InsaneJournal

Who: Quentin and Linda (+ Charlie)
What: Quentin meets his guardian
Where: the park
When: late Saturday afternoon
Warnings: should be low



The afternoon was full of sun, so Linda decided to go for a walk in the park with Charlie. Charlie was doing better with sleeping, as though he knew his mom was alone in this situation. She stopped at Hinkles for milkshake to go, enjoying the chocolate and peanut butter combo.

As Linda saw the bench, she decided to stop for a second and fix her sock. These refused to stay on her foot and kept sliding into her shoe.

When a boy with pink hair suddenly appeared in front of her, she jumped. Damn being startled.

***

Quentin was supposed to be giving a presentation on mutant politics, and had an ‘Attracted to Magneto’ t-shirt with lightning bolt lines coming off it on in order to make his views on the so called Master of Magnetism clear. He wasn’t sure what happened between then and opening his eyes after a blink, but he wasn’t in Wolverine’s classroom anymore.

“What the… where am I?” he asked, turning in a slow circle to survey his surroundings. “Do you know how I got here?” he asked, but she seemed as surprised to see him as he was to be there.
***

Charlie picked that moment to fuss, so on top of trying to answer this stranger’s question, Linda now had the task of trying to calm Charlie. At least it wasn’t a diaper change.

“Welcome to Madison Valley, when you get sucked out of your previous life and placed here in a random spot.” On the plus side, he seemed less starved than Six when Six appeared.

“Sorry. This is Madison Valley, a town in Indiana. It’s April 2021. You can’t leave.” Charlie added to the chaos by crying.

“I’m Linda. Someone should stop by soon with a packet, including information and a phone. Your guardian too if you’re under 18.”

***

It was a lot for most people to take in but Quentin’s mind worked very fast, and by the time that he spoke he had already digested the situation. “Okay, so what’s stopping us from just leaving?” he asked, focusing on the salient point in what she had said, able to establish very quickly that what she was saying was the truth, or at least the truth as she believed it.

***
“The enclosed dome is the reason for why we aren’t leaving. Even the angels here can’t leave.” Linda didn’t know if it bothered them, but figured that Lucifer didn’t mind if Chloe was here.

“The dome seems to decide who gets to stay and who gets to leave.” As Linda spoke, a familiar face in a suit appeared. It was the same welcoming committee member who tried to deliver Six’s packet. The packet was handed to LInda, as the committee person explained a few things to the yet unnamed man. This time the welcoming committee member said, “At least he isn’t hiding under a table. Linda, you’ll be his guardian.” And then the committee member left.

Well. Okay. Because she didn’t have enough with a baby. But okay. “I guess I’m your guardian. I think we’ll be moving to a bigger place if you’re living with me.”

***
An enclosed dome, over a whole town? Well that was a new one, and he blinked at the weirdness of it. It didn’t get any less weird when a strange guy in a suit came and told him pretty much the same thing, along with a bunch of stuff about his new school, and the importance of assimilating and living by society’s rules. Clearly something about him screamed delinquent to the guy, and warranted a lecture - whoever would have thought? When they got to the part about Linda being his new guardian he threw his hands up in the air.

“What?” he asked, sounding affronted. “I’m sixteen years old, I don’t need a guardian. I especially don’t need a sape guardian who doesn’t even want me!” he protested loudly. “I don’t know what kind of weird alternate dimension I’ve fallen into, but this is not happening!”

***
Linda had said nothing of the sort. Even her thought wasn’t about not wanting a ward, but thinking, ‘A baby is a lot’. So, that told her something about her new ward.

“It’s rather telling that me not wanting you is immediately where your mind went. I’m sorry that was the impression I gave.” Linda had all the patience in the world, and now that they’d be living together, she wanted to make life for them both as easy as possible.

She bounced Charlie a bit and spoke to Quentin again. “I think we got off on the wrong foot. Let’s try this again. I’m Linda. This is Charlie. He’s four months old and a half angel.” Charlie cooed at the teenager.

***
He looked at her, sullen and guarded but less explosive. “It’s okay. A baby is a lot, you don’t want another kid. Especially a teenager. And besides, your apartment is too small.” He said it matter of factly, like he already knew that, which he did, from her thoughts about needing a bigger place.

He looked a little more interested when she said that the baby was half angel. “He’s cute,” he admitted, and cautiously gave the baby a wave. “I’m Quentin. And you don’t need to take care of me. I’m an omega level mutant, I can take care of myself. I happen to things, they don’t happen to me.”

***
“Good thing we got an apartment upgrade then,” Linda said pointing to that note in the pamphlet.

Charlie responded to the wave with a big smile. “See Charlie likes you, Quentin. I’m sure you can take care of yourself, but you don’t have to take care of yourself. How about this? I provide food and a roof, and sign anything a guardian might have to sign. You go to school. But, I will give you mostly free reign.” Linda meant it. He seemed old enough, but he could probably use a little structure.

Besides, she was a good listener if he ever needed one. Lucifer could attest to that.

“Why don’t we grab some food, your choice of burgers or pizza, and I can take you to Target for whatever things you might need. After that, you can get settled in and I can call my friend to help me move Charlie’s crib, unless you feel like lending a hand.” Linda’s voice was kind, but firm.

***
Quentin liked the little guy. He was cute and smiley, even if he told himself that he was just a baby, and babies were stupid.

“Okay, but trust me. You’ll be begging them to take me back within the week, you’ll see,” he said, sounding like that was just fine with him. “And I’m not calling you mom.” he added, sounding bitter. The last time he’d called a lady mom he’d found out that she wasn’t his real mom after all and she’d bailed on him the minute that he turned sixteen, he wasn’t making the same mistake again any time soon.

“We can have pizza, but I’m not going to stay here. I’ll figure out a way…” he was going to say home, but he meant back to the school, and that would mean admitting that he wanted to go back to the school, which wasn’t something he wanted to do. “Out.”

“I’ll even help with Charlie’s crib, but you can still call your friend, if you want to. Is Lucifer just a name or are they really the devil?” he asked, sounding amused.
***
Linda could tell Charlie was helping the situation and she smiled at her baby, before she smiled at her new ward, mixed with some amustiment. “Perhaps I will be, but this feels like a self-fulfilling prophecy.” He’d do something so she would want to, and because she wanted to, he’d been proven right.

“Do you read everyone’s minds or am I special?” She wasn’t angry, but it was the simplest explanation for some of the things he was saying. But, she still answered him.

“Lucifer is really the devil and Charlie’s uncle.” She placed Charlie back in his stroller and said, “Let’s go get pizza. What kind do you like? I’ll text my friend Maze. Probably the three of us can move the crib.” She’d ask Lucifer if needed, but Lucifer would more than likely not stay on task. At least Maze would, especially if there was alcohol at the end.

***
“It’s harder for me not to read someone’s mind, sometimes. You’re a loud thinker,” he told her, sounding amused by this, and a little cocky. “But I can read anybody’s mind.”

When he was told that Lucifer was really the devil a wide grin crossed his face. “Cool,” he admitted. “Can I meet him?” he asked. “Don’t worry about the crib, I can lift it,” he added, tapping the side of his head to indicate his telekinetic powers.

“So pizza? Anything that doesn’t have olives on it. Those things are pure evil, and not in the fun way.”

***

Linda considered his words and said, as gently as possible, “I work as a therapist. I would appreciate it if you stayed out of my head, because I take doctor/patient confidentiality very seriously. I understand that might not always be possible, or you might get curious, but it would be greatly appreciated by me. And my patients.”

“Thank you for help with the crib. That will be most helpful. Yes, you can meet Lucifer and our other friends/family. I think it’s best you don’t read Lucifer’s mind. I’m not sure it would be safe for either of you.” Linda tried to keep her mind as blank as possible, but couldn’t help the thought of, ‘It’s hard enough being his therapist and I haven’t read his mind’.

“Alright. I can definitely do no olives. We’ll do pepperoni and peppers.”

***

“You’re a therapist?” he asked curiously. He might be able to read minds, but that didn’t mean that he knew everything, even if he sometimes acted as though it did. “My mom was a therapist.. But she wasn’t really my mom. She wanted me to stay out of her head too,” he said. And that meant that he didn’t know that when she left him at Xavier’s she wasn’t planning on coming back for him. “So, sure, whatever,” he added. “Alright then, keep your secrets,” he added, quoting Frodo. He just wouldn’t trust her then, that wasn’t hard. She was a stranger, and she hadn’t chosen to end up with him, and she was a sape too. The combination didn’t bode well, even if she did seem to have a tolerance for weirdness in her life.

He was definitely, one hundred percent planning on reading Lucifer’s mind. There was no way that he was going to believe who he was otherwise, and besides, the temptation to know a mind like that was overwhelming.

“Pepperoni and peppers sound good,” he said, to change the subject away from reading Lucifer’s mind.

***
Linda saw his demeanour change and quickly thought of a compromise. She really wanted to make him feel welcome and closing off her mind entirely, even though that was her preference, wouldn’t work for them. She didn’t want him to feel like he had to tiptoe around the apartment.

“How about a compromise. If I’m in my room or the bathroom, my mind is closed off. If I’m in a common part of the apartment, it’s fair game. And, upside, you can fill me in on what Charlie’s thinking.” That had to be a silver lining like Cami mentioned.

Since he’d said nothing about Lucifer, Linda was worried Quentin’s brain might melt and that would be bad. Really bad. Besides she didn’t want Lucifer to feel guilty if anything happened to Quentin.

“Let’s go get the pizza. I can get two if you’re a person who eats a lot?” Linda didn’t want him to starve and would definitely need to visit the grocery store.

“I should mention I am going out with a friend for drinks after work on Tuesday. Charlie’s uncle is babysitting. You’re welcome to go hang out there or stay at the apartment. My friend’s daughter and teenage ward will be there as well.” It wasn’t that Linda didn’t care about his choice, so much as she cared he had one.

***

He looked so surprised. People were usually really uncomfortable with the idea of a kid who could read minds, and here she was, telling him that it was okay for him to listen in on her from time to time. He wouldn’t deep dive in her mind, that didn’t seem fair, and he would try not to eavesdrop too much. “I’ll try not to do it too much,” he said, trying to be decent about it.

“I always eat a lot. Especially sugar - my brain runs fast and it takes a lot of energy to keep it going,” he said. He was at that age where he was still growing too, which led to a big appetite for most teenagers.

“I don’t need babysitting, but it might be nice to meet another teenager,” he said cautiously, trying to act casual about it. “Especially if I have to go to a normal school,” he said, saying the word ‘normal’ with utter distaste.

********
Linda smiled and said, “Thanks. But for real, if you can tell me sometimes why Charlie is crying, I will be grateful.”

“So, we should get 2 or 3 pizzas? We can add more toppings too, if they’ll help keep you fuller for longer. Tomorrow we can go grocery shopping and you can tell me what you like to eat.” Fuck, Linda needed a car. Okay. She’d call Chloe and ask for a ride to the grocery store.

“Alright. I’ll let Lucifer know you’ll be stopping by with Charlie. Sorry, unfortunately, school is non-negotiable, but hopefully meeting another teen helps. But, school is your only job, although I would not be sad if you helped with the dishes sometimes.”

***

“Depends on the size, but more pizza is never a bad thing,” he said. “And I can help you with Charlie, when he’s crying,” he added, because that much was easy.

“I can even do dishes… but urgh, school with normies? I’m waaay too smart for that,” he grumbled, but he seemed resigned to that being the way it was. He figured that he shouldn’t complain about the work being too easy, but he liked to show off, and besides, he’d once been a diligent student who worked hard, and his mind liked being stimulated. He got destructive when he was bored.

But he was looking forward to meeting this self professed devil. He wasn’t sure that he believed it yet, but he was very eager to find out if he was the real deal..

{wrap!}