Lost and Found

Posted on Mon Jul 8th, 2024 @ 8:06am by Connor Bruin & Bobby Drake & Aurora Summers

1,715 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Episode 4: The Savage ConneXion
Location: Salem Center, NY
Timeline: September 23, 1990

Aurora walked the streets, looking in shop windows grateful for the fact that she could walk amongst normals without drawing attention. She popped another chunk of chocolate into her mouth, having stopped off at a sweet shop to indulge her sweet tooth, chocolate had always been something she ate when feeling down.

The tv screens in a nearby shop window were displaying the headlines, images of a large warehouse fire on the screen drew her attention, the headlines scrolling underneath.

Mystery fire at disused Orphanage! Investigators have no clues as to how the fire started.

Truth be known Aurora had been at that orphanage, not just as a baby but the night of the fire. One angry outburst later she’d set the whole room alright, which rapidly spread to the rest of the old building. She’d tried to put it out, but it had grown past her ability to fully extinguish.

She kept on walking, then paused outside the window of a hairdressers. The words “special offer” on hair tinting catching her eye.

Walking in Aurora gave the woman inside a curious look. “What can you do that would give me a whole new look? I feel the need to be a new me.”

The woman smiled pulling out a booklet of styles, flicking through the pages. “How’s about...this?” She turned the page towards Aurora for her to see what she thought.

“I think it looks good, do you have time now?”

The woman motioned to an empty chair. “Make yourself at home, it’s going to take a while to change from this to that.”

Nodding Aurora put her bag down and sat in the offered chair. “I’ve got nowhere else to be.”

~~ A while later ~~

The door of the salon closed behind her as Aurora emerged onto the street, now all she needed to do was decide whether or not she was going back to the Mansion. Right now she wasn’t sure.

Down the street, Bobby was stopping everyone who would listen. He held a Polaroid in his hand and flashed it like it was going out style.

"Hey, have you seen her? She's missing. Excuse me, have you seen this girl? I'm trying to find her."

After being shrugged off by one pedestrian after another, Bobby bumped into Aurora. "Hey, sorry. I'm trying to find my friend and no one's..." Then he got a look at her face and recognition settled in. "Aurora! What happened? Your hair!" He saw her backpack and shook his head. "Never mind that. What are you doing?"

“Were you...looking for me?” Aurora gave Bobby a surprised look, she hadn’t expected anyone to come looking for her. She motioned Bobby towards a seat on the opposite side of the road, waiting for traffic to clear before they crossed to it. Sitting down Aurora took a bottle of drink out of her backpack and sipped it. “What am I doing? I’m trying to find myself.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I...we...” She motioned to her abdomen, “We’re all alone now. Scott found his precious Jean!” She practically spat both their names. “He divorced me! So here I am. As for my hair...” she pulled round a blonde lock of hair. “I’m nothing like her now, I don’t want to be like her, so this is the new me.”

Bobby gaped at her passive meltdown. Her pain was so plain to see. Was this how he looked to others? Trying so hard to hide the obvious behind one disguise or another?

"I kinda' liked the old Aurora..." Bobby wasn't sure what else to say at first. What would Jean or the Professor say? They always knew how to cut to the chase. "Look, Aurora, you mighta' been alone before, back in the old days. I don't know how long you were on your own. But Xavier's school? It's not about learning. It's about growing. That's something we do together, even... even if someone breaks your heart."

Lowering his head for a moment, Bobby swallowed the lump in his throat and tried not to lose his own composure. The whole topic of Lorna was a sore spot that was recently torn open by the Savage Land. Still, he pressed the issue through to conclusion. "Change your hair or do whatever out here, but you won't grow. Not on your own." He threw his palms out in a helpless gesture. "Does that make any sense at all?"

Aurora nodded. “I wasn’t going to leave the school, I just...” She paused looking around at the people walking the streets, then back at Bobby. “needed to get away for a little while, try to clear my head. When I heard Scott call me, I thought he’d come to tell me he’d found us a home...” Her eyes misted over. “Instead he’d come to tell me he’d found Jean, and that he’d had our marriage annulled.” She looked down at her lap, wiping away a few tears. “He said he’d be there if I needed anything, and he’d be a father to our son, but right now I can’t stand the thought of our son being where She is!”

"Yeah, I saw that actually..." Bobby looked away sheepishly. "That's why I went out looking for you. It's... I'm not gonna lie, Aurora, that was pretty brutal." That would have sounded better if it was followed up by something, but Bobby didn't know the words to say. All he could do was offer her an arm around the shoulders in solidarity while they sat together on the bench. "I don't know what else to say other than I'm sorry."

Aurora leant her head against Bobby’s shoulder. “Thank you, Bobby.” She wiped away a few stray tears before lifting her head again. “I think...I’m ready to go back now.” She offered a brief smile. “The Mansion is my home, I know that much, if I don’t know anything else.”

"BOBBY, WHY ARE YOU SITTING DOWN? WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE LOOKING FOR AURORA."

The distinctive digital voice could only be from Connor's device. Sure enough, there he was, standing behind the bench with a scowl for Bobby.

"Who do you think I'm talking to, smart guy?" Bobby shot back. "I found her. And no thanks to you either."

"THAT IS NOT AURORA," Connor countered, approaching from her back. "AURORA HAS RED HAIR."

Aurora turned to look at Connor. “It is me, Connor.” She offered a smile having realised that she’d missed both her friends. “I err...felt like being a new me. At least for a little while.”

After listening to her voice and looking at her face, Connor gasped in shock. "SCOTT IS GOING TO KILL ME FOR LETTING YOU DO THAT TO YOUR HAIR." A look of horror passed over his face.

"Yo, Connor," said Bobby. "Ixnay on the Ottscay, comprende?"

Connor arched his eyebrow at Bobby. Why was he using three languages, one of which wasn't even real, to ask if Connor understood? Nix Scott? Bobby sure was annoying sometimes.

“It’s okay, Bobby.” Aurora offered a brief smile. “Connor... Scott and I are no longer married.” She paused. “He’s got Jean now, he doesn’t need me. Anyway...” she stood up. “Let’s go home.”

"I ALREADY KNEW THAT. BUT I PROMISED TO LOOK AFTER YOU WHEN HE IS NOT AROUND," Connor replied, "AND THAT PROMISE WAS NOT PREDICATED ON MARRIAGE."

Bobby sighed. "We get it, Connor. Still, shut up."

"YOU SHUT UP." Connor typed with one hand while thumping Bobby in the shoulder with the other.

"Dude, you better not start with me!" Bobby tried to make an angry face but couldn't hold back his laughter.

Aurora couldn’t help but smile at the two of her friends. “Connor...thank you! You too, Bobby! The whole hair colour thing might change again, but not right now. It reminds me too much of what I’ve lost, and who I’ve lost it to. For now this is the new me.”

"You do whatever you want, Aurora, you look good no matter what." Bobby blushed at his choice of words. "I mean your hair. Your hair looks good no matter what."

"YOU ARE WRONG," Connor objected. "THE OLD WAY IS BETTER."

Bobby sighed. "Why don't we argue about it on the way home?"

“How’s about we don’t argue about it at all?” Aurora gave Connor a look that said what she was thinking. “You won’t get into trouble, Connor, I promise.”

"I SUPPOSE HAIR DYE WILL NOT HURT YOU OR THE BABY," Connor conceded.

"Would you shut up about her hair already?" Bobby moaned.

Aurora decided to change the subject as they started their way back to the Mansion. “So, did the Professor send you, or did you come looking for me on your own?”

"I saw what happened," Bobby admitted, his face downcast. "By the tree. I let you have some space but when I didn't see you the next day... well, I had to do something!"

Connor was a little more forthcoming. "PROFESSOR X SAID YOU WERE IN TOWN, SO I CAME LOOKING FOR YOU."

"Yeah, but he didn't tell us where you were," Bobby complained. "Would've been way easier if he did..."

“Maybe he couldn’t find me.” Aurora shrugged her shoulders. “I’m not sure if I’m able to block the Professor, he’s a lot more powerful than me. Besides I’ve no chance of hiding from Cerebro.”

"IT IS MORE LIKELY THE PROFESSOR WAS ALLOWING YOU TIME AND SPACE," Connor typed. "HE USED TO COMMUNICATE WITH ME ALL THE TIME WHEN I LIVED ON MUIR ISLAND. HE SAID YOU WOULD NOT BE FOUND UNTIL YOU WERE READY."

Bobby shrugged. "Yeah, the Prof has never made anybody a prisoner, except for Juggersnot. Everybody is free to come and go as they please."

Aurora nodded. “For that I’m grateful. It’s helped me to realise where I belong anyway, and that’s with all of you.” She smiled as they headed for what was now her home.

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