2012 01 06 Only The Good Die Young

Log Title: Only the Good Die Young
Characters Involved: Lifeguard and White Queen
IC Date: January 6, 2011
Where: Memorial Garden - Xavier Estate
Brief Log Summary: Emma and Heather honor the Hellions
Rating: PG

Nearly evening, the day has pretty much come to an end at Xavier’s. Instead of snuggling warmly inside, Heather Cameron dressed in jeans and a black sweater with scarf and gloves. The young Australian is in the Memorial Garden, putting flowers by all the statues and reminders of those who have come to pass. She stops by the memorial to the Hellions, while not Xavier students, they too have received and earned a spot to be remembered here. She stops by the plaque and small statue of Catseye and tilts her head reading, she has done that with all those gathered here.

Emma Frost, nearly unrecognizeable in (designer) jeans and a white zippered hoodie over a clingy pink tank, pauses on the verge of the gardens, hands thrust into her pockets against the chill, as she notes the presence of another. A moment's scrutiny yields a memory of the tall blonde girl, and she steps closer. "Good evening," she says, softly, tilting her head a little as she tries to read the memorial, whose statues are partly obscured from dense shadows thrown by the setting sun.

Covering her mouth when Emma greets her, Heather feels as is she has been caught doing something wrong. She feels uncertain how to respond as she is with Emma and reading about her former students. “Good evening.” Heather responds solemnly and quietly as she looks from the Hellions memorial and looks back to Emma, “I’m sorry. I was just here honoring those that have fallen for us and yet that I never knew.” She offers a small smile and she goes to stand by Emma. “It was nice of the professor to include them in the garden.”

Emma blinks slowly, eyes widening just a hint. "I'm not sure I understand why you're apologizing," she replies, just as softly. "I think I have heard of this garden. It's no crime to come here. What troubles you?" She gives the tanned blonde a searching look, perhaps more intimidating than she ever intended it to be.

Blinking wildly, “Well that look you just gave me is a lil bit troubling, luv.” Shaking her head, Heather ahems, “I was only apologizing as I didn’t want to reopen the already difficult wounds caused by the death of the Hellions.” Sighing a bit, she looks about the garden to see other members of X-Men, New Mutants, and other mutants who have passed. Noting Choir’s and Cypher’s memorials, “Goodness, so many young ones.”

"Passing of the…" Emma replies, sounding only more confused. And then she catches sight of one of the statues as the shadows shift with the setting sun, and her eyes widen. For a long, long moment she stares at the monument in a pained silence.

Finally, she tears her eyes away, blinking. "I begin to understand…" she adds, in a near-whisper. "It /was/ nice of him to include them. I'm sorry… for the misunderstanding I seem to have caused." She follows Heather's gaze with a heavy heart. "The young, the inexperienced, the untutored… we work so hard to save them, yet too often they are the first to die when hatred rears its twisted head. If only there were a way to save more of them…"

Can we say unexpected reaction and unprepared to deal with it? Heather nearly gasps at Emma's display and responds as only anyone with a heart would. She lifts her hand to place on Emma's shoulder then offers an affectionate hug. "Emma…I thought you knew…I…" She looks over the memorials and smiles, "Well they may have been all those things, but one thing they will not be is forgotten. Please, Emma, tell me about the Hellions. What were these children really like? What made them special aside from their mutancy?"

Emma accepts that hug, and clings to Heather for a long, long few moments. "I'm sorry… I'd thought I was over this, but it seems I was very wrong…" she whispers. She mulls over the question for a long moment before she answers. "Each was a little different, as all children are. They had their petty squabbles, their likes, their dislikes… but they were /my/ children, as much as I have ever had, and as their teacher, I wanted them to grow, to survive, to thrive. Even to be happy, though I know happiness is just a sweet dream in this cruel world. In a way, I suppose I loved them, as much as I could love anyone." For a moment her grip tightens. "Perhaps that's why it hurts me so, to remember…"

Shocked by this image of Emma, Heather has come to know Emma as a strong, even feared woman. And the description of Emma from various member of the X-Men and X-Factor present an often cold woman. Thankfully Heather has her own mind and has not found this to be the case. Maintaining the embrace and hug for as long as Emma needs it, “Of course you loved them. You may not have given birth to them, but you gave each and every one of those children life. You showed them the most essential mutants need to learn. Control.” She then whispers into Emma’s ear, “I’m so sorry, luv. But you will never be over this. If you truly loved them, then you will always feel the pain of their loss. It will forever sting, but it is with that pain, that you honor them. You will teach the next generation of mutants. You will strive even harder to protect and educate those that need it. And Emma, you will be loved for it.”

"I loved them as much as I was capable of it…" Emma whispers. "Heather, please do not credit me with truly loving them. Love is a thing I do not understand… it must be known to be given, I think. If I had truly loved them, I would not have done to them the thousand terrible things I did to them, out of what I thought was a duty to prepare them for a world that would hate them, and could only hurt them, were they unprepared for it. And in that, I may have been the reason they died… they knew how to cow and hurt one another, when they truly needed to know how to work together, and help one another against obstacles and enemies they could not overcome alone."

She clings more tightly for a moment. "And when the Right came to kill them, that was probably what they did… they took so well after me. Worse, I was not there for them when they needed me… I was in New York, looking for a missing student. It's the only reason two of mine were spared, as another was with me. I don't deserve anyone's love, Heather. I only want to spare others my children's fate, however I can. It's the least I can do, after what I've done."

“Guilt is a horrible feeling, Emma. But I want you to look into my mind. See you through my eyes. See the warmth and the love that I see. That everyone who knows you truly sees. You did your best with the children. However, you were not perfect. No one is, luv. Not Havok. Not Cyclops. Not The Professor.” Heather gives her own tight squeeze. “However you know love, is how you give it. I don’t know what your life was like prior to meeting you. But since meeting you, I have only met someone who cares and loves. If this is a new Emma or the same Emma, matter not. All that matters is what is to come.” Looking back at the Hellions memorial. “They will always be remembered and honored. Their sacrifice will only lead to a better place for all of us…” With that, she pats Emma’s shoulder again, “Why don’t you have some alone time with them? If you need me, I’ll be right inside.” She looks back and bows her head as she heads back in.

Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License