Post by tingrin on Dec 8, 2006 16:19:06 GMT -5
Sibyl had been mostly quiet as they drove into town, her ivory shawl wrapped around her, its pale pink fringes waving around her like grass in the wind. Her long light blue hair was braided back from her face neatly and the silver earrings he'd given her followed the motion of her shawl. But her pale pink eyes were on the side of the road, motionless.
They hadn't said a great deal as they got out of the truck and walked into the lobby. Sitting at the table with the phone in front of her, she bit her bottom lip and glanced at Piotr, running through her mind what she was going to say. It felt a bit like going on trial.
Setting the calling card on the table between she and the phone, she dialed carefully and waited for the call to ring through.
"Hello?"
"Papa?" Sibyl said something, her white skin immediately flushing pink from hairline to chest. She took Piotr's hand.
"Well hey there 'Linka, what a surprise! It's pretty early for you to be calling, is everything alright pumpkin?" Marshall Fox had always been a warm and affectionate man; but he'd always held a special place in his heart for the girl he and his wife had adopted two years ago. He had a tendency to balance those indulgent demonstrations with a protectiveness Sibyl was quite sure would come in to play once she began to explain.
Piotr had not slept well and had been in a constant state of anxiety since he had touched back down on the Planet Reality. The dawning realisation that he had, in fact, technically kidnapped Sibylinka from her guardians was weighing rather heavily on his mind.
He sat now, his face intent on hers, watching her as she spoke on the phone, fear rippling through him, his heart pounding so loudly he could hear it in his ears.
smiled, be lips trembling a little. "Everything is just fine Papa," she began. "But I do need to tell you something. And I hope you will not be upset."
There was a pause on the other end of the line before Marshall spoke. "...of course Sibyl. Whatever happens, we will deal with it. It's okay. Now tell me what you called to say."
Sibyl said a silent prayer for how patient her adoptive father could be. "I am calling from Tomsk, Papa... in Siberia." She opened her mouth to speak but Marshall cut in.
"What in- Sibyl are you okay??"
"Yes, I'm fine, please... at the school, I have made a friend. His name it Piotr Rasputin, and he received a call at the school that his father was very ill. He asked me to come with him to Siberia to help him through this."
"But how did you both get permission to leave the school? And why wasn't I called! Sibyl!" Her father was beside himself, and through his indignation she could hear his worry. Guilt laced across Sibyl's face, and she looked down at her hand on the table between she and Piotr.
"P-please, Papa listen..." She took a quick breath. "Piotr is one of the X-Men." She found herself grasping for a better explaination.
"If they needed you to go with them somewhere, they should have called." Marshall was angry, but keeping it tempered. He seldom yelled at Sibyl, mostly because the girl was so well behaved it wasn't necessary. But she could tell his patience was being tried. "Sibyl you are to come home immediately. Are you able to? Will he allow you to?"
"Oh Papa, it isn't like that."
"Have you even -met- this father of his? Sibyl you are too trusting. He-"
"Yes, I met him! And I watched him pass away. Papa listen to me- I am staying with Piotr and his mother and sister until-"
"I want to speak with his mother! Put her on the phone right now."
"Papa they do not have a phone on the farm. We are calling from town-"
"Then give the phone to Piotr. I'm willing to bet he has not let you out of his sight."
"No, you are correct Papa. He hasn't, but that is because he cares for me. This is all okay, Papa. I'm sorry I left without thinking to call you. I should have called and asked. I'm so sorry."
"Sibyl you have... put yourself in danger once again. I am so worried for you. That school was a mistake, if they allow students to leave the country without notifying their parents- how long have you been gone?"
"A few days Papa."
"And they haven't called me? This is ridiculous! Sibyl there are laws! How did you even manage to get out of the airport without my permission?"
"W-well, we... we made up a letter."
"You mean you lied to the authorities. Sibylinka." He sounded both surprised and hurt. It wasn't so much that Marshall Fox was naive, only that between himself and his adopted daughter was an understanding. As a police officer, he had high respect for the law. The law was what saved Sibyl's life when she came to the United States. And now, here she was throwing it aside.
"Yes, Papa. I'm sorry. You must understand...."
"Let me speak with Piotr. Now, Sibyl." His voice was calm, but firm.
Sibyl raised her eyes to Piotr, and offered him the receiver.
Piotr had watched Sibyl's face, listened to her half of the conversation and felt his dread increase threefold.
I have been a fool, he told himself, miserably. An idiot.
When she handed the receiver to him, he stared at it in abject panic and shook his head. Her expression, though, melted his resolve and with a shaking hand, he took the receiver.
"Piotr Rasputin."
"This is Marshall Fox speaking. Sibyl's father. I suppose you already know that. I'd suggest you explain why you took my daughter overseas without so much as notifying me. And then having my daughter call me rather than speaking with me yourself? I have to say, you don't have a lot of leg to stand on here." He could have said more- had much, much, more to say- but was too frightened. He knew he was at the disadvantage no matter what authority he might have had on his side. Sure, the FBI would contact the Embassy in Tomsk and through them the local authorities would help find Sibyl and return her to Texas. But it could be too late by then. His daughter might be gone, or worse...
"Please tell me you're sending her back." There was some sort of appeasement in his voice.
"I..."
Piotr couldn't find the right words. His voice cracked immediately and he cleared his throat. "Sir, I am truly sorry. I did what I did in a panic. My father was dying. Sibyl is safe, I would not hurt her."
He glanced over at her. "I...if you wish me to send her back, then I must, but surely she must be allowed to say what she wishes?"
It was a gamble, certainly.
"I think what Sibyl wishes is kind of out of the question, Mr. Rasputin. She is sixteen years old. Sixteen, Mr. Rasputin. That she is too young to be alone with you on the other side of the world is reason enough to send her back. That she has allowed you to not only take her with you but lie and forge MY name to do so leaves me with little choice, doesn't it? What kind of person are you that I should trust you with my daughter's life after you have done this?"
"So no, I can't allow her to stay." He was sounding a bit incredulous, as if Piotr even asking showed his ill intent. "And I hope the headmistress at Xavier's School has a really good excuse for allowing you to do this."
"I am a man who just lost his father, sir. I...have no excuses. I know what I did was wrong. I would ask that you do not blame Miss Munroe. What I did I did by myself, not because of her."
His voice was thick with tears.
"I will arrange a flight home for her if it will prove that you may trust me. I...I love her."
Sibyl reached out with both hands to squeeze Piotr's arm, her own filling with tears. When he said he loved her, she gasped.
Marshall Fox was quiet. "How old are you, Mr. Rasputin." His voice was a little cold, but willing to listen. After all, if he was eighteen or so, it would be easy to understand how it might have happened and why two kids would make such a stupid choice. It seemed a bit young for X-Men, however.
"I have not long turned twenty three, sir."
The shame was creeping up his face, making his big, honest face flush. He closed his eyes, feeling very much like he wanted to be sick.
Sibyl took the phone from Piotr, her heart beating hard. "Papa..." she said.
"Oh god, Sibyl, has he touched you?"
"Papa it's not like that-"
"It is. Sibyl. I know your perspective is different because of where you have come from, but he is an adult, and you are still a child."
"I am not so much a child as you wish I was, Papa," she said softly.
"...I know, 'Linka. I know honey. Oh god." Marshall's voice waivered. "Sibyl you can't run away with this man. I sent you to the school because you need an education. Please... think with your head! It is obvious this Pyetyer-"
"Piotr."
"Yes. It's obvious he doesn't have your welfare in mind."
"That is because it is not -my- welfare that needs looking after at this moment, Papa!" She said strongly, perhaps as strong as either of them had ever heard her speak. "He is grieving, his mother and sister are grieving. I am happy to be here, I would not leave them. They need my support."
"They may need support Sibylinka, and your big heart goes out to them. But you have your own life Sibyl and it wasn't fair of him to ask you to leave it to support him."
"He is my life, Papa," she whispered, her eyes blurry with tears.
To Marshall Fox's ears, it was the overemotional debate of a teenager in love for the first time. He sympathized, but could not give it weight.
"Please do not make me do this the hard way, pumpkin..." he said softly. "Come home. We will deal with all the rest when you get back. Right now, you need to come home."
Sibyl put the phone to her chest, wiping her eyes. She wouldn't meet Piotr's eyes. "Did you only purchase one way tickets, Petya?"
He was numb to the core and it took a second or two for her words to sink into his miserable mind.
"Da," he said. "I did not know what I was thinking. One-way tickets. I should purchased open return tickets. I have...many things back at the Institute that I would need to collect...I do not know. I am so sorry."
He closed his eyes and leaned against the wall, feeling faintly sick.
Sibyl stared at Piotr for a few long moments. He was saying he was going to stay... had perhaps always intended to.
What had he intended for her?
She lifted the phone to her head again.
"Sibylinka?"
"Yes Papa." Her voice was breathless.
"Does he have a return flight for you?"
"No Papa." There was a terrible weight to the words she had spoken to Marshall Fox several years before, but for an entirely different reason.
"I need help."
They hadn't said a great deal as they got out of the truck and walked into the lobby. Sitting at the table with the phone in front of her, she bit her bottom lip and glanced at Piotr, running through her mind what she was going to say. It felt a bit like going on trial.
Setting the calling card on the table between she and the phone, she dialed carefully and waited for the call to ring through.
"Hello?"
"Papa?" Sibyl said something, her white skin immediately flushing pink from hairline to chest. She took Piotr's hand.
"Well hey there 'Linka, what a surprise! It's pretty early for you to be calling, is everything alright pumpkin?" Marshall Fox had always been a warm and affectionate man; but he'd always held a special place in his heart for the girl he and his wife had adopted two years ago. He had a tendency to balance those indulgent demonstrations with a protectiveness Sibyl was quite sure would come in to play once she began to explain.
Piotr had not slept well and had been in a constant state of anxiety since he had touched back down on the Planet Reality. The dawning realisation that he had, in fact, technically kidnapped Sibylinka from her guardians was weighing rather heavily on his mind.
He sat now, his face intent on hers, watching her as she spoke on the phone, fear rippling through him, his heart pounding so loudly he could hear it in his ears.
smiled, be lips trembling a little. "Everything is just fine Papa," she began. "But I do need to tell you something. And I hope you will not be upset."
There was a pause on the other end of the line before Marshall spoke. "...of course Sibyl. Whatever happens, we will deal with it. It's okay. Now tell me what you called to say."
Sibyl said a silent prayer for how patient her adoptive father could be. "I am calling from Tomsk, Papa... in Siberia." She opened her mouth to speak but Marshall cut in.
"What in- Sibyl are you okay??"
"Yes, I'm fine, please... at the school, I have made a friend. His name it Piotr Rasputin, and he received a call at the school that his father was very ill. He asked me to come with him to Siberia to help him through this."
"But how did you both get permission to leave the school? And why wasn't I called! Sibyl!" Her father was beside himself, and through his indignation she could hear his worry. Guilt laced across Sibyl's face, and she looked down at her hand on the table between she and Piotr.
"P-please, Papa listen..." She took a quick breath. "Piotr is one of the X-Men." She found herself grasping for a better explaination.
"If they needed you to go with them somewhere, they should have called." Marshall was angry, but keeping it tempered. He seldom yelled at Sibyl, mostly because the girl was so well behaved it wasn't necessary. But she could tell his patience was being tried. "Sibyl you are to come home immediately. Are you able to? Will he allow you to?"
"Oh Papa, it isn't like that."
"Have you even -met- this father of his? Sibyl you are too trusting. He-"
"Yes, I met him! And I watched him pass away. Papa listen to me- I am staying with Piotr and his mother and sister until-"
"I want to speak with his mother! Put her on the phone right now."
"Papa they do not have a phone on the farm. We are calling from town-"
"Then give the phone to Piotr. I'm willing to bet he has not let you out of his sight."
"No, you are correct Papa. He hasn't, but that is because he cares for me. This is all okay, Papa. I'm sorry I left without thinking to call you. I should have called and asked. I'm so sorry."
"Sibyl you have... put yourself in danger once again. I am so worried for you. That school was a mistake, if they allow students to leave the country without notifying their parents- how long have you been gone?"
"A few days Papa."
"And they haven't called me? This is ridiculous! Sibyl there are laws! How did you even manage to get out of the airport without my permission?"
"W-well, we... we made up a letter."
"You mean you lied to the authorities. Sibylinka." He sounded both surprised and hurt. It wasn't so much that Marshall Fox was naive, only that between himself and his adopted daughter was an understanding. As a police officer, he had high respect for the law. The law was what saved Sibyl's life when she came to the United States. And now, here she was throwing it aside.
"Yes, Papa. I'm sorry. You must understand...."
"Let me speak with Piotr. Now, Sibyl." His voice was calm, but firm.
Sibyl raised her eyes to Piotr, and offered him the receiver.
Piotr had watched Sibyl's face, listened to her half of the conversation and felt his dread increase threefold.
I have been a fool, he told himself, miserably. An idiot.
When she handed the receiver to him, he stared at it in abject panic and shook his head. Her expression, though, melted his resolve and with a shaking hand, he took the receiver.
"Piotr Rasputin."
"This is Marshall Fox speaking. Sibyl's father. I suppose you already know that. I'd suggest you explain why you took my daughter overseas without so much as notifying me. And then having my daughter call me rather than speaking with me yourself? I have to say, you don't have a lot of leg to stand on here." He could have said more- had much, much, more to say- but was too frightened. He knew he was at the disadvantage no matter what authority he might have had on his side. Sure, the FBI would contact the Embassy in Tomsk and through them the local authorities would help find Sibyl and return her to Texas. But it could be too late by then. His daughter might be gone, or worse...
"Please tell me you're sending her back." There was some sort of appeasement in his voice.
"I..."
Piotr couldn't find the right words. His voice cracked immediately and he cleared his throat. "Sir, I am truly sorry. I did what I did in a panic. My father was dying. Sibyl is safe, I would not hurt her."
He glanced over at her. "I...if you wish me to send her back, then I must, but surely she must be allowed to say what she wishes?"
It was a gamble, certainly.
"I think what Sibyl wishes is kind of out of the question, Mr. Rasputin. She is sixteen years old. Sixteen, Mr. Rasputin. That she is too young to be alone with you on the other side of the world is reason enough to send her back. That she has allowed you to not only take her with you but lie and forge MY name to do so leaves me with little choice, doesn't it? What kind of person are you that I should trust you with my daughter's life after you have done this?"
"So no, I can't allow her to stay." He was sounding a bit incredulous, as if Piotr even asking showed his ill intent. "And I hope the headmistress at Xavier's School has a really good excuse for allowing you to do this."
"I am a man who just lost his father, sir. I...have no excuses. I know what I did was wrong. I would ask that you do not blame Miss Munroe. What I did I did by myself, not because of her."
His voice was thick with tears.
"I will arrange a flight home for her if it will prove that you may trust me. I...I love her."
Sibyl reached out with both hands to squeeze Piotr's arm, her own filling with tears. When he said he loved her, she gasped.
Marshall Fox was quiet. "How old are you, Mr. Rasputin." His voice was a little cold, but willing to listen. After all, if he was eighteen or so, it would be easy to understand how it might have happened and why two kids would make such a stupid choice. It seemed a bit young for X-Men, however.
"I have not long turned twenty three, sir."
The shame was creeping up his face, making his big, honest face flush. He closed his eyes, feeling very much like he wanted to be sick.
Sibyl took the phone from Piotr, her heart beating hard. "Papa..." she said.
"Oh god, Sibyl, has he touched you?"
"Papa it's not like that-"
"It is. Sibyl. I know your perspective is different because of where you have come from, but he is an adult, and you are still a child."
"I am not so much a child as you wish I was, Papa," she said softly.
"...I know, 'Linka. I know honey. Oh god." Marshall's voice waivered. "Sibyl you can't run away with this man. I sent you to the school because you need an education. Please... think with your head! It is obvious this Pyetyer-"
"Piotr."
"Yes. It's obvious he doesn't have your welfare in mind."
"That is because it is not -my- welfare that needs looking after at this moment, Papa!" She said strongly, perhaps as strong as either of them had ever heard her speak. "He is grieving, his mother and sister are grieving. I am happy to be here, I would not leave them. They need my support."
"They may need support Sibylinka, and your big heart goes out to them. But you have your own life Sibyl and it wasn't fair of him to ask you to leave it to support him."
"He is my life, Papa," she whispered, her eyes blurry with tears.
To Marshall Fox's ears, it was the overemotional debate of a teenager in love for the first time. He sympathized, but could not give it weight.
"Please do not make me do this the hard way, pumpkin..." he said softly. "Come home. We will deal with all the rest when you get back. Right now, you need to come home."
Sibyl put the phone to her chest, wiping her eyes. She wouldn't meet Piotr's eyes. "Did you only purchase one way tickets, Petya?"
He was numb to the core and it took a second or two for her words to sink into his miserable mind.
"Da," he said. "I did not know what I was thinking. One-way tickets. I should purchased open return tickets. I have...many things back at the Institute that I would need to collect...I do not know. I am so sorry."
He closed his eyes and leaned against the wall, feeling faintly sick.
Sibyl stared at Piotr for a few long moments. He was saying he was going to stay... had perhaps always intended to.
What had he intended for her?
She lifted the phone to her head again.
"Sibylinka?"
"Yes Papa." Her voice was breathless.
"Does he have a return flight for you?"
"No Papa." There was a terrible weight to the words she had spoken to Marshall Fox several years before, but for an entirely different reason.
"I need help."