Nether Aura or Allison had ever trusted public schools. It had nothing to do with funding or thinking private school was better. It had everything to do with public schools containing humans and the nature of their childs mutation, while not directly visible it would eventually happen at school. Allison had home schooled Alex for a few years now and they had planned to do so for the rest of Alex's curriculum. Things had to change however. Allison would not care much for the idea at all.

She rubbed her forehead. She has heavy reservations on what she was about to do. Not because of Alex's safety now Alex was probably safer there then with her. Despite having attended the baby shower, her first public appearance with Alex she had never felt comfortable on Mansion grounds. She always had felt unworthy of them as if she were two tainted to deserve the right.

Aura and Alex had a miner fight on what Alex would wear as Alex had changed his/her mind a few times. But they were both ready while not looking formal as they had at the shower they still looked put together, though Aura had to correct Alex's hair. The child had knotted his/her hair while trying to make a braid and had even cried when Aura had brought up her aura misunderstanding her second moms intention to simply correct the issue. They were both in jean's Aura in a silver cute top and Alex in a t shirt he/she liked. She made sure her hair was brushed and mostly pulled back into a bun with a few strands left out to frame her face. She also made sure despite her nerves her power was held in check. She checked to make sure the realistic mask of her old face was on right, and the foundation used to hide it better. The syndicate had spent a fair price on it.

She rang the mansion buzzer and whispered to herself in Japanese she was not ready for this, who was she to play parent? But before her thoughts get take to much hold they were buzzed in and Aura let Alex go play telling Alex they would need them later. Their were things to discuss smaller ears simply did not need to hear.

She was guided to the Gemma's door, her guide nearly as nervous as she was. The Mansion greeter knocked for her and announced her appointment Under Rena wilver and Allison Sinnocent. She stepped in and took a seat clearly uncomfortable as the door shut behind her. She made no attempt to avoid the null field gemma had.

"I'm here on registering Alex, Allison..could not make it" Aura said though Aura's pain was obvious on Allison's name. "Not sure if kid's normally come to these, I let Alex loose to play their are things that need not reach their ears" she said honestly. She had told Alex if they were ever lost to come to the mansion and Alex had on a handful of times. Times had changed and it had been some time since she last saw Gemma.

Some registration appointments were definitely more exciting than others.

Gemma had been notified that the student registering this afternoon was none other than the kid formerly known as Baby X, the notorious little gender-shifter that caused so many headaches to Mirror and some curious gossips to spread through the Mansion. Not to mention Alex was being accompanied by one of their moms, Aura, who had recently visited for the Grey-Morris baby shower. Gemma knew things about Aura, but most of those things were from a long time ago. The young woman who walked through her door now could have been any other new mom, visiting a school. If she didn't know any better.

>>"I'm here on registering Alex, Allison..could not make it. Not sure if kid's normally come to these, I let Alex loose to play their are things that need not reach their ears"

"We will talk to them later. Come on in" Gemma smiled, allowing Aura to walk in and take a seat. "Tea? Coffee?"

Once hot beverages were arranged, Gemma took a seat too, smiling at the young woman with a hint more curiosity than usual. "Does my aura bother you? I can sit back if it does."

She considered the options. "Coffee please, black" she said after a moment. Waiting for Gemma to take her seat as well. She had always trusted The null, her power had always worried her however, more from the feeling of being disarmed. Still she had managed to grow in the years since they had met and Alex was forcing that growth even further.

"It's all right, old friend. The offer is very kind but old age has taught me much, as has Alex. I have always trusted you, and i have been learning to be less overt with my powers. I know i am safe here, with or without my powers." she said honestly. "Besides the more i learn to feel ok without my aura, the safer Alex will be

"I am the last person who should be raising a child, my friend. I am not the safest person to be around. Heck i was 3 years older then Alex when i was taught to charge men holding automatic weapons." Aura said as behind her at the edge of her own reach a few pink scraps of pink blinked into existence and winked out of existence as she averted her eyes from Gemma. Aura had never quite realized her aura almost advertised her emotion. "I was suppose to watch Alex for two weeks while Alison was away......that was near two months ago. It's why i was at the baby shower and not Alison. Alison was devoted to Alex and i fear the worst but i have told Alex she is on a work assignment." she said as a way of explaining why she was suddenly acting as the parental figure.

"it is strange. I have been in war, more battles then i can count and nearly been killed on multiple occasions and yet that child being hurt brings fear to me like i have never known. Alex deserves the chance to a better person then i was or can be" she said running her fingers down the side's of her face. Fate was a cruel thing. "Sorry i have told no one else and you seemed like the right person to unload that to" she said embarrassed but no more of the faint pink scraps appeared.

Gemma made coffee for Aura, and wondered if her own adapted field bothered the younger woman. She knew that with the background Aura had, she was probably attached to her powers, even if she could physically handle being without them. So she offered, ready to make accommodations like she always did.

>>"It's all right, old friend. The offer is very kind but old age has taught me much, as has Alex. I have always trusted you, and i have been learning to be less overt with my powers. I know i am safe here, with or without my powers. Besides the more i learn to feel ok without my aura, the safer Alex will be."

Gemma couldn't help but look surprised. The whole demeanor of the younger woman had changed. Sure, she had grown a lot since they last met, and she was a mother now, bringing a child to school. Motherhood often changed people. Still, hearing her talk like that, one friendly adult to another, spoke of huge personal progress in the one-time wild child soldier. "That is a good way of looking at it."

>>"I am the last person who should be raising a child, my friend. I am not the safest person to be around. Heck i was 3 years older then Alex when i was taught to charge men holding automatic weapons. I was suppose to watch Alex for two weeks while Alison was away......that was near two months ago. It's why i was at the baby shower and not Alison. Alison was devoted to Alex and i fear the worst but i have told Alex she is on a work assignment."

The aura flickered, signaling emotions. Polite manners and honest words or not, Aura still had a part, and it was still haunting her on some level. She'd stepped up to being a parent, especially in the absence of Alison, and so far she had been doing a good job of it. But it was a battle of a different kind. Gemma nodded in understanding. "That must be hard for you. It would be hard for anyone."

>>"it is strange. I have been in war, more battles then i can count and nearly been killed on multiple occasions and yet that child being hurt brings fear to me like i have never known. Alex deserves the chance to a better person then i was or can be... Sorry i have told no one else and you seemed like the right person to unload that to"

"It's alright" Gemma smiled "I am here to talk when you need. And don't be too hard on yourself. Parenthood, even under the best circumstances, has a habit of showing us fear like we've never felt before. Comes with the territory..."

She took the Coffee gratefully, part of her had really wanted to take Gemma on the offer of distance. Aura still viewed her powers as one might their arm or leg. Still she had been taught to hide them more by the Syndicate. Half the point she had decided on the Dojo was to learn ways to not rely on her power every time. Alex had furthered that point, her power gave her away and that attracted trouble, weather from anti mutant gangs, vengeance seekers, hero's and often the occasional lunatic. Their had also been the issue of Aura's faith failing her,as her destony to be around mere months had failed to be true a long long time ago and many other issues she had began to realize.

She smiled at the other woman's clear surprise. "You will also be happy to know, I no longer eat random animals off the streets or run out into traffic. I even stopped picking fights with random gangs. " she said referencing their first high impact meeting as well as her habit for much of her time in NYC of hunting sown and using gang members as practice.

Her smile went sad and her eyes took a slightly haunted look. "I would enjoy the ability to talk and sort some things out with a.......shell we say a more balanced perspective. " she said. "All those i have called either friend or family are either dead or have vanished without word. You are among the few positive relationships i have these days and it's been years" she said the weight on her soul in her voice. Amber, her sister had always been prone to dissopearinces. Abyss, Alison and syn however were no where to be found, nor were old friends like Meld or the woman whose name always escaped her due to her power.

She shook her head and took a drink of coffee.. "I am learning that to be true and also how much my former distance shielded me from that. We always had feared for Alex safety, it's why if lost and unable to contact us she was to come here. We feared the houses might be targeted at some point and well i will not deny we figured Alex's connection with Mirror might help" she said remembering the long discussion with Alison that had been.

"What if the child hates me for what i have done? Or worse wants to emulate my actions? I had always thought i was making a better world, but now their is Super. I can't help but think this world adopted that afoul place becuse of demons like myself. I barely leave Alex's side of fear they might try and take her if nothing else then to target me. Aura went on and it was true that Aura had proven be a bit of a helicopter parent always keeping an eye on the child while she was there.

"What do you need for the child to have entry? I will provide whatever is needed." she said honestly, Aura really is want Alex to have the chance she had spurned all those years ago.

>> "You will also be happy to know, I no longer eat random animals off the streets or run out into traffic. I even stopped picking fights with random gangs. "

"Good to know" Gemma chuckled. As light as the joke was, it was an important point in one's own development to be able to joke about topics like that, things they had formerly done, and not be ashamed anymore. Aura had definitely grown, not just as a woman but also as a person. She was willing to talk, in fact wanted to have conversations and perspective. She did not have a strong support system of peers, and she was not exactly among the Mansion alumni... And she was in need of support, as a new and slightly terrified mother.

>>"We always had feared for Alex safety, it's why if lost and unable to contact us she was to come here. We feared the houses might be targeted at some point and well i will not deny we figured Alex's connection with Mirror might help"

"They seemed to be getting along well" Gemma nodded with a small smile. She knew some of the long history around Baby X, and the last time they'd show up at the Mansion, Becca and Mirror handled the whole thing admirably well. Plus Mirror had first hand experience with gender shifting.

>>"What if the child hates me for what i have done? Or worse wants to emulate my actions? I had always thought i was making a better world, but now their is Super. I can't help but think this world adopted that afoul place becuse of demons like myself. I barely leave Alex's side of fear they might try and take her if nothing else then to target me."

There was not much for Gemma to say to make the young woman feel better. She had the fears of every parent, and in a world that was definitely out to get mutants more often than not. "I won't tell you none of those fears are possible" she promised, setting her cup down "But I can tell you we have dealt with attacks often, and we have a pretty good grasp on how to keep our students safe."

>>"What do you need for the child to have entry? I will provide whatever is needed."

"Paperwork, most of all" Gemma shuffled, picking out some forms "We'll need to know as much about their powers as possible, as well as their general needs, in terms of food, daily routine, that kind of stuff. Also, things you hope they would gain at this school. It's... kind of flexible."

"My main concern are the flashbacks Been happening more lately. Certain sounds or smells and sometimes my mind goes back to the forest. Three weeks ago i Did $7,000 damage to the house, thinking i was chasing enemies through the woods before my mind righted itself. I was home alone luckily. An incident like it' is why the Snowman dislikes me, well it's toward the top. I Killed a half dozen kids in an orphanage believing they were trained assailants" she said recalling the incident. Every smell, every scream had been just as they had been over 15 years ago. Echoes of the more brutal battles Aura had fought and had etched themselves into her soul at barely thirteen. The dreams or nightmares were not much better.

Her expression softened to one of shy mirth. "Kid might be better off hating and distancing from me. she said wondering if the distance might not help Alex out not being burdened by Auras reputation. "I tested your walls a few times after i came into the city along side the order. Sanctuary golden doors ended up on Mansion property and the later battle at KP. This is the mostly heavily fortified pro mutant area i know in the city. So i have no concerns about the safety here. " she said recalling those early fights with pride and a bit of embarrassment. She was at her core the same woman who had fought those so long ago but much had changed around that core.

Aura considered the questions Gemma presented. "Power wise we know Alex shifts gender when wounded but we have not pushed it past a few shifts. It's always been miner wounds though. We have been reluctant to see how the power might handle a bullet for example, we don't know if the bullet would be pushed out or regenerated around. The size of the wound does not seem to matter much." she said trying to think if their was much more she knew power wise but they had been to reluctant to truly test. "I mostly just let Alex order out most nights or fast food whatever they want. It lacks the extreme variation of my own former diet but it's well legal and less expensive for the zoo" Aura had lost track of how many times she had borrowed an exotic animal from the zoo, not normally realizing how highly endagerd it was.

"I Don't recall ever going to school, as those years were erased but i suppose the important thing is for Alex to carve their own path and not simply be a weapon to be wielded and discarded at will" she said thinking a bit of herself. "Alison might of been better for this, truthfully i let Alex decide what they want to do mostly so long as it's not dangerous and so long as Alex obeys when i yell." she said simply. She had also been afraid to force much on Alex as her own routine near that age had been abnormal to say the least. While Aura let Alex do as they wanted mostly, Aura had also tended to never be to far away if she was home.

To call Aura's past 'troubled' would have been the understatement of the century. Many people at the Mansion were terrified of her, and not without good reason. Still, Gemma chose to believe that the young woman talking to her now was genuinely herself, and not the weapon people tried to turn her into.

>>"Kid might be better off hating and distancing from me"

Gemma wanted to tell her it was not true. Aura had problems, but there was no question that she loved Alex, and would never harm them. Still, Aura had not come here for counseling, and it would have been unprofessional to force her down that road. So Gemma let her talk as much as she wanted.

>>"Power wise we know Alex shifts gender when wounded but we have not pushed it past a few shifts. It's always been miner wounds though. We have been reluctant to see how the power might handle a bullet for example, we don't know if the bullet would be pushed out or regenerated around. The size of the wound does not seem to matter much."

"Yes, I understand this is... not an easy power to test." even with a healer on staff, who was going to try and shoot their own child? Or any child?...

>>"I mostly just let Alex order out most nights or fast food whatever they want. It lacks the extreme variation of my own former diet but it's well legal and less expensive for the zoo"

Gemma couldn't help but chuckle a little. She had heard rumors about Aura's diet, and she was glad Alex was used to more... conventional cuisine. Fats food was not great, but parents had done a lot worse to their kids than that. Alex would get used to home cooked meals soon enough. And if not, they could always order out...

>>"I Don't recall ever going to school, as those years were erased but i suppose the important thing is for Alex to carve their own path and not simply be a weapon to be wielded and discarded at will... Alison might of been better for this, truthfully i let Alex decide what they want to do mostly so long as it's not dangerous and so long as Alex obeys when i yell."

Gemma leaned over, looking Aura in the eyes, mother to mother.

"You are doing well enough." she stated with a nod "You are doing your best, and you have Alex's best interest at heart. No one can judge you for any of that. Don't compare yourself." she smiled a little "As for Alex... their powers are not really combat-oriented. That doesn't mean someone might not try to use them, all mutants have that risk... but Alex will be safe here, I promise. And the rest... they will learn. We are supposed to be a school, after all." she added with a smile.

She nodded. "Yes though Alex has begun to experiment with their power. To that end I made her...them memorize where the bodies major artery's are located as well as the major organs. We wanted to prevent serious harm if they did hit their limit as well as make sure the blade used was sterilized. So Alex knows how to care for their pocket knife as well as keep it clean and not alone." she expanded on Alex's powers and their limited testing. Aura recalled fighting Alison on the knife idea but had reasoned the kid would test their powers out anyway so they may as well do it as safely as possible. "I had offered to use my own blade but Alison mentioned that might cause Alex to fear me. Never quite understood that part" she said with a shrug.

It was rare anyone tried looking Aura directly in the eye and much more rare someone not commanding her chose to do so. Aura was surprised by Gemma's words simply assuming her style was poor, as she mostly based it on, if I was raised as such I should do the opposite. "Yeah, Miracle use to bring in kids much like myself. Most had powers unrelated to combat and as such rarely lasted more then a few missions. Miracle herself was trying to prevent humans from harvesting her blood to try and slow their own ageing down." Aura said knowing well someone might try and use them. She knew all to well how that could turn out.

"Her...their power's combat potential is unknown. Assuming Alex can heal off a few bullets, it would easily be enough to get a knife into a proper artery or to land a shot themselves. In the forest i would of used Alex as a trojan horse. Have them take the shot and others ambush the attackers when they came to check the body or even infiltration with the two forms adding to their versatileness. Both of these assuming the orders I was given allowed for the asset to be retrieved. " she said considering it quickly. Aura left out she knew she had orders kids slightly older then Alex to run headlong to their deaths as well. It was a sign in her eyes of just how much she had changed.

"I should mention Alex has seen a few dead bodies by my hand. Alex says their fine but im pretty sure they just don't wanna mention it to me. Kid or not i have to rescue any mutant I find in trouble. Either way i watched enough people to know everyone feels something at first even if their not the cuase" she said the non lethal option having occurred to her but timing had been of the essence.

Aura went on talking, which was a good sign. It gave Gemma more to work with once Alex was officially a student, and it was also good that Aura could put words to her thoughts and feelings and experiences. In a way, she counted as a student too, as much as a parent, and it was remarkable how she'd come out on the other side of something that would have destroyed most people. Even though Alex was the student, Gemma felt a responsibility to keep an eye on her too.

Gemma took a few notes about Alex's experiments with their powers. "It sounds like you did your best to handle this responsibly." she nodded. Kids experimented with a lot of things, and they could not be stopped by rules, so when they had powers like Alex's, it was best to make sure they did so safely. Both mothers had done so to the best of their knowledge.

Alex's powers were also not combat oriented, at least not by Gemma's judgment. But she soon realized she had been wrong in her assumption. Aura kept talking about how some people might take advantage of Alex. She was not upset or scared, just factual and pragmatic. No mutant child was entirely safe from fanatics on either side. Gemma took some more notes.

>>"I should mention Alex has seen a few dead bodies by my hand. Alex says their fine but im pretty sure they just don't wanna mention it to me. Kid or not i have to rescue any mutant I find in trouble. Either way i watched enough people to know everyone feels something at first even if their not the cuase"

Gemma nodded, not making any judgment, as she made some more notes. Then she looked up at Aura.

"I just want to say... it is impressive how mature you are about raising this kid. No parent is perfect, and that is not the whole point either. But, given your powers, and Alex's, and your upbringing... it feels like you managed to turn your experiences into something... safe, for Alex. And nurturing. That is incredible in itself. Never tell yourself otherwise."

Only now did Aura's mind ring a small barely audible bell in her brain. Their was a time when she would have considered Alex a battle field asset. She could have given Gemma dozens of examples and scenarios of how Alex could be used in combat but now the very reference of it bothered Aura and a part of her wondered about other kids as well. It had been some time since she had toyed with idea's like dropping am exploding mutant girl not much older then Alex, on the mansion. She still recalled the surprised look when she had offerd to build a mountain of human bone that used blood instead of water. She would never admit but Aura's sleep was nightmare riddled, she still heard the screams of those she cared about, almost as fresh fifteen years later. The dead haunted aura and it only grew with each death.

The fact Gemma was impressed with anything her and Allison did meant a lot to Aura. She had a tendency to view Gemma and the x men as people with a purity she could never hope to obtain. Even as she had opposed the X men she had idolized them. She was honestly surprised Gemma did have more concerns but Gemma knew as much about her as most other people she knew who were alive. She also had a very good point every one made their mistakes and no one was perfect.

" I don't know what i expected from this but praise of any kind certainly was not among them. Pretty much expected a list on what i was doing wrong or could do better. It really does mean a lot and makes me feel like maybe i can do this. I think it will take time for your words to sink into my soul, but i will remember them and take them to heart" she said considering the words.

"I can not escape my past but i can ensure she never has need to want to escape hers" Aura said not entirely awhere of the impossibility of her statement. "If Allison does not come back i do worry how Alex will take that but i suppose only time can let us know that"]/color] she said still considering Gemma's words. Never to tell herself what she and Allison had achieved was not important. She had come a long way after all.

"I'm not sure on if Alex had any of these immunizations shots's and i don't really have an emergency contact at this point. However if i am killed and Allison is stil not back, i kinda figured Alex would end up living here. " she said taking emergency to mean absolutely critacle. She really had No idea how Allsion had handled things so seemingly well.

>>"I don't know what i expected from this but praise of any kind certainly was not among them. Pretty much expected a list on what i was doing wrong or could do better. It really does mean a lot and makes me feel like maybe i can do this. I think it will take time for your words to sink into my soul, but i will remember them and take them to heart"

Gemma smiled more gently. She did not expect Aura to say all that out loud, but she was glad her words had an effect. Even the most normal parents from the most boring backgrounds struggled with the idea of doing everything wrong from time to time (including Gemma herself, who was on her second batch of kids). Telling people how to parent batter was not in her job description. Aura was doing well enough, all things considered.

>>"I can not escape my past but i can ensure she never has need to want to escape hers. If Allison does not come back i do worry how Alex will take that but i suppose only time can let us know that"

"You are doing great so far. And yes, only time will tell that, but I wouldn't give up on Allison just yet." Allison had broken into the Mansion before to get her kid. She would probably do it again.

>>"I'm not sure on if Alex had any of these immunizations shots's and i don't really have an emergency contact at this point. However if i am killed and Allison is stil not back, i kinda figured Alex would end up living here. "

"Well, we can look into the shot situation" Gemma took some notes "And you are the emergency contact, unless you state otherwise... From what I know, you already had Mirror as a person you'd trust with your child. I'm sure they'd be here for Alex if they ever needed anything."

"You are right and i won't give up on her. But it is hard to resist the old habit to assume the worst. she said which was in deed part of it, Aura however had grown use to those she cared about vanishing from her life. Abyss had seen the child maybe a hand full of times and amber, she was sure had never met Alex. "Something having happened to her is a thought that has yet to leave my mind. I just need a good fight is all" she said not stopping to consider she had more or less admitted wansting to go out and kill a few people. Even if it was true some things were best left unsaid.

"I only recently obtained an actual doctor myself, perhaps they can obtain the information. They were not Alex's doctor nit he can prolbely check" she said figuring the medicle database was simply all connected. "Family is best where possible. I'm not sure either Mirror likes me personally but i have confidence you are right." She had met mirror here and there over the years as Mirror liked the vigilante work which had brought them close on a few occasions.

"But i suspect Mirror is not alone there, even those like our mutual frosty friend who holds me me in low regard, i know would not hold it against Alex. it's part of the magic of this place" she said. Aura tended to assume Mansion residents were simply better people then her and in most cases she herself considered them right.

"If i do need to go dig Amber out of the amazon of rescue Allison i will make you know i'll be gone a bit. I plan to avoid such a trip if possible but both Amber and Allison had a knack for finding trouble" she said wanting to be clear that she might have to go away at some point. She would buy her sister a plane ticket if she could.

>>"You are right and i won't give up on her. But it is hard to resist the old habit to assume the worst. Something having happened to her is a thought that has yet to leave my mind. I just need a good fight is all"

Gemma blinked, tactfully not pointing out that fighting (or killing) people was not generally the best form of self-care. She was not here to counsel Aura in any official capacity; all she could do was to make sure the young woman knew she was available if she ever wanted to talk more. In the meantime, she would be responsible for helping Alex settle in.

>>"Family is best where possible. I'm not sure either Mirror likes me personally but i have confidence you are right... But i suspect Mirror is not alone there, even those like our mutual frosty friend who holds me me in low regard, i know would not hold it against Alex. it's part of the magic of this place"

"It certainly is. Everyone here will make sure Alex settles in well. And you can count on us if there is anything they need." Gemma nodded. All of the faculty had been selected with this sole purpose in mind. And even those with a mixed history with Aura would never take any of their grievances out on a kid.

>>"If i do need to go dig Amber out of the amazon of rescue Allison i will make you know i'll be gone a bit. I plan to avoid such a trip if possible but both Amber and Allison had a knack for finding trouble"

"Keep us posted." Gemma nodded "And... please let us know if you need help. We have people who are good at rescue missions."

The meeting was going better then Aura had thought it would. She knew the Mansion residents as well as Gemma would never hold her actions against Alex, she still often felt like she should be treated far less well then she was was on these grounds. Part of wondered if it guilt and part of her wondered if she was just to hard on herself.

Her first response to Gemma's offer was to turn it down and Aura nearly spoke about her relative expendable nature in comparison to the X men but she decided to shelf that for now. She had a feeling Gemma would not take to kindly to the idea Aura felt herself was an expendable resource. "I may take you up on that actually. Last time it took me nearly two months to find her. Still i plan to wait for her to contact me, as it's entirely possible she picked an entirely different forest this time. Allison will hopefully be an easier find, i plan to try and track down Alex's true father to see if he knows anything" she said knowing that well Amber was almost custom made to live in the woods, Allison was not even with all her ink. Still she left out if she did find Alex's true father she fully planned to take his head from his shoulders after she found out of he knew anything of allison.

Aura wrestled with herself mentally a moment. "I am always willing to help protect or rescue any mutant and i follow orders very well. While i am unworthy, my blades are yours if you ask when the time is needed" she said making the offer back though she did not actually expect them to ever take her up on such an offers it still felt right to offer and it was part of her job to save mutants weather she liked them or not.