It was like watching a puppy get its first bath, Chase just didn't seem to want to be pulled of Taylor and getting him out of his clothes was like torture. This just weren't right, but he couldn't figure out what it was exactly. Not paying to much attention to what was going on, he stood by with his snark comments just to remind everyone that it was his cold ass that dove in the water after the kid. Where was the streamers and celebration? Taylor should be highly excited for him, considering he strutted about the mansion with an ego and a few chips on his shoulder.

The Doc seemed to be frustrated with Taylor being there, which he was enjoying greatly. Anyone who gave her mouth was okay in his book. Rather insightful. He would have to remember that he was a guy that didn't seem to take her seriously. Good information to know, find who the fellow rats were.

Then she had to come near him. Great. Sure he might have gone to her to take care of the whole situation, but that didn't mean he wanted to have her there near him. At least she wasn't fussing all over him. He'd rather be shot dead then have her hanging all over him. If she wanted to repay him with a running car, he'd go for that...."Just sh**ing out ice cubes. Top shape." Through the slitted eye lids, he rolled his eyes from one corner to the other.

Turning to his side, Hokee lifted one leg up in the air ready to make a rather rude gesture. "Fresh out of cheese, but I can make some ice to go with his whine." If his body wasn't cold, he might have been able to pull something better off, but sometimes you had to work with what was there. If she was remotely smart, she might leave him alone, but he doubted it. Taylor had a way of doing her thing and just...well doing her thing.

>>"Just sh**ing out ice cubes. Top shape. Fresh out of cheese, but I can make some ice to go with his whine."

Gemma sighed and didn't even bother to get pissed. Hokee was probably as shocked as Chase was, and he still had enough in him to save the kid, and then be rude about it. That was a talent in itself.

"I just wanted to thank you for saving him." sha said with a smirk "And make sure you are okay. Why don't you go change into something dry and warm, DocProf can take a look at you later if you need it."

She turned back to look at Chase; he seemed to be warming up. To DocProf, at least. Gemma smiled. She was still worried, but she knew that everything was going to be fine...

"And Hokee? Thank you."

Once Chase was at the bed's edge, the DocProf nudged the blanket back off of the eight-year-old's forehead and touched it lightly, as if giving him a blessing.

"This might feel kind of funny, okay?" the DocProf cautioned. Chase nodded faintly, his eyes watching the DocProf to see if wanything would change about how he looked. The hand that had been placed on Chase's forehead began to exude a golden-yellow light, and from it, warmth and a pins-and-needles feeling filled Chase from head-to-toe. Chase scrunched his shoulder and his wrinkled his nose at the sensation, smiling faintly. It was a lovely change from being freezing cold. The DocProf was silent in his concentration.

Gradually, the feeling faded, before disappearing altogether as the DocProf removed his hand, and Chase regarded him with owlish, mystified eyes.

"Is there anything wrong with me?" Chase mumbled.

"Besides being very cold, nearly drowning and suffering from temporary amnesia?" the DocProf replied, smiling faintly, "No. No broken bones, no sprains. You're in a good condition. Just keep under that blanket, okay?"

Chase nodded. No problem. The blanket was warm, so he had no intent to leave it any time soon. The DocProf rose, smiling faintly, and Chase scooted back towards the wall against which his bed was positioned. Cocooned in the blanket, and feeling rather snug, he lay down.

"Try and stay awake, okay?" the DocProf requested insightfully, as he went over to Gemma and Hokee.

"Mm'kay," was the husky reply. Easier said than done-- the shapeshifter burrowed deeper into his cocoon, relishing the warmth and returning feeling in his extremities. He wasn't permitted to sleep, sure, but the doctor hadn't said anything about just closing his eyes. Chase closed his eyes, just to close them, and was soon broadsided by sleep.

Hell must have frozen over, and apparently Chase had fallen right into it. Were his ears deceiving him or was this really being said. She was thanking him. HA, that was something he never thought he'd actually hear. Now if it was the other way, that would definitely turn the world upside down. Not keen in the slightest about how close she was to him, he had to admit the further away she was from Chase, the less he felt like gagging out a giant rainbow. Life was a tough cruel mistress, and such family dynamics before him was nothing more then a joke to the world. Nothing against Chase, but it was messed up to have a kid with no real face. He had a good hunch there was something wrong with Taylor's head to begin with, but she was really messed up smothering a faceless child.

With a sideways glare, he couldn't believe how quickly he was being dismissed. Thank you for saving my faceless kid, now get the hell away so I can smother him some more. The closed captions of his thoughts trickled between his ears. "Yeah, yeah." Yak, yak, yak....would she ever say anything interesting at all? Twisting the blanket between his finger tips, he gave a tug to bring the fabric closer to his body.

"If I had the keys to the car..." He could pick up girls, he could go out with the girls...he could do many things if he could drive. "Doesn't matter...." Shifting under the blanket, Hokee pulled out one of his hands. As warm as the blanket was, he was getting the itch to put on some real warm clothes of his own. Dropping the blanket to the ground, he turned around without saying anything else.

The walk to his room lasted forever, but upon entering he was rather grateful he had a place. Rummaging through the dressers, he plucked out his spare jeans, a new set of boxers and a fresh shirt to wear. Cursing under his breath he began stripping down for the second time in the last hour. Goosebumps after goosebumps covered his body, he looked like a freaking plucked turkey. Tossing his hoodie to the floor by the radiator, he would just have to hope the thing would warm up by the evening. One thing for sure, he was going to have to hit up a store soon and get some more clothes.

After a nice warm shower, and fresh dry clothes to put on, Hokee wandered back down to the place Taylor brought him and Chase. He wasn't checking in on them or about to have the Doc check him out, no he had other things up his short sleeves. Stopping in the door frame, he leaned against the wall. If he worked it out just right, maybe he could catch her in a weak spot and get the keys for at least the day...

>> "Yeah, yeah. If I had the keys to the car... Doesn't matter...."

Gemma sighed. The kid really wanted a car. What he needed, though, was dry clothes and a hot shower. She didn't comment on what he said; she had just thanked him, she was not about to start a fight. He might not have suffered shock like Chase, but that did not mean, the experience with the ice cold water did not leave a mark on the teen.

When Hokee left, Gemma walked back to the bed, just to find Chase asleep. She glanced at DocProf who huffed and grumbled, but did not wake up the child. Gemm sat on the edge of the bed. She was not going to move until Chase woke up...

The nap was short and sweet by a childs' terms. Chase slept quite solidly for about a half-hour. He didn't open his eyes right away, but laid in his cocoon of blankets, his mind swimming around blearily. Wherever he was, it didn't smell like his room. Chase's brain churned slowly, gradually recalling the events preceding going to bed... let's see, he went outside to play in the snow... and then there was that guy with the dreadlocks... "Hokee" or something like that. Then, they played on the ice... and... then, Chase fell through ice.

Chase jolted awake, a bolt of adrenaline sending life into his veins, a shuddering gasp rocking his system. He couldn't swim! He had to get to the shallow-end and try to break through-- oh. He was not in the water anymore. Chase's heart hammered nonetheless, and the little shapeshifter couldn't help the raw fear that was coursing through his veins. He'd been so out of it, so lightheaded, when he'd been taken to Gemma's office and then the infirmary, that he hadn't remembered arriving there-- Chase had no idea where he was. He quickly reeled backwards, and had it not been for the wall behind him, he would've fallen off the edge of the bed in his retreat.

Chase hugged the blankets close, eyes flicking around his unfamiliar surroundings. Gemma was sitting at the foot of the bed patiently. Chase kept rooted to the wall, but he scooted closer to his mother.

"Mama, where are we?" Chase inquired quietly, his eyes lingering between the blackness of fear and a flicker of confusion as he regarded Gemma. He racked his brain, but couldn't seem to recall. He just needed some small details to jog his memory. Chase was still a little cold, but not as icy as he'd been before, and he still wasn't wearing any clothes, spare his boxers, either, "Wh-where are my clothes?"

Moments later, Hokee entered the room, but Chase didn't hear him... and, since his back was to a wall and he wasn't facing the door, Chase didn't see him, either. He was a bit preoccupied with figuring things out.

Gemma's shirt had been soaked with ice cold water, but it soon dried in the warm as DocProf turned on the heating. She watched Chase sleep, he looked rather peaceful for all the shock he had just gone through. When he finally stirred, then sat up, looking around in alarm and confusion, she moved closer to him on the bed.

>>"Mama, where are we? Wh-where are my clothes?"

"It's okay, baby" she smiled, scooting over to put an arm around him "We are in the infirmary at the Mansion. You fell into the pool through the ice. We had to get you out of your clothes, they were soaked and freezing cold. Are you feeling warm now?"

He was tiny, even with all the blankets on; but he did not feel cold to tht touch. Gemma hugged him. He looked confused, but not hurt.

Gemma draped an arm over Chase and pulled him into a half-hug as she explained things to him.

>> "It's okay, baby... We are in the infirmary at the Mansion. You fell into the pool through the ice. We had to get you out of your clothes, they were soaked and freezing cold. Are you feeling warm now?"

Chase nodded mutedly. He'd remembered falling into the pool... and, now that Gemma mentioned it, he recalled being brought here, too. Well, kind of-- he remembered his clothes being taken, being wrapped in the blanket, and the gruff doctor with the glowing hands-- he didn't remember leaving the pool very well, though... running up and down the halls, a slightly-panicked Hokee.

"Warmer," Chase murmured in confirmation, wedging himself closer to Gemma's side. He wouldn't go so far as to say he was feeling totally "warm", though-- after all, he was clothed in only his undergarments and a blanket, and Chase was on the shrimpy side.

Gemma hugged him, and the anxiety in Chases' eyes was replaced by an affectionate magenta. He smiled and looked up at Gemma, snuggling closer as a small, blanket-clad hand latched loosely onto her embracing arm, as if to hold it in place. It was nice to sit so close to someone, and to not worry about accidentally turning into them...

In surveying the visible areas of the Infirmary, Chase didn't spy the older boy who'd gone into the water after him which gave way to his next inquiry.

"What about Hokee?" Chase inquired, his voice both curious and concerned as he looked up at Gemma, "Where is he? Is he okay?"

Returning back there was a mistake. The level of happy family fuzzy feelings seemed to be hammering in over time. With a roll of his eyes, he was about ready to leave, he didn't need to see a live action remake of the Brady Bunch. Just passing through the room when that show was on was enough to make him feel sick to the stomach, but seeing in happening in front of his eyes was pure acid in his mouth. Taylor was one of those sappy folks, pure crap if nothing else. Don't hurt any of the other kids here, yeah just don't go afer your baby boy basically. Perfectly fine to let monkey girl kick my nads but hell o harm to be done on your kid. Bunch of rotten bs.

The conversation wasn't exactly very loud, nor were there many words to overhear, but he did catch his name. The piercing squinting eyes locked down on the Brady Bunch reunion. If that kid even dared to put any blame on him, oh he would personally shoved him back in that hole and leave him to fend for himself. Shifter or not, he was sure to find another kid in this school who could help him get his hands on a car faster. Where there was a will there was a way, legal or not.

The taste of defeat would not be happening, he would not let himself go down against a kid. Nothing against him, but if he kept up this sappy snuggling junk, things just might change. Be it a matter of lingering cold or a sensation he was unaware of, but the fine thin hairs on the back of his neck stood on edge. Clearing his throat out, he was out to make his presence known. Shifting slightly, he leaned against the wall just to the left of the door for the room. Arms across his chest, he kept his fingers warming in his armpits.

"Worry about yourself....Know who you are yet?" Sure he contradicted himself, but who honestly gave a damn. Chase was to young to have the weight of the world on his shoulders and he certainly didn't need something that young and small worrying about his skin. Look after yourself and screw the rest of the world. Sure he got Chase out of the water, but if he hadn't things would be worse for himself. There were only so many things he could keep on his record before he found himself locked away forever. Mutant or not, he had a feeling slipping into the shadows wouldn't be enough to get his butt out from behind bars.

Chase snuggled closer, and Gemma hugged him with a smile. With many kids like him, it took a lot of time to gain their trust, and allow them to relax into their new home; but Chase, even though he was a runaway, was still very young, and still trusting.

>>"Warmer. What about Hokee? Where is he? Is he okay?"

"He is..." she started, but the teen chose that exact moment to show up again.

>>"Worry about yourself....Know who you are yet?"

He was all grumpy and dripping sarcasm, but just that fact that he came back made Gemma smirk. She did not expect him to return, to tell the truth; she expected him to sulk away into his room and not even bother with checking on Chase. She knew that kind.
But Hokee came back, and that said something else than his words.

Chase glanced over his shoulder when an unexpected voice snagged his attention.

>> "Worry about yourself.... Know who you are yet?"

Chase shifted his weight so that he could see Hokee, pulling away from his mother's side. As much as he loved cuddling up to her side, you just didn't do that kind of thing around other guys. It violated some unwritten guy-code.

"I was just asking," Chase retorted, rubbing his face crossly, "You weren't here, so I wanted to know where you went, and if you were okay. That's all." What was Hokee going to do about it, anyways? He couldn't force Chase to not be concerned about him. Chase did seem embarrassed about being concerned over Hokee, though, for in his protest, he'd essentially admitted just that.

And, as per his own state of being, Chase mumbled, "Yes, I know who I am. Knew enough to ask about you by name, didn't I?"

Chase wasn't trying to be petulant, just rational. If he had still been discombobulated, he wouldn't have thought to ask about Hokee. Such an inquiry implied that most of Chases' wits were about him. If Hokee had posed that question sarcastically, it was beyond Chase-- he was literal to a fault.

The young shapeshifter pulled the blanket lower over his face. It was pointless to try and shift with Gemma there, but that didn't change the fact that Chase wasn't comfortable being unshifted around Hokee. He didn't know Hokee well enough, and what little Chase knew of him, he knew the older boy want very nice. It wasn't like Gemma, who didn't much care what Chase looked like.

Chase wasn't an idiot, Taylor on the other hand was. Poor kid, his mother was an idiot and he would forever have that hanging over his head. Looking off to the side, he didn't respond right away. There was no need to. His own responses could be just as cold as the ice he swam in so recently. Letting the silence fill the air for a bit, he wandered away from his leaning spot to examine the room a bit. He had the small hope Taylor wouldn't be in there any more, but he should have known there was no way she'd leave the kid. Smothering affection, purely nauseating.

"Rockefeller Center....hear its a good place to skate." Breaking the ice, he was putting a small effort in trying to hold a conversation. Poking at some medical supplies, he tried to keep himself amused. He soon found a roll of gauze, with his sticky fingers, Hokee was soon tossing the roll back and forth in his hands. Turning around, he wandered over to one of the other open beds. Leaning against it, he looked over at the warm fuzzy family reunion going on.

"I'll drive ya there." Oh he was a genius. Put the kid against his own mother. Maybe his timing wasn't exactly right, but he honestly didn't give a damn. "But....only the cool kids skate with dreadlocks, so you'd have to do that," He waved his hands in the air near his head. Looking at Chase was weird right now, he just looked odd. "thing you do." Catching the roll of gauze, Hokee started to wind the material around his hand, weaving it onto his palm, around his wrist and back again. "Just no swimming this time."

>>"I was just asking. You weren't here, so I wanted to know where you went, and if you were okay. That's all. Yes, I know who I am. Knew enough to ask about you by name, didn't I?"

Gemma chuckled at Chase; whatever was going on between the two boys, they sounded like brothers arguing. Right now, she was just relieved that Chase was going to be fine, and she refused to get upset about whatever Hokee was doing. As long as he did not hurt Chase.

>>"Rockefeller Center....hear its a good place to skate. I'll drive ya there. But....only the cool kids skate with dreadlocks, so you'd have to do that. Just no swimming this time."

"Nice try" she chuckled at Hokee "All right, all right, I'll look into the driving thing for you. On one condition. You are not taking Chase anywhere until it's settled. And definitely nowhere without my permission. And stay away from the pool on the grounds." that last bit was to Chase as much as to Hokee. She was not going to pry into what happened exactly; Hokee would sulk, Chase would try to be nice, and they learned their lesson on that one anyway.

"Deal?"

>> "Rockefeller Center....hear its a good place to skate. I'll drive ya there. But....only the cool kids skate with dreadlocks, so you'd have to do that thing you do... Just no swimming this time."

Chase inclined his head at the other boy, his lips thinning pensively.

"Right now?" Chase attempted to clarify, pulling the blanket lower over his face as Hokee gave him an odd look. He didn't like how Hokee was looking at him, so he did the equivalent of what would be considered drawing the hood of a hoodie, "I don't want to go ice skating, no time soon."

Just his luck, he'd fall through the ice at Rockfeller Center, too.

>> "Nice try. All right, all right, I'll look into the driving thing for you. On one condition. You are not taking Chase anywhere until it's settled. And definitely nowhere without my permission. And stay away from the pool on the grounds. Deal?"

Chases' shoulders sagged, and he frowned. He wasn't too sure about hanging out with Hokee, but Gemma seemed really keen on it. As if it would be some sort of bonding-time. That was the only condition? Just that? Something just felt off about it, but Chase didn't really know what felt off. It just didn't feel right.

"He doesn't have to take me anywhere," Chase murmured.

Poker face, keep the poker face. She was finally going to do something other then sit in her office on her butt all day eating candies. He hated having to give her information on who he was and all, and finally she might do something good out of it. If not, she would be sorry and he was sure to find something other then a snow brush to get his point brought across. "Fine. Won't take him." For everything else though, he wasn't about to consent on that. He could get around her standards and rules. Chase was a shifter, if he shifted to someone else and then he drove the kid, how would he know it was Chase? Yeah, that was it. He just had to work at it...

Shrugging his shoulders, he tried to ignore the stakes against him. He was getting closer to having the car, but at the same time his ideas of finding a use for Chase were drifting farther away from him. Keeping a balance between the two was going to be harder then he anticipated, and something he didn't think he would even have to deal with, that was until the horrid truth was reavealed Taylor was his mother. Life was rather cold and cruel to him, and not just in the sense of just frozen water to take a swim in.

He had to think of some way to get Taylor to think he was trust worthy with her kid. Also he had to figure out something that Chase would like to do so he could use the kid to get what he wanted from Taylor. Complicated stuff, a bit more complicated then it needed to be. All she had to do was turn her head and just let him drive, but no, she was one of those model citizen types. "No skating." What else was there to do there, and stuff that might appeal to both of them. He wasn't good at thinking up this stuff.

Tagging....nope that wasn't exactly a legal past time. Why was it the things he liked to do didn't seem to be the kind of things he was allowed to do? Adult, laws, all that bull. Hokee started to play with the roll of gauze again. "Does this place have paintball?" Okay, this was at least a legal thing to do, and he could feel semi badass with the gun. Plus it was semi destructive, in the matter of leaving color about the place. "What about paintball, you do that Chase?" Get a car, run around with a gun later, this was what life was about.