Well, she hadn't walked away in disgust or asked him for a sample of his blood to study him, so there was that. Plus Mary said he was a great guy and really, it was rare when people said that about it, especially women. It made him grin. "Thanks. The friend who named me, her name is Max. She managed to escape when we were all kids with a few others. I have her to thank for getting us out later too. She called me a Smart Alec." And thus Alec's name was born.
Admitting what he was was a bit easier the more he did it, but he only did it to people he trusted. Lorna was the first he had trusted with the knowledge and since she was a mutant herself, he knew she'd understand. "I would have told you sooner, but uh - it's sort of a habit not to. Back home after Manticore was destroyed, people started hunting us so we kept low."