing kids before the last one disappeared into the hallways beyond. She pulled the door closed behind her and smiled at the physics teacher behind her desk. Glancing shortly at the chalked up blackboard, having to dig deep to come to the conclusion she should've paid much more attention during science class. "Acceleration?"

"And momentum" Kaylee replied as she stood up from her desk at the head of the class and started rubbing off the black board, "so, what can I do for our benevolent Headmistress today? or are you just here to chat?"

Claire was rarely just there to chat, always stuff to arrange, administration to get in order, lesson plans to file with the inspection, that sort of stuff. Today was much more of a personal visit though. "Your mother called, wanting to speak to you." She didn't quite know how good Kaylee's bond was with her family, but when a relative contacted the institute it was usually serious.

Kaylee's expression quickly changed from a happy smile to a concerned frown. Why is she calling the institute? Could something had gone wrong? "did she say anything else or did she just to talk to me?"

"She wanted to speak with you, at your earliest convenience. Didn't specify as to the nature of the call." Claire stood for a moment to try and gauge whether or not Kaylee needed some additional support in this instance. Connections with family were always a bit of a hot topic in the Institute, and Faculty wasn't really exempt from that reality.

"did she sound worried or panicked in any way?" Kaylee asked before putting up her hand, "wait, don't answer that. I'll give her a call. Can I use the phone in the office or is there one you would prefer for me to use?"

"You may use the one in administration," Claire had requested but been told that phones in every teacher's personal quarters were impractical. So there were a couple of landlines available around the institute. Some of them were more public than others. The one in administration was in a pretty secluded corner and allowed for some privacy for the caller. "She didn't sound too worried, though with mothers who can truly tell." There was a faint smile in the hope that Kaylee could appreciate her small jest.

Without another word, Kaylee quickly walked to administration. It could be said that she was practically running and the expression of concern on her face didn't help to dispel that notion. It was unusual for her mother to call her out of the blue like this.

Reaching the admin office, Kaylee quickly moved to the phone, took out her phonebook and started dialing.

It took a while for the phone ringing to be answered on the other side. "Yes. Hello?" The familiar voice of her mother, perpetually in a state of concern, rang across the wires.

"hey mum, it's me" Kaylee said, her own voice full of concern. It had been a long time since she'd heard her mothers voice sound like that. "What's wrong? I got a message you called the school?"

There was a short delay, the long distance calls were always a bit of a strain on the networks it seemed. "Kaylee, dear, thank the lord you called back. When are you coming back home? Do you need some money for the train ticket?" Her mother was clearly of the mind that it wasn't a matter of if but a matter of when.

Kaylee was confused, “coming home? Mom I’m not up here for a holiday. What’s wrong? Has something happened?”

"Has something happened? Dear? Haven't you been following the news? They passed a law that forces you to out yourself as a mutant. I mean we can keep the association with Avalon out of the media and from our business partners, but once your name shows up on a list it'll surely be detrimental to your father's reputation. I'm sure you wouldn't want that, would you?"

“Mum, I’m already registered. I had to for that government job I told you about. But we need to worry about you more than me. What are you going to do? Have you talked this over with dad?”

"This is different, dear. I, for one, would be much more at ease with you here." Her mother ignored the worry expressed by Kaylee. "If you're at Avalon Institute come February then you'll be on watch lists that even your father won't be able to remove you from."

“Mum what are you taking about? What watch list? I’m already registered due to my government work and I’ve been known as a teacher here at the Institute since the broadcast.” Kaylee responded, starting to get frustrated. “If you’re that worried, why don’t you and dad come up here”

"Don't be naive, Kaylee. Working with the government is very different than working in what'll shortly be the most controversial employer in the country." Her mother's tone became more terse, "The time for playing revolutionary is over, Kaylee. You should really come home."

"Playing Revolutionary? Is that what you think I'm doing?" Kaylee asked, "you're wrong, The Avalon Institute is showing the whole of the country that we don't need to be feared. That Mutants can be safe and productive members of society. If we just hide every time those racists in parliament pass an unjust law, they'll never stop stripping away people's rights. we must show the public that those in power are wrong. I can't do that from dad's shop in London." she said, taking a few quick breaths, "look, tell dad if he need to denounce me to save the business, then do it. I'll always know you both still love me"

There was silence on the other end of the line. "I know you're young, and you don't want to hear this from your mother. But you're making a mistake." There was another silence. "Throughout history people that have been different haven't thrived. If there is one thing that you and those people at the institute need to learn.." Her mother almost bit back the next words, but decided to share them anyway, "in the end, all witches burn."

Kaylee was shocked by her mother’s words, “witches? Is that how you see us? Is that how you see me? As some kind of freak that needs to hide what I am?” She asked before taking a breath in and continuing before her mother could answer, “look, I’ve got to go. I’ll…..I’ll give you another call when I can” she said before hanging up the phone. Kaylee’s head was spinning with thoughts. Did she really want Kaylee to just give all this up? Could she leave her family for this institution? Why did she have to give up one or the other?

With each question, Kaylee could feel her heartbeat rising and her breathing became faster and faster. The world around her seemed to blur into and out of vision. She needed to get somewhere away from everyone before she exploded. Turning around, she quickly ran for the front door of the school.

It was a short trip from administration to the front door, and Claire, who had heard the outburst from her office with the door slightly ajar could see almost the entire sprint Kaylee took to get outside. She reached back inside her office to grab her long winter coat and focused on the small nook right outside the front doors. She disappeared from her office's doorway and reappeared in the crisp winter air, though it seemed to be slightly colder than the weather report had predicted that morning.
"Miss Ashton?" She called out after the physics teacher that was putting distance between herself and the institute.

Running for the front gate, Kaylee was struggling to breath as she could feel a panic attack come on. As she reached the gate, she grasped onto the bars of the gate and held onto them for dear life. Her world seemed to be collapsing around her and right now she couldn't see a way out.

As she stood there trying to calm herself, the wind started to rotate around her as her powers reacted to her panicked state and began to kick up a snowstorm.

"Kaylee." Claire was closing in on the physics teacher and pulled her jacket closed in front of her. "Kaylee, talk to me. Take a deep breath and talk to me." She tried to pierce through the emotions before it escalated further. Uncontrolled mutant powers were a real risky thing, especially in a place where they had the tendency to cascade. "What happened?"

"They did it!!" Kaylee yelled, tears falling from her eyes as sparkling snowflakes, "They're forcing everyone to register! And now because of that damn interview, my parents are in danger." she said, her mind trying to grasp onto any reason she could come up with to make sense of what was going on.

Claire nodded, she was well aware of the fact that with Parliament voting in the new law there was nothing to stop them. Normally the House of Lords was there to stop such blatantly bigoted laws. This time around though, the bigotry was coming from within the house. "I know." She ventured forward slowly, putting a hand on her shoulder. "If you need to go to protect your family, we'll keep your room and classroom ready for your return." She felt the frigid cold seep through her skin, crawl up her arm. It was an unnatural cold that she'd soon find out even a warm bath wouldn't completely shake. "If you need something else, the resources of the Institute are available to you." She wanted to make sure Kaylee knew that they'd do everything to help her through this difficult time.

"I can't just up and leave. That's not fair to all of you" Kaylee said, turning to face Claire, "but I can't let those bigots hurt my family. What do I do? I can't decide what to do."

"Unfortunately nobody else can decide it for you." Claire gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze, to try and ground her back in the here and now. "But whatever you decide, we'll stand with you. Your friends, your students, your community." She had seen several people choose personal safety, or that of loved ones, over remaining at the Institute. She couldn't blame them. She could only provide guidance and support along the way, hoping they made the decisions they could live with.

After a few more laboured breaths, Kaylee swallowed her fears and did her best to take a couple of deeper breaths. After a moment, the swirling snow calmed down leaving an inch high ring around them. “I…..I think I need some time to think. Give me a couple of days?”

"Days, weeks, months, take all the time you need. We'll be here if and when you'll need us." Claire gave another pat on her shoulder before stepping away from the physics teacher and making her way back inside. This whole registration thing was going to ruin more lives than they could've ever imagined.