"I'm so sorry." It was lame, repeating himself like that, but he didn't know what else to say. He was sorry. He didn't have any experience like what she was going through to help him empathize unless you counted the disappearance of an adoptive father who may or may not have tried to end the world.

Yeah. Didn't really match up.

So, really, asking anything more about family was going to be a serious downer. Didn't have to be an empath to figure that one out.

"So what grade are you in? Maybe you can pass my Gramps a hello if you are in his class."

Somewhere in the not so distant city, a woman screamed. All in normal day in New York. Jude strode on.

Serena forced a smile. "Hey,it's fine, I've had time to get used to the concept of being on my own." Serena was telling the truth, she found that she wasn't often effected by it. She wiped her tears away.

She smiled. "I'm supposedto be a junior, but my year has been... well lets just say I've only had lessons for about half of it, and I've been studying like crazy for my exams, meaning I haven't actually started lessons at the mansion yet... Well, unless you count self defense class with Sam."

Serena grimaced at the memory of her first lesson with Sam, she nearly impaled him with several spears formed of blood. That was probably her worst lapse in control, and the closest call she'd had with her mutation.

A part of her was busy wandering what Jude's mutation was. She wondered if it was something sensory, or possibly telepathic? She honestly had no clue.

She decided that a change it topic might be good, maybe get to know the seemingly rude frenchmen a little better. "So Jude, what do you do for a living?"

Junior? "Economics iz a senior class, I sink. But if you happen upon him tell him 'Hi' for me? Swift iz his last name." There. One familial reminder fulfilled. Hopefully he would still send Jude a birthday card.

And Sam's self defense class made Jude chuckle. "Sam had me convinced zat I needed muscles to be man." Extenuating circumstances aside, he didn't. Jude tried not to flex his meager muscles. He didn't need to show off, especially since nothing of note was there. "He haz a good heart and good information... mostly."

> "So Jude, what do you do for a living?"

He cleared his throat. This was the part where most people started making fun of him. "I'm a fortune teller." He scratched the back of his neck, only slightly ashamed. "I'm looking for something better, you know, but it's surprisingly lucrative and I've got bills."

Serena smiled and nodded to Jude. "Yeah, I'll tell him for you if I see him." She was beginning to like this guy. He was actually pretty friendly and nice.

Serena smiled some more. "Yeah he's a really nice guy, I think he's a really good teacher as well. Although, mind you, he is the only self defense teacher I have ever had..." Serena wondered if they were all pretty good, although she guessed, just like with any subject, you got good teachers, and bad teachers.

Serena giggled. "Well, I wasn't expecting fortune teller. It does sound like an interesting job though. And I suppose if it keeps you in good finances, why not?" She wondered what it was like to work as a fortune teller. It could be quite interesting, and also probably quite deceitful.

She looked at him again. "If you don't mind me asking, can you like... Sense other mutants or something? 'Cause to my knowledge I don't show it very openly."

"Hm. I guess Sam iz ze only self defense teacher I ever had too." That was an odd thought. It wasn't like Jude got into many fights. In fact, he largely tried to avoid them. It just seemed that in all his time out here in the city, he would have to know something about defense or else get kidnapped like Svetty or mugged or whatever. "I must be lucky. I haven't really needed to know any sing he taught me." And that was just asking fate to throw something at them, but hey. It was true!

Aaaand of course there were giggles about the job. He really should move on from that shop but the kids that worked there... They might not admit that they needed somebody, but they did. "Knowing sings about ze future is seductive. Once you have it, it's hard to let go of." He shrugged because he wasn't about to elaborate about how he may or may not have helped avert the apocalypse because they had seen it in the future of a client. It sounded too much like bragging and was too hard to verify. But damn if it didn't sound good to his ego.

Jude looked over Serena after her comment. No extra legs, no etherealness, no missing bits... "I don't sink you show it at all. My ability is to copy others, but I can't copy someone withs no power." Again he shrugged. Not too much more to it.

Serena smiled. She hadn't really needed it yet, and she had been practicing, although there wasn't too much need for it, she decided that she should focus on become more physically fit and also improving her power control before she tried anything else.

She noted the way that he examined her... Then he responded. OH! He could copy powers... Wait, but that meant, if he had already copied hers, and he didn't know what it was, or what it could do!

This was bad, very very bad.

"Jude, do you copy automatically? Like have you already copied my powers?" Serena's face had turned from a smile into a dark, frightened look.

Her powers were hard enough to keep control of on her own, never mind tossing in a second person who had to deal with them and with whatever consequences came from failing to use them correctly.

"I don't copy automatically, no." Those days were thankfully behind him. "I learned my lesson about zat ze hard way. Don't worry." She still looked worried, though. more than worried.

At times he was tempted. His power made it so hard, especially if the other mutant in question was powerful or new to him. Jude wasn't about to tell Serena that his power seemed to have a bit of a mind of its own. He didnt want to freak her out. Besides, he had worked really hard on his control so that he could be around Svetty.

It helped that he had switched powers recently, satisfying his power's hunger. "Touching makes it harder to not copy. Prolonged proximity. Or if I were to go to sleep... You see why ze Mansion was a bad place for me once I had my power?"

Dare he ask? "What do you do zat's so scary anyway?"

Oh thank god... He didn't copy automatically. He wasn't going to accidentally stab someone if he pricked his finger on something. Crisis averted. Serena felt a massive wave of relief pass over her.

So, he had also had control issues in the past. Well, at least now she knew that she as not the only person who had them. It actually made a lot of sense, she had never really met another mutant who had had serious issues with control, she guessed that with some mutations, it just took time getting used to it.

Ah. That also made a lot of sense, if it was harder to control in close proximity, then he wouldn't want to live and sleep in a house building literally packed with mutants.

She smiled awkwardly. "I'm not really that comfortable talking about it, lets just say that it's bloody hard for me to control, and it can easily cause severe injuries to others. Serena murmered appologetically.

"It can't be zat bad." They were passing through the more residential parts of the city now, getting closer to the Mansion. "You don't look weird, you haven't killed anyone zat I've noticed... Oh! Maybe psychic? I'd love to be a psychic again." Jude grinned. Psychics were his specialty.

All teasing aside Jude knew a thing or two about reigning in odd powers. Call it a hobby or maybe a byproduct of his own ability. "I know ze mansion has some very talented people and I'm just a guy who practiced on my own until I could get my own abilities right, but if you ever want help on zat front, who better to relate to your problem zan someone with your exact same problem?" Exact as in, once he copied her power, he would know what she was up against. Exactly. He was offering to help her out if she had a mind to accept help.

"Sink about it." He shrugged. "Because as far as I know zis is permanent." And running away or denying one's problems did not make them better. He also had some experience in that particular life lesson. What a well rounded 13 (going on 20-something) year old he was!

Serena forced a smile as he spoke about mutations and psychics. He had noooo idea. She didn't want to have one either, trying to control that ability was downright traumatic.

Serena looked directly into the frenchmen's eyes. "I appcreciate what you are busy trying to do, but please, don't. It's really hard to control and dangerous, not just to me, but to those around me. I'd rather not have anyone else have to try and deal with that, even if it was just temporary."

Serena sounded as if she was very sad at having to decline. It would be a great opportunity to get better understanding and/or control of her power.

But she just couldn't out someone else through what she went through when she was around lots of blood. It just wasn't fair.

If the girl did not want to be saved, she couldn't be saved. Jude shrugged. He was tempted. So, sooooo tempted. He could just take a taste and figure out what all the fuss was about, but... well what if it was radioactive or thermonuclear or something? He sighed and slowed his pace as they neared the Mansion gates.

"Well, zis is where we say our goodbyes zen. If you change your mind, my number should be on file in ze office." He offered her a hand shake. He could handle that much without taking her power.

Serena smiled to the man as he offered his hand. He had been nice, and the offer that he had given her to copy her power so that he could help her learn to control it and better understand it had been so, so very tempting.

But she couldn't risk it. If he did, he would get all of her problems, even if temporary, he would have to deal with a power that almost seemed as if it was designed to kill others.

For goodness sake, she could make lances of blood. They were NOT pleasant and could almost definitely kill a person, or at least pierce them, and from what Serena had seen in the danger room with Sam, they almost certainly could.

She took up the man's offer of a hand shake "Thank you for walking me home Jude, I appreciate it." with that, Serena vanished back into her home, the one place she knew she was truly safe, the place.