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Jorge, even as his younger self, was a fully functioning adult (which was more than what could be said about some of the other de-aged people). He could take care of himself, cook, or order takeout if he wanted. Still, he seemed to enjoy Gemma's home-cooked meals, and the attention that came with them.

>>”Hey, those wrappers and microwaves pump the food with all sort of scientific waves packed with superpowered nutrients. At least that’s what the Fast Food Council of Burgermen say. And who are they to lie?”

Gemma laughed a little at the comment. He still had the same weird sense of humor, at least.

>>”Do you want anything to drink? Water? Tea? Coffee?”

"Water's fine" she started working on setting the table, and warming up the food. It was fresh made, but cooled down considerably on the way here. And there was no way she'd put it in the microwave now. Jorge joined her in setting up, in a nice, comfortable way that almost felt like old times.

>>”Um, I’ll wash up real quick. Stay for lunch? I could use a friendly face today.”

"Sure" Gemma nodded with a smile. She was happy to stay and talk, especially if he felt like he needed her company today. While he washed up, she got the food and the table ready, trying to create the kind of setting that fit a home-cooked meal and friendly company. Napkins and all. Taking one last look around she noticed the book on the side table just as Jorge returned. She knew that book, and it brought a pang of sadness, which she covered up with a smile.

"You have been reading?"

Walking up to Jorge's apartment was not getting any easier as the weeks passed. Every single time, Gemma's heart was in her throat. Would he be home? Would he be his old self again? Would he be gone...?

She balanced the boxes of food in her arms as she climbed the stairs. It had become routine for her to bring actual home made food once a week. Jorge, being a kind person, did not complain about it, and she was careful not to do it often enough to draw suspicion. She was the school guidance counselor checking in. Making sure the de-aged police officer was safe and doing well. The fact that he also happened to be her husband had been carefully and successfully avoided so far. Gemma usually cried on the nights after she visited Jorge. But that was her thing to deal with.

Gemma balanced the food boxes as she freed up one hand to knock on the door. Hopefully, he would be home. He had been going back to work, from what she gathered, trying to re-learn the ropes in a whole new world that was the literal future to him. Good days and bad days, probably.

Maybe some home cooked food would help.

The change in Evelyn's face as her powers returned was stunning. Without the echoes, sometimes she was just like an average child. Children, Gemma could deal with. Once she went back to mini genius, however, all rules were once again out the window. Gemma knew she might regret giving her the advantage back, but she really, really needed the - 289?... - piggies contained, stat.

>>”Guys it’s a contest! Gemma says we get a prize if we get the most and I already caught two!”

Gemma raised her eyebrows. That was... surprisingly simple. And effective. Students began scrambling immediately, turning the whole school into a spontaneous scavenger hunt.

>>”I would pick a spot we will collect them before the kids start turning them in for prizes.”

"The Danger Room is easiest to clean." Gemma sighed "We can figure it out from there." she raised her voice "Turn the pigs in at the Danger Room!"

Hopefully, no one was currently training. Gemma turned, nodding to Eve to follow, and headed to the basement.

"So, Miss Summers, care to tell me why you suddenly decided to flood the building with guinea pigs?"

Ez reached out a hand and rested it on top of Gemma's. It was a comforting gesture, not too intrusive, but something she had not realized she had been missing so badly since Jorge de-aged. Gemma smiled a little, and accepted the comfort as offered.

>>”It’s a handful, but I’m sure you’re not the only one there. You can be your own adult while doing right by your school. It doesn’t have to be much. This is nice already, isn’t it? Just being out?”

It was. The coffee was nice, and Gemma was beginning to consider eating a pastry too. A muffin or a cupcake sounded nice, especially if she did not have to bake them herself. She had been so tried lately...

>>”I know good guidance counselors don’t generally make friends with lewd camgirls, but I promise not to take you to any risque clubs or anything,”

Gemma smiled a little.

"I try not to judge people by what they do for a living." she noted "It seemed like you were... very kind to the people online. They probably need that." She did too, that went without saying. "But yes, coffee shops are more of my thing than clubs. How is the muffin?"

>>”Okay, fair enough. I’d say you should try to stay available if he needs someone to talk to, but… well, I would understand if that hurt too much.”

It did. It would. She would still do it, because someone needed to take care of Jorge, help him figure out this strange future he'd found himself in, technology and all. A lot changed since the years she came here from. It was hard to think of spending time with him, but it would have been worse to leave him on his own.

>>”Well, he’s piecing together his own life. Have you considered doing the same?... Not saying to jump back into the dating pool, though I promise you, the waters would be glad to have you back.”

Gemma blinked. She did not expect Ez to go right that way.

>>”All I mean is you’re your own woman with your own life to live. I hope you aren’t falling into the pitfall of leaving yourself idling waiting for something to return.”

Oh, she was definitely waiting for him to return. Weird things had happened in New York before, and somehow people found their way back. Jorge had found his way back from the ocean. She was not giving up on him just yet.

"Well... I'm still married to him." she noted more quietly. "He is still the father of our kids. And I love him. I can't... just look past that."

Gemma was still not sure why she was sharing all this with Ez. She just kind of trusted the young woman; she had that kinda vibe, if Gemma believed in vibes at all.

>>”Four kids? Hot mama, indeed... but seriously, that’s quite a lot on your plate alone.”

Gemma chuckled a little at the compliment. She had not been feeling particularly hot lately, but Ez's pep was contagious. And she was right, she had been handling a lot alone.

>>”Have you kept in touch with him? It might help jostle something for all we know? Or at the very least he’s still the same guy you married and you can seduce your twenty-something-year-old husband again. You’d make a great cougar.”

Gemma choked on her latte, coughing for a few moments before she managed to pull herself together. Ez really spoke what was on her mind at any given moment, didn't she?... The thought of trying to seduce her twenty-something husband out of the blue was... unexpected, to say the least.

"I don't... I don't think he'd be interested. He knows me as the school counselor." she admitted "He's at a completely different stage in his life. They told him he was married... I just... didn't have the heart to tell him it was me."

After all the Mansion had been through over the course of an average year, "GUINEA PIGS IN THE LIBRARY!" did not even register on the top 10 list of emergencies. Students had pets, even when they were not allowed to, and an excaped pet did not constitute an emergency. Certainly not something Gemma was supposed to deal with.

Hundreds of pigs, however...

There was a lot of squealing in the hallways; not from the piggies, but from the students who were either running for shelter, or chasing the tiny fuzzballs with obvious delight. The guidance counselor's frayed nerves were not reacting well to the sound. Looking around she tried to locate the source of the insanity. How did they even have this many guinea pigs in the Mansion?...

Was this a mutation gone wrong?...

No X-men or adults seemed to be on site. Perfect. Gemma had a hunch about where to start her investigation. Lately, whenever something went boom or splat or squish at the school, their latest devil child was at least tangentially involved.

Knocking on Evelyn's door, the guidance counselor just hoped that she'd get help, even if she didn't get answers.

"Miss Summers? Open up."