Chapter Text
That night John's dreams are filled with shoes that pinch or slide off his feet, being hungry enough to get food out of the garbage, and Mutant haters. Mutant Haters always one step behind him, chasing him, coming for him, a menacing and constant presence.
When he's awake he doesn't want to think about anything, everything hurt. His lungs felt squeezed, his throat is sore from coughing and his brain is still on fire.
The one thing his brain keeps flashing images of is the room with the students using their mutations.
'They were being trained. They could fight. Could he learn to fight too?'
If he'd been able to fight maybe the things that seemed to keep happening to him wouldn't happen anymore.
he'd be safe from the people who would torment him and torture him.
If he stayed here then he could learn while the X-men protected him.
'They would protect him right?'
That night John dreams about fighting back. But he is always too slow, he'd trip and fall, and never see the punch coming.
Five days after John arrives at the school he wakes up and seems to feel better.
He can focus again and he doesn't feel quite so pulled apart.
Jean notices when she greets him in the morning that his mind is noticeably better, clearer and in less distress than it had been.
She lets the Professor know. 'Professor I think that John is ready to make a decision.'
Charles is glad that their guest is feeling better, Charles had a feeling that the meltdown was over and that St John was out of shut down. This is the time he'd been waiting for to have their next discussion 'Do you think you can have him up to my office in an hour?'
'Yes.' Jean expects that John could be up and ready. She imagines he was probably more than ready to be out of the infirmary, most students were after a few days.
An hour later John follows Dr. Grey through the halls of the school. He realizes it must be Saturday when he sees that the classrooms are empty but the common areas are full of students.
He sees some of them turn and look in his direction. He looks back at them, sizing them up.
He stays closed to the doctor. They soon turned down a hall that Bobby may have pointed out on his tour but that they hadn't gone down.
Jean knocks on the Professor's office door and he telepathically tells them to enter.
The office is big with large windows.
John thinks that it looks more like the office for a wealthy business man or an important judge and not a Professor or even a Principal's office.
“Good day St John you're looking well.” Charles greets their young guest enthusiastically.
“Thanks” John realized he should say after a moment.
Charles senses John's apprehension. The boy doesn't know what he was here for.
“Won't you have a seat?” Charles asks and Jean directs John to one of the two large chairs in front of the Professor's desk.
Jean decides to stand at the corner of the desk and once everyone is settled Charles begins.
“St John, Dr. Grey and I are in agreement that it's time to see what your next move is. If you'd like to stay and become a student here or if you'd rather leave us. What ever your decision, we will support you in any way we can.”
John sits up awkwardly in the chair. He bites the inside of his cheek and clenches and unclenched his fists. He had known this conversation was coming but it was still stressful.
He's been avoiding really thinking about what to do next. He is torn. Part of him wants to stay, part of him is suspicious and part of him can't imagine why they would want him here.
It is all still 'too much.'
“Before you make your decision.” Charles speaks up. “let me explain why the school is here. I've been fighting for Mutant rights for a long time now...”
John raises a questioning eyebrow at the statement and Charles elaborates.
“since before you were born, St John. In that time I've found that my place in the fight is to educate and prepare the next generation to continue the quest for Mutant acceptance and equality.”
“Acceptance...” John speaks the word just to feel the rhythm of it. It was a nice dream. 'All people, humans and Mutants, just being ok with everyone's differences. Not trying to change the other just accepting so everyone could get on with it.'
“Yes,” Charles continues. “I hope through the good deeds of the X-men and our graduates of the school that are out as Mutants that their presence will foster a greater tolerance and ultimately acceptance from humans.” Charles knew deep down that they had a hard fight still ahead of them for that acceptance but he believed it was the only way they could all live together.
John remembers the anti Mutant rally he found himself in the middle of.
“It's gonna take more than a jet.” he states bluntly.
He doesn't know what exactly it would take but a fancy jet would probably just make the Mutant haters angry. 'Had the Professor and the X-men even really seen the awful things humans did to Mutants?'
Jean is having a difficult time following John's train of thought. The Professor did understand what John was thinking and saying.
“St John believe me when I tell you that there is not a soul at this school that hasn't been affected in some way by those who hate Mutants. I myself and the X-men have all seen it in person as I gather you have.”
Charles watches as John's lips purse and his eyes get big. Charles senses that the boy is about to get anxious.
Jean remembers the scars on John and wondered who had hurt him.
Charles speaks evenly. “John, we work hard to keep people who don't accept Mutants far away from our school so our students have a safe environment to learn in.”
John stares hard at the bookshelf behind the Professor. Thoughts fly through his mind.
'If he stayed here could he be safe for a while? Could he have time to recover from this stupid cough and bad ankle? He had seen now that they seemed to have enough money that taking one more student shouldn't be too much trouble. I wouldn't have to worry. Maybe....maybe...'
for John the decision to stay comes down to his safety.
“I'd like to stay.” he says it as if he is resigned to the decision. He's not as enthusiastic as some students but it's all they need to hear.
There is a tension released from the room and Charles and Jean both relax.
Had John decided he wanted to go, they would have tried to convince him to stay, but if he'd have insisted they would have let him go. They had no desire to see a minor go back to the streets so they were pleased he'd made the decision easily.
“Alright, very good, St John we'd like you to stay if you want to.” Charles smiles at the boy who doesn't smile back. “Is it alright if I let Ms. Monroe and Mr. Summers know that you'll be staying and have them join our meeting?”
“Hum...sure I guess.” John really doesn't want to make this a big deal, he just kinda wants to blend in and not have anyone make a fuss.
Storm and Scott get the message from the professor and join the meeting promptly.
Storm comes into the office with a big smile and John is a bit overwhelmed by her excitement.
Scott had really expected the kid to choose to leave so he is surprised to get the call but if the Professor thinks it was a good idea he stay then Scott wouldn't argue. Not yet at least.
Charles gets to business once more. “St John we will take you on as a student and let you stay here as long as you follow the rules of the school.”
Jean takes a book off the built in bookshelf and hands it to the professor.
“This is the school handbook. You'll get a copy and you are expected to read and sign the honor code. We do hold students to the code, in fact the code is over seen by peers. We have a student counsel who determines what is done to those who break the rules.”
'The students decide things?' John has never heard of anything like that before. He must have made a face because the next thing he knows the Doctor is trying to reassure him. “We'll get you a copy of the handbook, it's pretty straight forward don't worry about it. We're really glad to have you John.”
Jean smiles at their newest student and tells Scott to shut up with her mind as he projected some thoughts to the contrary.
Scott sits on the corner of the Professor's desk. “We can get you in the Danger Room to test your abilities maybe a little later this week after you've had a chance to settle in.”
“Till then St John,” The Professor speaks seriously “we ask that you not use your abilities or if you feel that your Mutation might act up that you let us know. We understand that accidents happen but as your mutation is fire based we'd like to take every precaution that we can for safety’s sake.”
John nods but is slightly irritated, he thinks he's refrained pretty well so far.
He hadn't set anything on fire since he'd been here. He'd actually really love to have his lighter out right now. He settled for setting his forearm over where in lay in his pocket.
Charles continues on with the serious topics that needed to be addressed.
“St John we know you are a runaway. We've had many runaways come to stay at the school over the years. We can arrange for you to stay here no matter what you've run from. We would like to know your legal name and where your guardians are.”
John sits tight lipped and rubs his sweating palms on his pants.
The adults interpret his nerves as the common fear that runaways seemed to have of the school contacting their parents.
“We won't let anyone take you if you don't want to go back to them.” Jean tries to reassure him.
Scott jumps in. “Lots of young Mutants run away from home, maybe your parents didn't like that you were a Mutant, maybe it wasn't a safe place, it's not anything we haven't seen before, we've worked with lots of runaways and can be very persuasive.” Storm and Jean share a look, “having telepaths definitely helps when dealing with difficult parents.” Scott smirks in Jean's direction.
John looks from one to the other and wonders why they were talking about difficult parents. That had nothing to do with him.
He knows he needs to tell them about himself if he is going to stay. He considers lying about his identity for some protection but dismisses the idea. With telepaths they'll know if he isn't telling the truth.
He sighs and feels like he is about to give a bit too much of himself away.
“I ...I don't think you'll need to persuade anyone, there's no one that will be a problem, I never knew my parents.” John swallows and continues. “My name is St John Allerdyce, I'm a ward of the state of Pennsylvania and I doubt they want me back. They were getting ready to send me to get tested for the X gene so I ran away before they could disappear me.”
Scott doesn't believe the story and the kid's body language isn't helping. He is sitting with his arms crossed in front of him, looking unconformable and not looking any one of them in the eyes. Scott looks to Jean who nods to him.
Jean and Xavier know John is telling the truth.
'Of course the odd kid would be some sort of Oliver Twist Dickensian orphan,' Scott thinks. He could see Jean and Ororo's hearts melting already. Scott rolls his shielded eyes. 'of course they would melt over a sob story like that.'
“Very well, we can take care of custody with the state, that won't be a problem.” Charles extends his hand to John. John pulls his hand out of his long sleeve and shakes the professor's.
“Welcome to Xavier's young Mr. Allerdyce.”