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>>“So. How long does it take for this ink to come off?”

"A few days, if you scrub it hard enough" she smirked, leading him to her car "You'll need a shower anyway."

She was just stating a fact. Everyone needs a shower after getting out of jail. Even if he only spend a few hours in there. It was a rite of passage. Especially with animal shifters.

"Later" she continued, getting into the driver's seat "Right now, I'm taking you out to get some food."

And talk. But he did not need to hear that. He was smart enough to guess.

>>“Ah, sounds like quite a fool. You’re probably better off without him. Maybe you should consider dating me instead?”

"That could be an option" she chuckled "But I'll have to find out more about you first. Stranger."

He did sound a bit off. He was probably exhausted. Part of Gemma wanted to yell at him to get into bed right now, and part of her wanted to cuddle, and part of her wanted to kick all the criminals who did not let her boyfriend sleep.

>>“Ugh, fine. Works…been hectic. So much do, so few of us to actually carry the world on our shoulders. Oh…god…”

There was a noise on the other side of the line, and some clatter. Gemma stopped pacing.

"Jorge? Are you okay?... Maybe you should take a nap. You sound like someone from beyond the grave. Are you at home?"

>>“Gemma? Do you remember this voice?”

Gemma smirked, balancing the phone between shoulder and chin while she made a half-successful attempt to dry her hair that was still damp from the shower.

"I recall a man who used to be my boyfriend a long time ago" she chuckled at the tired voice over the phone "But then he was absorbed by his work and melted away."

He was working overtime lately. He was the kind of man who did his job even in his free time, to make the world a better place. Gemma loved him for it, but at the same time that one trait reduced their time together to phone calls and dates.

"How are you holding up?" she asked, pacing around in her room "I everything all right?"

>>“T-Thank you, Ms. Taylor. I…I can’t tell you how much it means to have someone who can just listen. I…I wish I knew why Gina was so mad. I don’t even know one hundred percent what she’s mad at. Is it because I never told her about my scars? Or does she think I meant to lie to her about liking girls? Or does she just not like me as a sister anymore?”

Agnes started to sniffle again. Gemma put an arm around her shoulders. "The easiest way to find out is to talk to her" she said "I am here to listen as long as you need me, but I cannot answer for Gina. You have to ask her, and talk to her, and tell her the things you told me. If she really is a sister to you, she will understand."

Because that's how things should work, she thought. Maybe Agnes was going to lose a friend over this; maybe the girl in the bed was even worth it. She was at an age when everything changes very fast. Even if she lost Gina and suffered through the loss, she would know more when it was over. Gemma really hoped it would not come to that. She made a mental note to talk to Gina. Maybe she could help things along.

"Maybe she was just shocked" she told Agnes "That is a lot to take in at once, walking in on a roommate, and seeing the scars too. Give her some time, she'll come around. And when she does, talk, okay?"

>>“UGH! Gawain?! Y-You think I slept with GAWAIN!? I didn’t sleep with Gawain! Oh my god, why would anyone even think that? He doesn’t even hold a candle to Rhythm. She’s so pretty and I think I…”

Oooh, here we go.
On second thought, Gemma could see the idea was stupid. Agnes had mentioned the Morris kid before, but they were just... never meant to happen. Which was probably a good thing, that brat needed to learn some respect for the... whichever the other sex was for a gender shifter. But, just like Gemma hoped, the shot in the dark did hit something interesting...

Agnes had slept with a girl.
Now that was an interesting turn. Not entirely unexpected, but definitely interesting.

"Okay" she smiled encouragingly "So, you slept with this girl called Rhythm. Still nothing wrong with that, if you felt comfortable with it." she looked at Agnes; the poor girl was red as a tomato. She could guess the rest. "You did not expect it, did you. To have those feelings for another girl?"

Still could have been the Morris kid. She was not going to mention that, though.

>>“I guess…both,”

Gemma nodded with a smile. Both was good. Both meant Agnes would be willing to talk. That was a start.

>>“I…I didn’t mean for it to happen. It just…I just did. I’m still so confused by it. My whole life my parents and their congregation told me things like that were wrong but…it didn’t feel wrong… And then…I just lost track of time. We…slept together. I…had every intention of locking the door, of dressing when we were done but…I just fell asleep…next thing I know it’s morning and Gina has walked into the room. God... She’s got to feel so betrayed…”

Gemma was trying to put the pieces together. It was not an easy task. Agnes was embarrassed by whatever happened, and she looked ashamed of hurting her friend's feelings. Did Gina have feelings for the boy Agnes slept with? That sounded like the safest bet. But Gemma did not like betting.

"All right, first things first." she looked at the girl seriously "it is not wrong. If you are together with someone of your own free will, because you want to, really want to, and for any other reason, that can not be wrong. Not the way your parents think." she needed to make Agnes understand that "You are a teenage girl, Agnes. Things like sleeping with someone you like cannot get more natural than that."

Hopefully.

"But I will need to know a few things, all right? You need to tell me who the person was. You don't need to give me a name if you don't want to, I just need to know a few things about them. Also, I know this feels embarrassing, but trust me, you cannot really say anything that surprises me... so, I need to know if you have done this before, and if you have been safe. Once we are done talking, I'll go with you to see a doctor, if it's needed. Don't worry about that now, though. We'll talk first, as long as you need." she smiled at the girl and kissed her on the forehead "All right?"

So, she did find a friend. A real friend. Gemma knew how much kids like Agnes needed real friends. There were adults, and counsleors like herself, and people willing to help; but in the end, none of them could take the place of one true friend who cared for you like family. And it all was especially true in the world of mutants, when often all they had was each other.

>>“Now…I…can’t bring myself to talk to her. She looks so…hurt…”

That was obviously not all of the story. Gemma nodded, her hand still on Agnes' shoulder, and allowed her as much time as she wanted, to gather her thoughts and her words.

"But she found out, didn't she" she guessed "About the scars. And that you kept the secret from her." she said softly "Tell me what happened. It will be easier after."