The day of the potluck rolled around.
Strangely, still no trouble for the X-men to attend to...things were really just too quiet.
Shine somehow talked Jean into coming with them, and Scott, of course, wouldn't let her go alone.
Shine told Wally that Jean just wanted to see if the church people liked her cooking...as it was, they still had left overs from the day before.
"But since I didn't mess with any of her work, she said I can use the kitchen any time I want," Shine said.
"Still scary," Wally said.
"I'll have you know," Scott informed them, "that I think this is a bad idea, but if Jean is going to go, I'll make sure she's safe."
"And what do you think is going to happen?" Shine asked.
"I'm not sure, but if Nightcrawler makes an appearance in public, people could get restless," Scott said.
Shine rolled her eyes.
Jubilee was still determined to go...maybe she liked the idea of seeing other teenagers around.
Rogue was wavering, but she had nothing else to do thanks to the lack of a world crisis at the moment, so she gave in.
Logan sulkily did also.
Storm surprised them more by saying she'd go.
"But if there is trouble, it's mostly likely to happen around you," she said, with no irony at all. "So it would be prudent for plenty of us to be there."
"I'm moved that they are so concerned," Kurt told Shine and Wally.
Shine was still trying not to laugh. "I never knew going to a potluck would be so daring. At this point a fundraiser sounds like Death-Con 1."
"Are you going to tell Billings about the Morlocks?" Wally asked.
"I was," Shine said. "Though I can't promise they'll care to meet him, but if he wants to know the sort of circumstances mutants live in, I can tell him firsthand."
"That's fine," Wally said. "I just thought they wouldn't like it if we mention how to find them, but you'd know better."
"I won't either," Kurt promised. "We must respect their privacy. But I think he may be surprised. I had thought I was of humble means before I saw where they live. There are always people who are worse off."
"There are people worse off than them too," Shine said. "But we become used to our own problems, so if we take that view, we're never the worst off. Only miserable, bitter people think that."
"I don't know why you all so set on going," Gambit said to all of the X-men who were. "Dey just doing this to sell you on what dey think."
"I just thought it'd be nice to see what I was putting all this effort in for," Jean said. "And besides, if the Reverend wants to meet more mutants, shouldn't we encourage that? Few humans ever put effort into that."
"And dat don't strike you as suspicious?" Gambit said. "Last time we try dat, humans was enslaving mutants on Genosha. Or trying to 'cure' dem, by making dem tools for dat Apocalypse. This be no different."
"I might believe that, if I hadn't already seen the place, and no sign of any mutant mistreatment," Storm said. "Perhaps for once, it's as it seems."
"You know nothin' about what dey could do." Gambit said.
Shine and Wally walked up and heard this.
"But I do," Shine said, startling them. "I've been going to church my whole life. I've seen a lot of cults, and lot of weird teaching, and I know the genuine article when I see it. If they were doing something shady, I could tell. And if I may, that Genosha business was an obvious trap, and so was the 'cure' as you say. No such thing as a free lunch, as the saying goes. Not for the world. But we in the faith believe we should do things for free. If this does go wrong, Wally and I will handle it. So far, no one knows where you all live, or where we're from. We're being cautious about it, but the most that could happen is setting a trap at the church, and those people lack the knowledge to do anything but call the police. The police won't arrest you if you aren't doing anything so the most is a disturbance. We have thought about this a lot."
Gambit had no easy answer for that.
"You awfully sure, for someone who don't know this world dat well," he finally said.
Wally shrugged. "How else are we gonna learn?"
"With this attitude, I'm amazed any of you go outside at all," Shine said. "Or is it that fact that we've told them you're mutants that matters? Because it was actually Rogue who did that. With the exception of Kurt, who was obviously one."
Rogue looked guilty as the others glanced at her.
"We are letting you take the risk," Shine said. "Whichever ones you choose to take. Only Billings and his wife know about that anyway. So there's nothing to get so worked up over. It's fine to go on vacations as long as no one knows you're a mutant until you have to fight over it, but not fine to go a few miles away to a potluck just because it might go south? We'll be in easy distance of help if it does."
Having made her case, she waited.
It was very hard to argue with this.
Gambit shut up, but was not convinced at all.
He was getting to his teammates more than they wanted to let on, but on the way Rogue said. "You think he could be right? Maybe I shouldn't have told the Reverend we were all mutants..."
"I'm sure if he had reacted at all amiss, we'd have noticed," Storm said comfortingly. "There were not many people there, if it came to a fight."
"As long as they don't have guns, " Wally said, not helping. "What are the gun laws in this timeline?"
"Doesn't matter, if they're criminals anyway," Shine said. "But I can't see it."
"You better hope the Cajun isn't right," Logan said.
"And it would be our fault if he was?" Shine said. "There is no way to account for every possibility...and may I repeat, it's just a potluck."
"Yes, let's not argue," Jean said. "I'm sure nothing will happen." But she looked nervous.
* * *
There was a sizable crowd at the church. They'd set tables out between buildings and had pop-up tents also.
The children were running around with a few outside toys on the front lawn, while the adults set up.
There were people who hadn't been there before, no doubt family members or friends who'd been invited or who wanted free food.
Kurt wasn't sure about this.
Of course, most of the congregation must have told their friends about the mutant who visited, because they all looked that way warily.
"I thought you were exaggerating," someone said. "But it's true. He looks like..."
"I don't like how they're looking at us like zoo animals," Scott said.
"We could give 'em a show," Logan said.
Shine glared at him. "Logan!" she said, in the same tone a mom might use if you swore in front of her, "if you attack church people, do you know how bad that is? You behave yourself, or you can go sit in the car till we're done."
"And what makes ya think I'll listen to you?" Logan said.
"Because if you don't, Scott will do it for me," Shine said, "rather than risk a scene. Isn't that right, Scott?"
"I...will have to reluctantly agree with her point." Scott seemed uncertain if he should be supporting her.
Logan glared at them both.
"It's not so bad," Kurt said. "At least they are not attacking..."
"Is that just going to be what we say every time it's not as bad as it could have been?" Wally said.
Some of the kids stopped to look at them curiously.
"Well, let's go put our food down," Shine said.
She, Jean, and Wally moved over with their dishes.
Some of the people glanced at them warily, others nodded.
"Oh, you didn't have to bring anything." Anne came up. "You're our guests...but that was sweet of you. We have some room at the end here.... People actually brought a lot, must not have had much to do on a Summer afternoon. But it sure is hot, isn't it? I might want to turn on the sprinklers myself."
The kids were trying to do just that.
"Here, let me help you, " Jubilee offered, turning the knob.
She sprayed Logan by doing this, which didn't improve his temper at all, but the kids thought it was funny.
Anne's cheery example seemed to set the other people at ease. She even shook Kurt's hand and made a point of welcoming him back.
"Well...it seems okay," a different person muttered. "She's the Reverend's wife. She'd know."
"Still think he looks weird,"
"Well, they all look different. That's why they're mutants."
"I guess...as long as I don't have to talk to them too much."
Jim, Kathy, and Davie were there, though, and they said hello.
It was about time to eat anyway, so Billings told everyone they were going to pray. The people gathered around and bowed their heads.
The X-men felt out of place.... This really wasn't their style.... Maybe it was almost too normal.
After the prayer, people began chatting and eating. A few had games out or were serving cold drinks (non-alcoholic, naturally).
"Well, this is pretty much like at home," Wally said to Shine. "The food is great. A lot of home-cooked stuff, not store bought."
"People cooked more," Shine mused. "I'm glad this is going well.... Are we ever going to stop feeling like bringing them here is taking a lightning bolt by the tail?"
"You sound like Rogue," Wally said.
"I got that one out of a book," Shine said. "But it does sound good."
The X-men were sitting as far away from the others as possible.
"I don't know if we really should be here," Scott said. "We stand out too much."
"You stand out?" Kurt said. "Brother, I think you have nothing to vorry about."
Scott had his normal-ish looking glasses on, but they were red.
"Well, I feel a bit out of place too," Rogue admitted. "Some of these ladies are lookin' at me like I'm a bad influence."
"On the other hand, Jubilee is having fun." Jean tried to put a positive spin on it.
Jubilee was.
"She hardly ever gets to just be a kid," Jean went on.
"Because she's not just a kid," Logan said flatly. "She's a mutant and an X-men, and nothing is gonna change that. Givin' 'er false expectations would be cruel."
"Is it wrong?" Storm asked. "Letting her have a few moments? Perhaps they just do not care."
"Yeah, well, her power goes out of control sometimes," Logan said. "What if that happens?"
It was like he jinxed it, because Jubilee did accidentally blow up one of the toys right then.
The kids blinked. Most of them were younger than her, a few were close to her age and seemed bored with this anyway--but had nothing better to do.
"Uh...oops," Jubilee said sheepishly.
"How did you do that?" one kid, about 10, asked.
Jubilee rubbed her head. "I'm...well, a mutant.... My power makes things explode sometimes. Usually just machines, but I guess I tried a little too hard there..."
The kids stared at her.
"You can blow things up?" said one of the boys.
"Well...yeah," Jubilee said.
"Cool!" The kids grinned. "Can you do it again?"
"Uh...no, I don't think that's a good idea..." Jubilee said.
"Please! We can use a paper plate." One of the kids grabbed one. "Blow this up."
Jubilee tentatively did. She wasn't sure what else to do.
Of course it was more like she just blasted a hole in it, but they still liked it.
"Do it again!" they cheered.
"She's being treated like a show pony," Logan said.
"Ah, they're just excited," Rogue said. "But their parents might not be..."
She was right; some of their moms were not so happy with this new game.
"This is dangerous." They grabbed their children and pulled them away. "You should be more careful, young lady. You're old enough to know better."
"But..." Jubilee tried.
"Mom!" Some of the kids complained.
Anne came up. "Don't be too upset," she said to Jubilee. "They just don't want them to get hurt.... We have had a few kids bring not so safe toys to church before. But they'll forget about it soon. Why don't you have some pie or cookies?"
"Uh, yeah," Jubilee said, a bit put out.
She joined the others. "I guess even if people aren't afraid of our powers, we still can't use them freely, huh?"
"What was that about?" Shine came over. She'd been talking to other ladies.
"I got in trouble for using my power," Jubilee said. "I mean, they asked me to, but..."
"Kids?" Shine said. "Yeah...they're braver about things like that. I knew a couple of sisters once...well, nevermind. But it might not be so smart to use that up close anyway."
"I can control it...mostly," Jubilee grumbled.
"What were you talking to them about?" Rogue changed the subject. "Wasn't that the one lady who was mean before?"
"I was telling her I was sorry for getting so stern," Shine said. "I didn't like to start off on the wrong foot like that, but I explained about Kurt being my friend. She understood. She's actually pretty cool."
"She was a bigot," Logan said.
"Logan, we're taught from a young age to avoid anything that's related to the devil," Shine said, a bit severely. "And unfortunately, we're shown very ignorant images of what that would look like. People have burned books for less. She's not to blame for what she was told. If she can realize that, then she's not a bigot. She just needed help. Why do you dismiss people so quickly?"
"Because for every one you think is going to change their mind, there's dozens who don't want to be convinced," Logan said. "Some of 'em here too. We can never go anywhere and expect to be welcomed unanimously."
"Is that normally a privilege you have here?" Shine said. "Because I can't say my experience in life has been to that effect. This is going pretty much how I'd expect. What's the problem?"
They were silent.
"We...can't help but wait for it," Jean finally explained, perhaps the best of anyone so far. "It happens too often. People find out and they turn us away."
Shine tilted her head and looked sympathetic. "I'm sorry."
"But if they don't," Kurt said, "that is gut, ja?"
"If they don't, we're still waiting for it," Scott said. "For me, it was when my friends discovered I had my powers that they turned their backs on me."
"All of them?" Shine asked.
Scott frowned. "Most of them."
"Not to overly simplify," Shine said, "but if people find out you've been hiding anything from them, anything at all, they tend to turn on you. Even if it was nothing to be so concerned over. It's like exposing a weakness to them. I know it's not that simple for you, but the whole thing might be easier to accept if it was explained upfront."
"You can't be that stupid," Logan said rudely.
Storm shot him a look.
"Logan..." Jean said.
Shine blinked. "Well, sorry," she said, a bit testily. "I suppose, though, if you were to find out someone was hiding a thing like that, you'd completely understand why they were nervous about it and wouldn't feel like they were untrustworthy."
"We have to hide because of them," Logan said.
"You don't have to hide at all," Shine said, "personally...but for those of you who do, it's also true that people have a hard time accepting secrets. All I'm saying is how it works in the mind, not that it's fair. Something about it just makes us wary."
She shrugged.
"I think she just means...it's hard," Jean said, "but for all of us. Maybe I can see why it would be hard to trust us, but couldn't they see it from our perspective?"
"Not if you don't tell them," Shine said. "And the average person isn't interested in anyone's perspective but they're own. Believe me, I know. It's a lot of work to get past that. Hey, here you're surrounded by people who know that and have to fight it all the time for our faith, at least if they care about sharing it with others. If anyone could get it, they could, but not if you don't make it visible to them. Hiding out here, alone, is not doing that. Don't you wish humans would hear you out more?"
"You can't expect us to just expose ourselves to them," Scott said.
Shine crossed her arms. "Well, sometime you'll have to learn that not everyone in the world is your enemy. But have it your way. Not sure why you came at all, then."
"Because you--" began Scott, but Shine walked away.
"Are we being a bit timid?" Storm asked. "But how do we just walk up to people and talk?"
"I used to know," Rogue said. "But I haven't done that for ages except on the job for a few seconds.... I don't think my...approach would go over too well with church people."
"We have no reason to do anything," Scott said, "or any obligation to. If humans don't want to accept us, that is their problem."
Jubilee frowned at her food.
"Excuse me," a few ladies walked up to Jean, "but are you the one who brought those cookies?"
"Yes..." Jean said.
"Well, can you give us your recipe? Our kids love them," said one. "I didn't recognize what kind they were..."
"Oh...well, sure, I can write it down," Jean said.
While she was doing this the ladies smiled nervously at the others.
"So you're all friends of..." They glanced at Kurt.
Kurt smiled "Ja."
"And you all came together. That's nice," said one. "We're new ourselves.... My friend keep inviting me to come.... Honestly, I didn't have anything else to do with my kids today, and they were going stir crazy. Summer vacation is too long."
"Oh...of course." Scott wasn't sure what to do here.
"Which one of you is her parent?" one lady asked, indicating Jubilee, who almost choked.
"Oh...she's...well, actually she's adopted," Jean said. "We all sort of share custody. I guess you could say we have a sort of shelter."
"Oh? That's nice," they said politely.
"My cousin was adopted," said one. "They waited to tell him. I don't know if he took it so well...but, uh...anyway." She clearly didn't know what else to say.
Jubilee gave them a weird look.
"Well, here." Jean handed them her recipe.
"How long have you been going here?" the first asked.
"Just today." Scott was hoping they'd leave.
"Oh? So who invited you?"
"Well, the Reverend, technically," Rogue began.
"Oh...so you're all..." the second lady said.
"All what? Mutants?" Scott said warily.
"Oh...it's just that our friends mentioned that the Reverend was inviting mutants," said the first lady quickly. "That's all. We weren't sure it was true, at least more than one, because...but apparently it was."
"You got a problem with that?" Logan asked before they could stop him.
"Oh...no." They looked spooked.
"Well, thank you," said the first.
They walked away.
"Logan!" Jean said. "You can't say things like that to them!"
"They looked at us like we're freaks," Logan said.
"Well, maybe they've never met mutants before," Jean said. "It's understandable they were surprised.... They didn't say anything wrong."
"This is no use," Scott said. "I'm going back to the car. I think we should all go before anything else happens."
He got up and left.
Jean sighed. "I better go after him."
"Where are you all going?" Wally hurried over.
"We've had enough," Logan said.
"But...why?" Wally said.
"It's just not...workin'," Rogue said.
"But...nothing happened," Wally said. "Unless those ladies said something. Did they?"
"No, but it's complicated," Jean said.
Only Storm and Kurt hung back.
"I'm afraid our friends just don't feel at home here," Storm said.
"Well...it was awkward for me the first few times too," Wally said. "But it gets better..."
"Perhaps they are just not ready yet," Kurt said.
"I guess..." Wally said.
[I've seen this before too. Sometimes nothing really has to go wrong, but for whatever reason, people just don't feel in sync with a new environment.
It's hard to stick it out, though usually if you do, you adjust, but if we don't have to, most of us won't. Sad but true.]
* * *
Billings came over to check on them only to find most of them gone.
Shine returned and wasn't too happy, but she didn't say much.
"I guess this is going to be harder than we thought," Billings remarked. "I wish I knew what to do to make it easier."
"They are scared," Kurt said. "People who are rejected often find it hard to trust anyone."
"But did we...?" Billings wondered.
"Doesn't matter," Shine said a bit flatly. "They'll see it anyway. I thought it might happen, but..."
"I guess any sign of it not going well and they get jumpy," Wally said. "I've been there, but..."
"And you think these other ones who live in secret wouldn't be any more willing," Billings sighed. "I don't know how to reach people I can't see, Mrs. West. It's amazing you were able to get so close."
Shine shrugged.
Storm thought it might be a good time to ask about it...if Billings had not been there.
"What purpose do you have in wanting to meet more mutants, Reverend?" she asked seriously.
Billings shrugged. "At the moment I'm not sure. I just took it as a sign I should. I suppose if I had more of a plan, it might be easier to convince people to try it. How can we bridge this gap? Mr. Wagner, how did you?"
"I have been taken in, as a lost traveler," Kurt said. "And then I joined the brotherhood. I felt Gott led me there. I think you have to feel that, to be bold."
"Hmm," Billings said. "I...think it would be good to have a way to reach out, perhaps more with services, as you're saying.... Do you have an idea, Mrs. West? Mr. West?"
"Just Wally is fine." Wally made a face.
"I actually have had a thought," Shine said. "At the moment, it's true, the mutants we've met are not willing to come out of hiding, so we have to go to them. And that is the way it should be anyway, when you start off.... Right now what they mostly need is supplies. They have to steal them."
"Which is sad," Billings said. "We have a food pantry here, actually, but it's small. Not that many people need it in this neighborhood, but if money happens to be tight for one of our members, we like to help."
"My church has the same." Shine smiled. "But I thought...maybe a food or clothing drive...you know, just to help. We could handle the delivery, but one way to open people up more is to give them a way to help."
Kurt nodded. "That sounds like a gut idea."
"I like that," Billings said. "I wonder why that didn't occur to me before actually. I thought of something like a charity, but we don't have the funding for anything big...but just a simple idea like yours could work, and we could spread the word too. Put a up a sign."
"A sign?" Storm said. "You would be risking a lot."
"I want the world to know we're not afraid to help those who need it," Billings said. "If the people here don't like it, they can find another church."
"Whoa, really?" Wally said.
"Perhaps I wouldn't have said that last year," Billings said. "But this is the first time in a long time I've felt so sure of being called upon to do something, I think it's worth it. And I think it could go better than you think."
"This idea is a small enough one." Shine looked at Storm. "It requires no risk on the mutants' part, also."
"I..." Storm couldn't object to it really if that was the case. "...suppose."
"We'll make the announcement on Sunday," Billngs decided.
He went off to chat with someone else.
"He's a good guy," Wally said. "I like him."
"He's trying," Shine said.
"I'm getting a 4th helping." Wally left.
Kurt poofed away to get some more space. Perhaps it was his nature not to like to stay still for so long.
Left alone, Storm supposed now was her chance.
"I've been meaning to ask you something, Miss Likstar," she said, "about your...well, your message to the Morlocks."
"Oh?" Shine looked like she was ready for criticism.
"It was remarkable," Storm said, "that it resonated with them so much. How did you know what to say?"
"You want the truth?" Shine said. She smiled wryly. "I knew about the minute I opened my mouth and started saying it."
"Really?"
"I knew the scriptures off by heart, but which ones to use? Well, I just knew then," Shine said. "I find my experience in one place feeds into mine in another. I thought of my one student for a reason, and I went off of that. That's all there is to it most of the time."
"How astonishing," Storm said, "and...humbling for me,"
"Humbling?"
"I was ashamed, to be honest, after that," Storm said, looking down. "I never was able to reach them in any way. And...truthfully, I didn't try. You did it with an ease I couldn't have imagined possible. I have said nothing, out of embarrassment, but it's only right I admit it, after I so foolishly cautioned you that it would not work."
"Storm," Shine said, "there is no reason to admit anything. You said what you thought would happen, and if it didn't it was an honest mistake."
"But you were quick to say what I did would never have worked," Storm said. "It was humiliating, even if you did not mean it so."
"I...didn't mean to embarrass you..." Shine looked stunned. "It was just what I thought. I never thought of it being an insult, I'm sorry."
"That's just why. You didn't even think of it that way, but it was," Storm said, "an insult of my own design. I...try to be compassionate, but your idea of helping is not one I've never thought of. Or would have. And...it was simple."
"Too simple," Shine said, after a pause.
"Hmm?"
"Too simple," Shine said, "for the X-men." She gestured grandly. "You all like to rush in like a light brigade and solve the problem in a few fell swoops. And I do adore watching that in action. But our way has never been quite so dramatic, unless perhaps we have to fight. But we usually try not to. Your gift is to rescue people with fighting, ours is to show them compassion in our way. Cooking, making things, fundraising, I've grown up doing that. It's nothing for me to think of it. In fact, it's harder for me to hold back when I should. But that's just how I am. The way you all do it isn't what I normally do. More Wally's thing, actually."
"But it worked," Storm said, "and my way didn't."
"Not this timem" Shine said, "but another, it might. You shouldn't give up, and you shouldn't be so hard on yourself. The Morlocks are hard people to help. They trust no one, and they fear the surface. I had to earn the right to even get that far, and I'm treading lightly even now. Callisto doesn't trust me. That they trusted you enough to let you stay and see it is actually a huge thing. They still respect you."
Storm shook her head. "Callisto told me I was no leader to them.... She was right. Even Logan said that...it was true. I knew it. I never thought of a way to help them. Perhaps I am just not as good at being a hero as I wish. I...never have been."
How did she end up making this about her? She felt foolish now.
But Shine wasn't acting like it was odd.
"I'm not trying to be a hero," she said instead. "I'm trying to do what I can, the way I can, anyway they'll accept. I believe that's the difference between us."
So it was.
"You're right," Storm said. "Perhaps I am too proud."
"I didn't say that, I just said it was a difference," Shine said. "You are a good hero, Storm. I know that much...but if you feel you are falling short of what you'd want to be, then it's not too late to grow either. Is that what you want?"
"I don't know where to start," Storm said. "But I...think you're trying something new. I don't know if it will work."
"Neither do I," Shine said. "But when you're determined, you keep trying, and you try until you find a way to make it work. David Wilkerson struck out at first trying to start a ministry to the gangs in New York.... That was just 20 years before this time too, I think. It's still going, no doubt, if it were my world.... Maybe it is.... But he kept trying and founded one of the biggest outreaches to them there has been. You try, try, try, and something will work. God rewards those of us who don't give up. I know that much. I didn't expect this to be what happened after arriving here, but seeing as how the X-men aren't interested in our help at the moment, Wally and I are not going to waste our time here. We have to find something to do. If you are thinking you'd like to help, we'd welcome it."
"I just explained why I'm not good at this," Storm said. "Knowing what people want...and need...I have no gift for it."
"People look up to you naturally," Shine said. "That's a rare gift. I think you should use it. If I may, playing second fiddle to Scott on the X-men for the rest of your life doesn't seem like the most you can contribute to this world. I won't say you should neglect them--of course you have to fulfill that mission too--but if you have free time and feel you'd like to do more, come to us. I'm sure we'll find plenty of ways to occupy our time."
"I don't know if I'd call it playing second--" began Storm, but then stopped. "I...I will consider it."
"Come help us with the Morlocks," Shine said next, "when we take things to them next. Show them you can realize your mistakes. Goodness knows they need to see someone can. Don't be afraid of that. It's not humiliating to be able to admit you were wrong. Anyway, we need help. It's getting to be too much for two people, or even three, if Kurt manages to sneak in there with us."
"I'll think about it..." Storm said.
Shine nodded. "Okay."