In Another Life; Emma & Andrew

[Taegan]

Change over a year...

The airport was crazy. How did people travel under these circumstances? Everyone was scurrying around grabbing bags, talking on thier phones, looking for loved ones...It was pure chaos. Luckily, Taegan only had one suitcase to have to look for. And as impossible as it sounded, she found it within minutes of exiting her gate.

Now it was time to make her way to the school. As soon as she stepped out of the airport she felt a little less dizzy. Then she got to do something she had only seen in the movies. Hail a cab. Which was a lot harder than it looked...After about the third try she managed to get one to stop. Throwing her suticase in the backseat she slid into the cab.

"Hey.." She paused looking for the address she scribbled on a napkin in her purse. The driver sighed. "Where do you need to go?" He snapped out. She raised a brow taken aback. Then cleared her throat rushing to speak. "Rosewood Academy?" She said in the form of a question. He didn't ask any further, he just began to drive.

The drive was about 45 minutes, and the whole ride there was long and silent. Her feet wouldn't stop moving as she looked out the window at the city. Some say it's dancers feet, they never stop moving, but Taegan knew it only as nervousness. It had been atleast two years since she had a place to call her home. She had been staying in motels and with her friends, and even in a woman's shelter at some point.

This was going to be different, but in a good way. She would get a chance to meet people like her. That wouldn't treat he rlike an outsider. She would have a place to sleep. Food to eat. A job that she had applied for online in Pittsburg that she would be starting in a week. Everything was going to be better here. This was the city of opurtunity. If she wanted to be a dancer this was the place to be to persue that dream.

The taxi finally stopped and Taegan opened the door and fumbled with her wallet. She thrust out the amount she owed and a couple of extra dollars as a tip. The driver grumbled out a thank you and waited impatiently for her to get her bags out. Sighing she sat her suitcase on the sidewalk and shut the door just in time for the cab to speed away. Taegan stood and watched as the cab moved farther and farther away. "Welcome to New York...I suppose." She mumbled to herself as she turned around to finally look at the mansion.

It was beautiful. Everything she ever dreamed of visiting one day...and now she got to live in it. It was surreal. The walk up to the front door took longer than it should have as she tried to take in every detail she could. When she finally made it to the door she gave loud knock and rung the door bell. Who was going to be on the other side?

[Emma Lawrence]

So she was kind of tired of running around. Maura and Oliver were currently in a battle to the death over the rules of some made-up, play pretend game they'd conjured about an hour ago, Cian was upstairs probably fucking around on his guitar, and she was already on her way to being late for her next class, which, of course, was located on the opposite side of the building. So it came as no surprise that she would get another delay and have the doorbell ring. Pulling the two bickering and fist-flinging children apart, one in each hand by the backs of their shirts, Emma let out a harsh, quick exclamation. "You think I don't want to lose it sometimes, too?" she questioned them authoritatively, which provoked silence from both. "Chill or be chilled."

Quickly losing faith in her ability to handle the forthcoming third child, Emma smoothed out her hair, her dress, and her expression to answer the door amiably. On the other side was a young woman, probably in her late teens, with sleek blonde hair and a lanky figure. "Hi," she greeted her with a tightwad grin and a step to the side. "May I help you?" The girl didn't look like a solicitor, so she wasn't going to directly dismiss her. All the bags indicated that she might be a stowaway student looking for this exact place.

Behind her, the perfect storm began to rage again. Oliver was steaming, endlessly taunted by his sister's tormenting behaviors, just to get him to tic. With a sigh, she said to the girl, "I'm sorry, excuse me for a moment. Come inside." With that, she turned sharply on her heels and went to the children. Immediately she dropped into a squat and held onto Maura's arm, prohibiting movement. "I'm not going to ask you again," she commanded in a low, firm tone with velvet sides, "you are not going to hit your brother. And you," she addressed the boy, "will leave your sister alone. Understand me? Upstairs."

The young ones, without a fuss, began to scramble up the stairs--not before giving each other a final, valiant push to end their efforts.

Standing again, Emma turned back to the girl, an embarrassed blush sweeping across her cheekbones. "I'm so sorry. They're out of control when they start to think for themselves. What can I do for you?"

[Taegan]

"Hi," she greeted her with a tightwad grin and a step to the side. "May I help you?"

Taegan was surprised to say the least. This woman was young, and she wasn't a student she could tell. But she was still young. Was she the woman who ran this academy? She blinked a few times before regaining her composure enough to speak. "Hey.." She spoke softly smiling up at her gretter.

Just as she opened her mouth to introduce herself all hell broke out behind the curly brown haired woman. "I'm sorry, excuse me for a moment. Come inside." Taegan smiled and grabbed her bags and rolled her suitcase in the doorway. She stood just inside the doorway as she watched the woman handle two small children.

"I'm not going to ask you again," she commanded in a low, firm tone with velvet sides, "you are not going to hit your brother. And you," she addressed the boy, "will leave your sister alone. Understand me? Upstairs."

Her eyes widened. Did she treat every student like her child? That could be welcoming and hell as well. As the children ascended up the stairs the woman finally turned her attention back to Taegan. "I'm so sorry. They're out of control when they start to think for themselves. What can I do for you?"

Her smile widened. "No problem. I figured it would be busy here. I'm Taegan Rowlins. I came here to become a student." She paused making her hands free to shake the woman's hand. "Are you the one in charge?"

[Emma Lawrence]

"No problem. I figured it would be busy here. I'm Taegan Rowlins. I came here to become a student."

A smile broke over Emma's face, and she extended her hand to meet the girl's, taking it in a friendly shake. "Nice to meet you, Taegan. Welcome to Rosewood. We're very informal here, so please tell me if you'd rather I call you Miss Rowlins. It's all one big family." Her eyes flickered to the staircase and she felt the side of her mouth cringe. "Sort of. Normally I'm not so icy with those two." A wave of guilt from her bad first impression was sent washing over her face in a sea of red.

"Are you the one in charge?"

She replied, "That's me. I'm Emma Lawrence. Those two you saw earlier were Oliver and Maura, my children. You'll have to excuse them running around. If you happen to trip over them going to class, I apologize in advance. I have my own classes to run and sometimes my husband loses track of them." With a tolerant roll of her eyes, she motioned up the stairs. "Well, let's head to my office to get you set up with a room and a schedule. I'll have to enroll you after we go through a few questions. Sound good?"

Starting off, she looked over her shoulder to ask, "So, where are you from?" From the amount of bags she was carrying with her, she could've guessed it wasn't a place too close. "Here, let me get one of those for you," she offered, reaching out a hand to grab one of Taegan's bags, not wanting to have the girl lug all of them all the way up the stairs by herself.

[Taegan]

"Nice to meet you, Taegan. Welcome to Rosewood. We're very informal here, so please tell me if you'd rather I call you Miss Rowlins. It's all one big family."

She shook her head lightly. "Oh no Taegan is perfectly fine with me. It's nice to finally be here. I already get the feeling im going to like it here..." She smiled as she looked around at the well furnished manshion. This place was even more beautiful than she had imagined.

"Sort of. Normally I'm not so icy with those two."

A smile formed across her lips. "Sometimes a firm warning is needed. No worries. You look nice enough. But I will never push your limits that's for sure." She let out a small giggle. She was never one to disrespect, and after seeing the way she handled those two she was sure she would never.

"That's me. I'm Emma Lawrence. Those two you saw earlier were Oliver and Maura, my children. You'll have to excuse them running around. If you happen to trip over them going to class, I apologize in advance. I have my own classes to run and sometimes my husband loses track of them."

A genuine smile escaped her lips although she was a bt shocked. "Nice to meet you Emma. And I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but you definently don't look like you have had two children." As she looked at the girls small waist that didn't seem any way or form out of shape.

"Well, let's head to my office to get you set up with a room and a schedule. I'll have to enroll you after we go through a few questions. Sound good?"

"Sounds great." She grabbed her bags fumbling only a bit as she was following Emma towards the stairs. "So, where are you from?" Trying to hide the strain in her voice she began her answer. Hating that she had to talk about her past. "I'm from Pittsburg." She managed to get out before she dropped her purse. She sighed, but smiled as Emma turned around to help her.

"Here, let me get one of those for you,"

"Thanks." She graciously let her take one of her bags as she continued to follow her. "I can't wait to get settled in. Too long of a trip." She smirked as if saying it outloud made her physically tired.

[Emma Lawrence]

never let go.

"Sometimes a firm warning is needed. No worries. You look nice enough. But I will never push your limits that's for sure."

Chuckling, she shook her head. "I'd like to tell you looks can be deceiving, but I'm not going to fight it. I'm sure you'll do fine. There's no real troublemakers here." Deciding to leave Andrew out of the equation--he wasn't a real troublemaker, he just caused trouble for her for a minute or two--Emma swept a hand through her hair. Being a professor was no picnic.

"Nice to meet you Emma. And I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but you definently don't look like you have had two children." She wasn't going to correct the girl and insist on "Mrs. Lawrence" or "Professor Lawrence" because half of the students had gotten into the habit of knowing her on a first-name basis, but every once in a while it was nice to hear her title. Especially if it subtly included Cian. Instead, she laughed. "Well thank you. A little exercise here and there, y'know. Plus keeping up with those two burns calories like you wouldn't believe."

As she announced where she was from, Emma smiled back at her. "No kidding? That took some guts to come by yourself." Like everyone else, Taegan probably had a story. A long, dark, painful story. Preparing herself for some unleashing later on, Emma built up her Empathy like an emotional fortitude.

Or maybe it wasn't like that at all. Maybe Taegan just wanted to be with her own kind.

"I can't wait to get settled in. Too long of a trip."

"I believe it," she remarked, opened up the door to her office and letting the girl in first. "Have a seat, make yourself at home." Placing the bag down next to the chair on the other side of her desk, Emma went to get the application and registry papers.

[Taegan]

"I'd like to tell you looks can be deceiving, but I'm not going to fight it. I'm sure you'll do fine. There's no real troublemakers here."

Nodding with a smile she decided not to comment. It was great to know that there were no troublemakers. She didn't leave her life of sad drama to be surrounded by teenage drama. Plus, this place didn't seem like it carried that kind of vibe. It was way more welcoming than that.

"Well thank you. A little exercise here and there, y'know. Plus keeping up with those two burns calories like you wouldn't believe."

"I'll take your word for it. They look like a handful. A cute little handful." She smiled softly. She loved children. Well all the children she ever met she loved. They were slowing down it seemed as they made it to the top of the stairs. The room they were going to enter was probably not too far from here.

"No kidding? That took some guts to come by yourself." Taegan nodded. "Not really the coming alone apart that was tough. I've been on my own for a while. It was just the journey. And the cost of the living as you travel. You know what I mean?" She threw out. Hoping Mrs. Lawrence would know how pricy traveling had become.

Finally they made it to an door. Emma stopped in front of it opening it and then stepping to the side allowing Taegan to go in first. "I believe it," she remarked, opened up the door to her office and letting the girl in first. "Have a seat, make yourself at home." She entered the room and sat down in the chair that was obvioulsy meant for the visitors. Setting her bags on the ground as Emma did, next to her chair.

"Anymore tough questions?" She joked giving a small smirk as she crossed her legs and placed her hands on her lap.

[Andrew]

Time Flies

Running helped.

He could run for hours, and think about everything. But it seemed no matter how hard he tried, he kept thinking about Emma, and that day in the backyard. The words they shared, the pain he felt, and the utter guilt he felt for everything. It made him think, and as he sat under a large tree in central park, he wrote down his thoughts. His fears, his hopes, his wishes.

He missed home.

He missed his dad. His brother, Mathew, and how much they'd argue with each other. He missed Claudia too, and how sweet she was, and how much she was like their mom. But, more than anything; he missed his friends. Ryan, and Jake, and Taegan.

On the run back to the mansion, he began thinking about Taegan. How she was, where she was. Was she the same? He sure wasn't. Though, he supposed he was in some ways. He was still smart as a whip (as his mom would say), and he still loved to read and write and draw. But, he hadn't drawn anything in awhile. He noticed he was leaning more towards poetry writting.

"You're going to write poetry someday."

Emma's words echoed in his brain, and he couldn't help but stray from her the past week and a half. She was hurt, he supposed. And, it didn't take a scientist to know his heart was broken. But as he walked up the to the front doors of Rosewood, he knew something had to give. Walking inside, he headed straight for the kitchen, opening up the double door refridgarator, he grabbed a bottle of water and walked towards the living room.

Seeing some kids in on the couch, he smiled stopping for a moment. "Where's Emma?" He asked softly. One of the boys turned and looked at him. "She's upstairs with some new girl." Andrew nodded as he headed for the stairs. Jogging up, he walked down the hallway, nearly getting knocked over by Oliver and Maura. Shaking his head, he kept going until he reached her room.

Seeing as it was halfway open, he knocked softly. "Emma?" He peaked his head in, seeing a blonde haired girl sitting in a chair across from Emma. "Hey, sorry to intrude... I can come back later...?"

[Taegan]

As soon as the words left her mouth a light knock filled the room. As wel as a voice. "Emma?" It was a boy, that was all she got out of the voice, but it wasn't long before he slightly entered the room. "Hey, sorry to intrude... I can come back later...?"

Something made her feel bad deep down that she was taking away from Emma's day. She probably had alot to do. And maybe helping this boy was one of those things. Just as the thought formed she turned her head to get a glimpse of the boy who sounded polite and yet...familiar?

Her heart stopped when her eyes laid upon the guy. "Andy?" She blinked to make sure she wasn't hallucinating. "Andrew Smith?" It was him. She could tell just by his eyes. Sure, he had changed a bit, but he was still the same old Andy.

She stood up and raced over to him pulling him into the room and into a hug. "I can't believe it's really you..." Surely to God, he knew who she was. And if he didn't she was going to smack him in the head. You can't forget your best friend. Ever.

[Emma Lawrence]

A male voice interrupted her discussion with Taegan. "Emma?" Cocking her head to the door, calling out, "It's open, but I'm in the middle of something." Apparently not hearing her, the boy to whom the voice belonged walked into the room. Andrew. "Hey, sorry to intrude... I can come back later...?"

Before she had time to respond, Taegan had confirmed the voice to the face and put a name to them--and then proceeded to bring Andrew into a nostalgic bear hug. Finding the papers she had needed, she chuckled. So Taegan already had a friend here. She was off to a great start. A cushion for her arrival, perhaps.

"I see you've met before," she scoffed, sitting down and flipping through the application questionnaires. This was a nice tender moment. She didn't want to be the one to ruin it.

[Andrew]

"It's open, but I'm in the middle of something."
"Andy?"

Just as he was about to turn around and leave, the girls voice hit his ears. Hearing a nickname he heard so many times when he was younger, caught him off guard. Turning back around, his eyes landed on her.

"Andrew Smith?"

Eyes squinting, he realized just who was in Emma's office. Before he got to say anything, he was yanked into the room and pulled into a hug. Wrapping her arms around her, he gave her a squeeze.

"I can't believe it's really you..."

Laughter quickly pursued as he pulled her back at arms length. "Oh my god, Taegan?" Sure enough, it was her. He could tell by that big bright smile. She'd changed, but that smile hadn't. "Oh my god." He muttered, pulling her back in for another hug.

"I see you've met before,"

"Met?" He laughed, letting her go. "We're best friends. We, grew up together in Pittsburgh. Oh my god, what are you doing here?" He continued to laugh as his smile grew. "I missed my sidekick." He chuckled, giving her arm a light punch.

Seeing her here, and now. It started to bring up old memories... and old feelings too.

[Taegan]

"Oh my god, Taegan?"

All she could do was smile as he examined her at arms length, but quickly pulled her into another hug. "Oh my god." She felt her heart was going to explode out of her chest. "I know right..." She laughed and continued to bask in this moment.

"I see you've met before,"

Taegan quickly remembered where she was and pulled away from Andrew just as he began to do the same. "Met?" He laughed, letting her go. "We're best friends. We, grew up together in Pittsburgh. Oh my god, what are you doing here?" Her smiles and laughter seemed never ending. "This is absolutely incredible."

"I missed my sidekick." He chuckled, giving her arm a light punch.

Rolling her eyes a little she smirked rubbing her arm from the punch. "And oh how I've missed my fearless leader." She laughed giving his arm a light punch as well. As her arm hit his bicep she felt the muscle underneath and it caused her to really look at him. Oh boy had he changed. No more was he a scrawny little boy, no he was more muscle than anything now.

She swallowed lightly. Trying to avoid the thoughts that were popping into her head. Knowing him he probably already had a list of girls that were knocking at his door. He was after all the silent heartbreaker. Breaking hearts and he didn't even know it....Pulling her attention from him and his newly toned body. She looked to Emma.

"Mrs. Lawrence, do you mind if Andrew stays in here while we finish up? I would hate to let his crazy butt out of my site and lose him all over again?" She shot him a sly look as she raised a brow. But a smile quickly climbed back across her face.

[Emma Lawrence]

After the teens had their shocked reunion, Emma found herself drawn back into the conversation. "Mrs. Lawrence, do you mind if Andrew stays in here while we finish up? I would hate to let his crazy butt out of my site and lose him all over again?"

With a tight grin, Emma flicked the pen in her hand a moment. "Not at all. Andy's one of my best students. Pull up a chair, dude." Figures they'd know each other--Taegan and Andrew seemed so alike. Maybe this would be great for him: pull his heart away from her and go after his childhood sweetheart. As soon as the two were settled, she flipped over to the paper with the checklist of known mutant powers and the one with the generic information. "Okay. For starters, I'm going to have you fill this one out," she slid the latter paper toward Taegan, "and if you have any questions about what's on it, just ask. While you do that, think you can tell me your powers? If you can't, you can just describe what happens when you feel something mutant-like kicking in." Often, students came as outcasts, wondering why they were so different from all their friends. So they needed to be told what exactly the names of their abilities were. For some reason, she had a feeling Taegan was a little more intuitive and would be able to rattle off a few names herself.

Her eyes flickered to Andrew, feeling invasive as she tapped into him with her Empathy. At least he wasn't riled up with leftover feelings for her. Instead, he was reliving his childhood looking at his old friend. This was progress--very, very good progress. And at the same time, she felt like she was losing one of her boys.

[Andrew]

"This is absolutely incredible."

"It's staggering, that's what it is." He laughed softly, giving her another look over. "And oh how I've missed my fearless leader." He shook his head, a soft smirk on his lips. "Yeah, I bet." He joked slightly with her, giving her a little bump on the hip with his own.

"Mrs. Lawrence, do you mind if Andrew stays in here while we finish up? I would hate to let his crazy butt out of my site and lose him all over again?"
"Not at all. Andy's one of my best students. Pull up a chair, dude."

It was then that he remembered exactly why he was here. That feeling of 'oh shit, this is awkward' quickly washed over him. Nodding softly, and hoping no one noticed, he grabbed a chair and took a seat. Listening to Emma ask questions, reminded him of the first day he arrived here. How uneasy and unsure he was, and how Emma seemed to soothe those feelings away.

[[S&S, sorry..]]