[OP: "Hometown" -- 21 Pilots]

After a long pause had gone by, Emma finally spoke.

"I'm not sure that's how time works," she said. "What I did...what I caused...it didn't even dawn on me till later. Defeating the Phoenix was the one way to perhaps fix it. I can only hope I did. But I don't know."

"Oh..." Shine said. "Is that why you want to go home so bad?"

Emma suddenly looked caught--and felt it too.

"You could only face anger from them," Shine said. "But at least you'd know. One way of the other, and it's driving you crazy not to know, isn't it? You can't accept it till you do. And so you can't accept your sacrifice mattered, or your actions were good or bad. All of it."

Emma felt cold...well it was cold, but colder.

"I understand," Shine said. "I know this kind of desperation also, I used to feel it often, when I went home from missions. But God told me every time "It's in My hand." And I know you may not believe in God, but trust me, that is the only idea what will keep you sane. It is not for us to decide the future, Emma, we just decide our actions. There may be no one who'd understand that feeling better than I would. I like to fix things also. But believe me, you cannot find peace in trying to be certain of the future. It is uncertain. It has to be, or we'd have no choice."

Emma stared at her, not very convinced.

"Even if I couldn't know the whole future," she said. "I could at least know if the X-men survived."

"I have a strong feeling they did (for reasons I can't really tell you). I doubt they'll die. But then, I don't know it all either. But I'm okay with that." 

She shrugged. "I can help, Emma, if you are willing to forgive yourself. And to accept you are not God. I really, really hope you can. I get enough of that complex from Xavier, and it's infuriating to listen to. I hope not all Telepaths are afflicted with an inability to be humble enough to make mistakes. If I had to guess, I'd say you're quite blessed that you have seen you did make a mistake, so clearly. You could have tried to justify it further. I know people who have."

She shook her head. "It'd be the death of you. But so will trying to be certain, when you can't be certain. The future could still be bleak, and have nothing to do with what you fixed and didn't fix. You think about that, and you'll never understand why you are here."

"What does it have to do with that?" Emma asked. "Unless it is because of that I am here."

"Or, whoever brought you here thought no one would miss you, if they thought you were dead," Shine said. "I'd be more bothered by that, by them never knowing the truth. Here you are, alive. It's like a miracle. But that is why we must protect you. It's rare to get to be shown you're important in such a way, I almost envy you the assurance."

"Important? Or just a victim of some scheme?" Emma asked.

"You make it what you will," Shine said. "Either you can act like you're the victim, or you can make whoever took you pay for it by following them. Unless, in fact, it was benevolent but the circumstances suggest otherwise. You seem like a fighter to me, I think I know what you'll choose. But to get there, you have to get past feeling like you did this to yourself. It is not your fault, you know. You did the only thing you could do at the time, and it was hard. But life, or God, as I think, gave you a chance now. What will you do with it?"

Emma began to see why people liked her advice.

She felt less scared and more challenged now than she had a few minutes ago.

Strangely, this sort of thing didn't normally work on her...not that most people would ever talk to her, Emma Frost, like she needed inspiration.

"Are you trying to pep talk me?" She asked.

"I have the gift of making people stronger. A good gift to have...But no, I don't pep talk people. I find that incredibly condescending behavior when someone is having a real problem. Not just nerves."

She won a few points with Emma by using the words "incredibly condescending."

"But I call it as I see it," Shine said. "You have problems, and you're highly manipulative."

"I beg your pardon--" Emma began.

"Anyone who could pull off what you did must be," Shine said. "But I also am manipulative, for different reasons, and not with lies, but I can work an angle, sure. A good manager has to be able to. So from what you've told me, I can see all the reasons someone would target you. You're quite useful, if someone just wants a tool. But you're a person, and as a person, I think you need help. You're lost, literally and figuratively, and probably have been for some time. Or you'd never have made such stupid decisions. But you began to go right again. A lot of people lose the moment later, because they have no root in themselves, as Jesus put it. And the world chokes it out of them, the good that they began to have. I see that happening to you, most certainly, without some better roots. You have no background with any kind of moral code? Or religious, or philosophy?"

"Other than college philosophy?" Emma said.

"So none," Shine said.

[I took Philosophy. Only to basically be told Philosophy is useless because my Post Modernist college says truth is not absolute...rendering Philosophy useless, since it's the pursuit of truth...it was a pretty stupid class. Aced it though by sticking up for my beliefs while still following the rules of the class. It can be done.]

Emma almost smiled. "None I care to remember..."

"Good, it's garbage for the most part," Shine said, with all the primness of someone who thinks they know best--Emma could relate.

"So," Shine went on. "You're like a baby when it comes to all this."

"Excuse me, I've been a teacher," Emma said. "I think I know a little bit about morality."

"The moral teachers who are full of themselves are the ones who know the least, Emma," Shine said. "You have to begin all over again. Question everything you thought you knew about yourself, and your life, and views. Ask why you did what you did. Discover your weaknesses...this will take years, and even getting started will take months. I can't walk you through all of it, but you're smart, and I think you can manage it on your own, if you just get on the right track. What happened to you might have been the best thing ever for you, if it shows you where you fell short. That's the beginning of all wisdom, you know. The fear to do wrong."

Emma finally was giving her her full attention without the air of someone who's just waiting to prove you wrong.

"You're so sure you know me that well after a few conversations?"

"I've watched you since you arrived. Some of this is based on that, but I want you to be ready to her it, to ask me. And you did. I promise, this will help you, if you want it to. And God willing, we will send you home, and you can continue this there...but perhaps this is serendipitous for you. While you are here, why not make the most of our help? The path to getting you home is probably through using our services, that is always how we find the solutions. We can't cut out the middle of it, and just find the answer."

"Are you...actually saying that if I don't allow your help...emotionally, you cannot or will not help me get home."

"Even if I could, you'd come to regret it," Shine said. "Guaranteed. Not many people get a chance to talk to DJs, Emma, in person anyway. The people who do are meant to do something with it. Frankly, you're a fool if you throw it away. You didn't have to end up here, you didn't have to end up where Morph could find you, and therefore us. But you did. You're lucky. People like you often end up dead at the mercy of people who take them. Or turned into something horrifying. But here you are. You wanted me to give you the truth, right? This is it. You've spent more time complaining about us not finding a solution than you have examining if you're even ready to hear it if we do. What if it is requires a level of understanding from you about yourself that you don't have now? It very well could. Dimension travel is like that. It tests us inside and out. I can venture to say you'll go home when you're ready to. No sooner."

She gestured around. "You could be in worse places to hear that."

Emma finally stood up, and paced around the seats a little.

"There is some sense in what you're saying," she admitted. "If I cannot get home. Your power interests me, and you're...well, way of looking at things is surprising...I've always been one to adapt quickly to new situations, and to learn from them. But, I am not a very good follower." She looked at Shine directly. "I wouldn't call myself an alpha, exactly, but I have never done what I was told very well. And you're suggesting putting myself under your control basically."

"Oh no, I wouldn't control you," Shine stood up also, and walked to the other side of her seat, to look at the lawn thoughtfully. "I don't do that. Everyone gets our help differently. A lot of the people learn from us like we're in class, as you've seen. It works for them that way, but I always add extra stuff, on the job. Which usually works better anyway, but you have to have things to fall back on, so books are useful. I can give you that, but in your case, I think you need something different. I don't know what yet. But if you're willing to work with me, I think we can find it. And you can heal. But you will have the responsibility of yourself. No mistake."

"Hands off approach? I always thought that was more effective myself, but I'm not a teenager, and I'm pretty sure you're younger than I am, in fact. I'm not entirely sure I would listen to you."

"I'll earn my stripes, sweetie," Shine said, smugly. "And if I don't then maybe someone else can. It's trying to change your outlook on this, not your entire lifestyle...Don't treat us like a means to your end anymore, and the end will probably show up when we're not expecting it. As it will anyway. We can work on the problem you're having also. But the thing is, I don't just take on things without making sure that person knows what they're getting into, at some level. They usually need follow up steps. You have to have trust for that. You want the quick fix, go to Xavier. But his track record is poor. We've been cleaning up his mess here."

Emma finally laughed.

"Bold words."

"For proof, ask Rogue, Logan, and Morph," Shine said. "I'll put our results against Xavier's any day, because as imperfect as we are as people, our God is perfect, and His solutions work, even if we apply them imperfectly. I believe Good is stronger than Evil. Or I'd have no hope. And you, Emma, had better start believing that too. You remind me of Raven, kind of, both of you have little confidence in goodness, even when you try to do the right thing. That won't do. You have to believe in it more than anything, and it sets you free. Then the rest of it will fall into place."

"You're starting to lose me."

"Too much for now maybe," Shine said, shrugging. "You'll understand in time, I think. I'm thinking out loud anyway...I think you can be helped, that's the long and short of it. You're willing to try it?"

Emma had to think for a long time, arms folded.

"It's odd for me to hear this," she said finally. "I usually help other people, not get help...I just want to kick the effects of the Phoenix, not rethink my whole life...but at the same time, what you said did resonate with me, in some way, I'm just not sure what. Can I say I'll think about it? But for now, can you simply remove the effect of the Phoenix? I want to use my diamond form again."

"I can't guarantee you'll feel confident enough to do it right off, even if I do that," Shine said. "But yes, I do think we should try...but it will only go completely when you make it go, Emma. Not the scar itself, but the reason you're holding onto it, in yourself, so tightly."

Emma suddenly shuddered. Somehow how those last words hit her hard. But she didn't reply to them.

Shine took out her sword.

"This may hurt, depends on how sensitive you are," she said. "I'm going to try to cut the tie of it to your inner psyche. Hopefully that will stop the fire from stirring up again. I can stop its bond on you, but not your bonds on yourself. The results may be mixed. Are you willing to accept that?"

"If it helps at all, that's less for me to deal with," Emma said. "Isn't it?"

"Good answer," Shine said, smiling. "That's smart. Hold still."

"Won't that...harm me?"

"The rules are a little hard to get used to," Shine said. "But it doesn't affect the body. Nonliving things it will. They're weaker."

Weaker? 

Emma almost had no time to think about whether she should really let this happen before Shine passed the sword through her.

Two kinds if forces hit her at the same time, though it happened so fast, she only felt almost the echoes of it.

The first was the Phoenix, rising up, but the second was like a counter fire that cuts off the other fire. Only this one was bigger...and somehow purer feeling.

It was frightening...

Emma fell to her knees from the shock of it.

But then it was gone almost as soon as it appeared, and she felt...lighter...

Shine put her sword away. "That wasn't so hard," she said. "I thought talking about it first would make it easier for you to stand it...are you okay?"

Emma shakily nodded. "You did that so easily..."

"The Phoenix is weak," Shine said. "Compared to that kinds of things I normally deal with. It's almost formless, in a way... not rooted in emotional bondage like other things are."

She shrugged at the look on Emma's face. "I don't expect you to understand it, but yes, it's easier for me. Our kind of power isn't based on our own strength so it's more persistence that's the issue. It knew it was beaten at once, they always know."

She helped Emma up.

"Power like that, we'd have recruited you," Emma said.

"I'd have declined," Shine said firmly. "I don't work for cults. There's this story we should tell you sometime about this External in the Bayou. But for now, I think you look kind of tired, maybe you should go sit down inside."

"I think I will," Emma said faintly. "That was so...odd. It wasn't like telepathy."

"Nope." Shine shooed her.

Emma walked away, still a little dazed, which was very, very hard to do to her.

Shine went about her business, though she had a lot to think about.

She found Wally and told him what she learned.

"I knew something was up with her," Wally said. "But wow...that's heavy."

"I pity her," Shine said. "Can you imagine living with that? No wonder she's been so cross since she arrived."

"I'm glad you helped her," Wally said. "We should try to help her all we can. I feel bad, she's been tossed into this world, and with that on her conscience...anyone would be freaked out. She must be pretty tough."

"I get the feeling she's always had to be," Shine said. "Like me...But I was tough on the outside, not the inside...There are times when Emma shows a kind of vulnerability that's unusual to see in the criminal mutants, they're so full of hatred...but she is not. Just...jaded, I think. Same as Raven. I think she was brought to us just in time. The way she's feeling, if some evil person had gotten ahold of her, who knows what she would have agreed to."

"I didn't think of that," Wally said. "But yeah, sounds bad...That just makes me wonder even more who wants her though. And if they knew."

"After hearing it, I'm convinced they knew," Shine said. "It's too perfect, she's handpicked for being someone no one would notice, and she's powerful, but broken from what happened to her. Easy target for the kind of people who mess with dimensions for the wrong reasons. They love that. We try to keep everyone safe around here, but we'd better keep a very close watch on Emma Frost, Wally."

"I'm with you on that," Wally agreed.

[Good to see someone caring about Emma's safety for once.

Check out her back story sometime, it's pretty sad how little anyone ever cared about her wellbeing for most of her life.]

***

"Did you talk to Shine?" Morph asked Emma some time later, when she passed through the kitchen.

"Did she tell you that?" Emma asked.

"No," Morph said. "But I could kind of tell, you look a little brighter."

"You can just tell that?" Emma was amused. "How quaint."

"Perhaps, I think it's that kind of dazed look, but like there's a load off you mind too," Morph said. "We call it the Shine effect around here. She's good at what she does isn't she?"

"Intriguing," Emma was cautious. "Enlightening, pardon the pun."

"That's good, how have I not used that before," Morph said.

"Perhaps because you already said brighter," Emma said.

"I didn't even make that one on purpose," Morph slapped his forehead. "Well, glad she helped you out. I keep getting the impression you're not very comfortable here. But really, the mansion's a safe place. Or at least we're trying to make it."

"It's not personal," Emma said. "It's just so many memories, but it's all different. Didn't you ever feel out of place?"

"I guess so, but maybe it hit me different, I was more...prepared," Morph admitted. "You'll get used to it. Better to make friends right away, I think."

"I'm not very skilled at making friends," Emma said dryly. "Nor do I prioritize it."

"That might be why you're not skilled at it," Morph pointed out.

"You're good," Emma said sardonically. "But perhaps it is true. I never saw much point in making friends if you're just going to lose them soon enough."

"Because if you can be friends or not friends, why would you pick not?" Morph said. "That's like saying people are only valuable if you're going to know them a long time...that's not right. I'd rather be friends with someone for five minutes, than just be meh for months because of reasons."

"I can see why you'd select the career you have then," Emma said. "But I always wanted to be a teacher. That didn't work out so well. So I turned to working on mutant teams."

"What were you going to teach?" Morph knew nothing at all about Frost.

"Oh this and that," Emma said. "My family never encouraged it, but I had a brief shot at it once I started my mutant school...of course it ended badly. Whatever Xavier's secret is to not being found, it's not one I possessed."

"It sounds rough with the MRD there," Morph said. "That the truth. I don't miss that. They weren't that big a deal when I lived there though. How bad is it?"

"Why do you care? You don't live there anymore?" Emma leaned on the counter and looked peeved.

"I can still care," Morph said. "I'm interested in how everyone is doing."

Emma was silent a moment like she wasn't sure whether to humor him or not, then she said: "It got worse after Kelly became president."

"It's so weird that he's president so much time into the future. Like the events are still parallel..." Morph said.

"Who knows why that is?" Emma shrugged. "But I think Magneto's Island made people paranoid also. I'm not to well versed in political theory, but you know how the story goes. The power struggle goes on. It'll happen here soon enough."

"Maybe we'll change it," Morph said. "Learn from the mistakes of the other world. I just want to see if we can make a world where that doesn't happen."

"So you agree with Xavier's dream because it suits your notion that we can change the future because of a little time insight?" Emma said. "But what if we can't? What if it's dark no matter what we do? It seems entirely possible."

"I feel like we couldn't know the future if we couldn't change it," Morph said. "But even if we can't...I guess I'd rather be with people who would try, then wasting my time just letting it happen. Those are the people you want to be around, right?"

Emma stared at him for a long moment.

"I see," she said. "Perhaps there, I can understand just a little, Morph."

Morph thought he might end up liking Emma after all. When she wasn't being rude, anyway.

Emma looked up then and Mystique came into the room holding a clipboard--who knew where she'd gotten it?

"Checking inventory on what everyone needs?" Emma said, somehow making it sound like an insult.

Mystique looked up from examining it and ran into the counter.

Emma stifled a smile. "Oh, you really should watch where you're going."

"Are you okay there?" Morph asked.

Mystique looked from him to Emma and frowned. "Fine."

She picked up the clipboard. "Some of us actually work around here Frost. Earning our keep."

"I'd be happy to contribute some of my teaching skills, if they asked," Emma said.

"I'm sure they'd let you do that," Mystique said coolly.

"Well you seem to have no problem choosing a little protégé," Emma said snidely. "That Kitty has potential, I'll admit, but I'm surprised they let you near her at all. Aren't you a bad influence?"

"Emma...can you not?" Morph said. "Can both of you not. What is with this bickering?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Mystique said, though she knew exactly what he was talking about.

"It's not what you're thinking anyway," Emma said, seeming to be talking about something else.

"Stay out of my head!" Mystique said. "Or we'll see how well you can defend yourself without that diamond form."

"Actually that problem may be resolved soon," Emma said. "I'm sure you're just delighted to hear that, but I don't need that form to beat you, I can use my mind, not cheap tricks."

"I always thought that was just because Telepaths knew they were useless without their powers," Mystique said cuttingly.

"At least my powers are useful for more than trickery," Emma said.

"It's like I'm not here..." Morph muttered. "Can we all just acknowledge that everyone has useful powers? Emma, come on, no one is saying you're not good at what you do."

"Thank you Morph," Emma smiled smugly at Mystique.

"And I think we all saw Mystique is pretty talented," Morph went on, more to their surprise...well more to Mystique's.

"I mean, all that spy stuff, it was like a Humphrey Beauregard movie, pretty cool, right? Everyone has talents...where did you learn all that anyway?"

"It's...just...spying is...what I do," Mystique looked like she was waiting for the insult at the end of this.

"But finding the important info so fast, how did you know how to do that?" Morph said. "I always have to use instructions from the Talis or something to know what to look for usually...unless it's on computers..."

"I guess she's old enough to still be analogue," Emma said.

She got one of the fruits from the basket on the counter thrown at her.

She ducked. "I could make you pay for that, if I wasn't in a good mood."

"At least I don't dress like a grandma," Mystique shot back.

"There is nothing wrong with my clothes!" Emma actually got offended for once.

"Sure, if you like pants suits," Mystique said.

"And who doesn't like that? You insufferable little chameleon," Emma said. 

"Out of all the things, why is that the one you got mad at?" Morph asked nervously. "There's nothing wrong with your clothes, either of you, can you stop fighting now."

"Stay out of it, Morph," Mystique said.

"Your reaction is uncalled for anyway," Emma said. "I am entirely sure Morph had an honest question, but you just have to be unpleasant to everyone, don't you? How does this team stand you?"

"Shut up," Mystique had no better retort to that. "You're here on charity."

"Yes, because I'm a victim of circumstance," Emma said. "Why are you here on charity again? Wasn't it because you ran out of options. Real inspiring reason there."

"Okay time out," Morph had had enough.

He got up, took Mystique firmly by the arm before she could lunge at Emma for real, snatched the clipboard also and shoved it into her other hand, then he said. "Emma, seriously, you're a guest, it's none of your business why we let people stay here, is it? Didn't we tell you that already? You better watch it, some of the others aren't as nice as I am about it, Storm might zap you if you keep saying things like that. You were warned, okay? Good talk, we're out."

"Let go of me!" Mystique said.

"No, I don't trust you not to throw that at her, out!" Morph maneuvered out of the room as fast as he could.

"Idiot," Emma said to herself.

But then thinking his threats about the others might actually come true, she made an exit from the kitchen as fast as she could.

"What is with you?" Morph asked Mystique. "Are you trying to get yourself in trouble? You can't attack her! No matter how infuriating she is."

"She started it!" Mystique said. "Yell at her."

"I'm not yelling," Morph said.

He wasn't.

Mystique wrenched out of his grasp and looked ready to scratch someone's eyes out.

"She's just saying it because you react like that," Morph said. "Just don't give her what she wants. "

"So why does she get off so easy?" Mystique said.

"What are you, 12?" Morph said. Not thinking. "Emma gets some slack because she's been through a pretty rough experience, getting kidnapped and stuff, and people don't always act really stable after that, we don't want to make her feel even more uncomfortable. She's got a lousy way of handling it, admittedly, but under that, she's not so bad, she's just...stressed."

"Yeah, I would be too," Mystique didn't say that like she felt sorry for her. "But I wouldn't be making enemies over it."

"Didn't you spend most of your time here doing that at first?" Morph said.

Mystique stopped...slowly realizing that was true.

"So people aren't always smart when they're scared," Morph said. "I'm just saying, cut her some slack, and she'll probably ease up on you too. I'm serious about the others, they're going to get really angry if you do this in front of them. I'm trying to warn both of you."

"Your concern for Frost is touching," Mystique said, snippily. "And I'm sure well reciprocated by her concern for making an impression here." She looked away. "I helped get her out, why do I get to be the whipping post for her 'stress'?"

Morph hesitated. "So it's not fair...but...I mean...it's not always fair is it?"

Of course he'd put up with a lot from Mystique for the same reason, so he had some reason to think she was being childish.

Mystique knew that too. But it only irritated her further.

"I won't be made the scapegoat here for everyone else's failure to help her." 

"That's not what it's about," Morph said.

"It is," Mystique said. "I'm the easy target. No one likes me. They barely take me seriously, if I didn't have some experience with the underground, I'd not be allowed to do anything. Well that's fine, but having the new person throw it in my face, when she's done nothing whatsoever to help anyone but herself, even just for the sake of being able to stay here at all, a little too much isn't it?"

"Yeah but is ego really what's important here?" Morph said.

"Ego!?" Mystique said.

Okay, he'd said the wrong thing there.

"I mean why is is such a big deal if the rookie, as you're putting it, is copping a bit of an attitude, no one takes her seriously," Morph tried again.

"It's...because..." Mystique couldn't formulate it. "She's..."

How did one say that Emma was a smart, beautiful, and powerful mutant who would easily have made the average woman feel threatened, let alone one who had every reason to worry about her position and footing in the X-men, and had many issues already.

Mystique couldn't have said that, for anything, and didn't even realize it was the reason herself.

She just knew Emma annoyed her and acted superior.

Sure, she acted like that with everyone, but she knew Mystique was easier to pick on, the others didn't defend her as much, Morph was the only one who had much of a problem with it, other than Storm, but Emma didn't do it where Storm could hear it.

Mystique would have easier believed the X-men would kick her out of the mansion itself for getting in a fight with Frost than believe they would have reprimanded Frost for her treatment of her, and Morph's words seem to reaffirm this idea.

Feeling all over again that it was impossible to win in this situation, she suddenly deflated. 

"You know what, forget it, it doesn't matter," she said mechanically.

Morph could tell something had just gone out of her and not in a good way.

"Uh, Mystique, I didn't mean to upset you, I'm just trying to help."

"So help Frost then," Mystique was cutting. "I'm fine."

She walked away.

She was not fine.

Deep down she should have known Morph really was trying to help--but even if she knew it, didn't make it easier to be in this position. She really, really didn't like Emma Frost.

[And I smell more trouble coming in that area if this keeps up.

But I do wonder if Raven's concerns might be more legitimate. Emma can be rather ruthless about removing obstacles to her success, I hope she's wiser than that this time around, though.]