disclaimer: Except for Jenny, all characters are owned by Marvel.
Human in a Mutant World
by Dizy
Chapter 1
Henry J. McCoy was not happy and wanted to make sure the sales clerk was aware it.
"Do you mean to tell me, young woman, that you have sold my book?" He asked the nervous woman behind the counter, after drawing up to his full height and looking down his nose at her.
"Well, you see sir-" she began.
"The book I specially ordered and requested your establishment to hold for me?" he continued.
"Yes, but-" she tried again.
"The book which is currently out of circulation and would be difficult, if not impossible, to acquire from other available sources?" he finished.
"Dr. McCoy, sir, you must understand we can only hold books for three weeks! It arrived here five weeks ago and you didn't come for it after numerous calls to remind you. I, myself, warned you in a voice message that we would be putting it out for the general public. As a courtesy, we even held it an extra week. We sold it yesterday. As I told you before, all I can say is I'm very sorry." the woman had obviously lost her patience.
"Can you at least inform me as to the identity of the buyer currently in possession of my book?" He asked, frustration evident.
"We're not supposed to give out that sort of information." she said.
"I would be quite grateful for any information on the individual you would be willing to provide." he said, reaching for his wallet.
"I don't guess there's any harm." She snatched the twenty out of his hand. "Her name's Jenny Green. She comes in here alot."
"I appreciate your assistance." The woman was already forgotten as he mulled over the information on his way out of the specialty bookstore.
Jenny Green. The name sounded familiar but was not from any scientific circles that he was involved in. But why would someone want a research book written by Heinrik Grenislavich if they were not involved in genetic research? There weren't any other genetic researchers in Westchester that he was aware of.
It was his own fault and he knew it. He'd waited to get the book until he'd finished his last project thinking it would be safe at the bookstore. Obviously he'd made a mistake. Now, he needed to find out who Jenny Green was and get his book back. He needed that book.
Two hours later, he'd made no progress in locating her, nor remembered where he'd heard the name. None of the Green's in the phone book seemed to be the correct individual and none of his contacts had heard of her. There wasn't even a Jenny or Jennifer Green listed with the DMV. He set down the hall phone after futher frustrating himself with another useless call trying to find information on the elusive woman.
"Who is Jenny Green?" he muttered out loud.
"Whaddaya want with Jenny?" Logan asked, having heard him on his way to the kitchen.
"You know the young woman?" Hank asked, clealy surprised.
"Yeah, Jenny's a waitress at Harry's. Whatcha need her for?" Concern and confusion in his voice. As far as he knew Hank didn't hardly go to Harry's.
"She could not be the same individual, I'm sure. The Jenny Green I'm searching for is in possession of a book on genetic research by Heinrik Grenislavich which I need and I find it inconceivable a waitress at a bar would have any aptitude in the subject." He dimissed the possibility, disappointed at another dead end.
"I guess not. But she's the only Jenny Green I know of in the area. Me and Gumbo are going to Harry's for some pool after lunch, you can come with us if you want and ask her just to be sure." Logan thought it was a dead end too, but it wouldn't hurt for Hank to get out of the mansion for awhile. Who knows, maybe Jenny did have the book. Maybe she'd gotten it by accident or something.
Hank thought about it and gave in. He couldn't continue with his current project without the book and if nothing else it would be a distraction.
"Then lets get some lunch and tell Gumbo there'll be one more going to Harry's." Logan said, continuing on to the kitchen.
"Harry! Jenny here yet? Got somebody wants to meet her." Logan called to the man behind the bar as they walked in. He knew Jenny spent most of her time there even when she wasn't working. She said it felt more like home than her apartment. Harry gestured to a corner booth near the jukebox where a young woman was writing in a notebook.
She had her brown hair pulled into a pony-tail and wore jeans, a blue t-shirt, and running shoes. She didn't look old enough to work in a bar in Hank's opinion, but he knew he wasn't the best of judges. She held up a hand signaling for Remy to wait, when he walked up to the table while she finished writing. The smile she gave him as she closed the notebook tranformed her face into, though not beautiful, that of a lovely woman. That's when Hank remembered her.
She was the woman Orroro and Scott had made a deal with on Jubilee's behalf. She was the one who called to have someone pick-up the young teen when she was ready to go home or she thought Jubilee needed to leave. This was the same woman who Bishop and Remy both seemed to have some sort of protective instinct toward and Jubilee raved about. He simply hadn't connected the name and the individual he knew about with a book on genetic research.
"Chere, dis be Hank, he got question for you." Remy introduced them.
"Hank, Hank" she muttered with a frown. Her face cleared up. "Hey, you're the one Jubilee calls Blue. Do you get sad alot?" she teased with another smile.
He couldn't help smiling back. "It is in the nature of a sobriquet, most of which have noreasonable explanation."
Jenny laughed and gestured to the bench across from her. "Being as you don't look blue to me, I would never have guessed it was your nickname. How can I help ya? I don't have much time, my shift starts in fifteen."
"Now, don' be tellin' tales to Hank, you don' work regular shift no more, Jenny." Remy said sliding in beside Hank.
"Except when we're short handed, which we are because Michelle called in and quit. Her new boyfriend didn't like her working in a bar." She rolled her eyes at this. Jenny couldn't understand someone changing their whole life for someone else on the basis of a few dates. For her it would take much much more, even marriage might not be enough, as Harry's Bar was the best thing to ever happen to her.
"I'm sure I will not take much of your time. I am in a quandry upon which you may be able to cast some illumination and assist in finding a resolution." Hank began.
"You've got a problem and need my help. Got it." Her eyes twinkled and Hank got the feeling she understood him quite well indeed.
"It seems I prevaricated in the retrieval of a certain book written by Dr. Heinrik Grenislavich and it was purchased by an individual who perhaps has an identical designation as youself."
Jenny shook her head slowly, her face carefully blank. "Not unless there's two Jenny Green's who purchased that book, which I doubt since its out of print."
"If you are implying you are in possession of the book, perhaps I could prevaricate upon you -with appropriate compensation, of couse - into relinquishing" Hank began, disbelief and hope warring inside him.
"No." Her tone left no room for doubt. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I must get to work." She stood abruptly and walked away.
"Amazing." Hank said watching her hurry away. "Quite an extrodinary and unique individual."
"Jenny, she nice girl." Remy was watching him closely.
"Most likely, and I am quite positive she possesses secrets, as well."
"Who has secrets?" Logan asked, bringing an ashtray and a round of beer. There were no waitresses on duty at this time of day and he hadn't wanted to interrupt Jenny during her downtime, knowing she would have gladly gone for their beer. He thought she worked too hard.
"Jenny. De girl, she impress Hank."
"Yeah, she's a good kid. Got a strong backbone."
"I was actually more impressed with her aptitude in understanding my terminology which would be unique to the patrons she is used to associating with at this establishment."
They both stared at him.
He sighed. "She understood everything I said and didn't even need to take time to think about any of it. This implies higher learning at some point in her past. Yet from her apparent age and the time she has been here when this could have been is the question."
"Jubilee once said Jenny told her she was in a boarding school at her age. That would have been about eight years ago." Logan said slowly, thinking back over past conversations.
"It would have to have been a very progressive school to give her an understanding of genetics."
"So she did get yer book." He knew Jenny had more secrets than that, but Logan wasn't going to mention it if Hank or any of the others hadn't picked up on it. He was pretty sure Harry had figured it out.
"Yes, and she ended the conversation very abruptly at the mention of parting with said book."
"So, order it again. Don't get the big deal." He couldn't get excited about a book.
"Not dat simple, homme, Jenny say de book 'out of print'." Remy hadn't been as surprised as Hank and Logan seemed to be. He'd always thought Jenny was more than she seemed. He'd just decided that everybody had their secrets and Jenny deserved to keep hers if she wanted it that way.He'd let her know she could talk to him if she needed to and left it at that.
"Indeed, I considered myself lucky to locate it by that particular avenue and have no immediate alternative to Jenny releasing it to me, with appropriate compensation of course." He again looked in her direction. "I shall attempt again to discuss it with her before we leave and present her with my private phone number in case she changes her mind on the subject of selling the book to me."
"In de meantime, Remy and Logan teach you pool, non?" Remy grinned, thinking they had found a sucker in Hank McCoy.
"Indeed. Lead the way." Hank also had a gleam in his eyes. He couldn't wait.
Logan shook his head in disbelief as Hank won his sixth game of pool. He had alternated between Logan and Remy.
"Do not look so astonished, my friend, pool is simply a matter of mathematics. Which I happen to excel at, upon which I'm sure we can all agree." Hank grinned at him.
"Huh. Pool's a skill, not math." he grumbled, holding up a hand to prevent the explanation he knew Hank had been waiting all night to give.
"Another round, guys?" Jenny asked, walking up to the trio. As always, she'd been wiping down tables as she passed by.
"Non, chere, time to go home." Though disappointed at losing, Remy was still in good cheer.
"Okay, I left your tab with Harry." She said as she picked up the empties and the generous tip they'd left her. "You guys be careful on the way home, it's been raining."
"Maybe we wait and give you ride, chere, don' want you gettin' sick." Remy knew she didn't have a car and either walked or took the bus, which didn't run at closing time.
"Don't worry about it." Jenny smiled and patted her pocket. "I got enough for a cab tonight."
Remy shrugged and headed towards the door. He always tried and she always said no.
"My dear, Ms. Green, if I might prevail upon you to accept this? Just in case you have a change of heart in the future. I really do need a copy of that research book for my next project." Hank held out a piece of paper with his information on it.
She sighed and took it from him. "I won't change my mind, but I'll take it."
"You never know, my dear young woman, you never know." He said before he too headed for the door. He had to hurry. His car or not, if he didn't Logan would drive and he didn't think his heartcould take that again.
Jenny watched him leave before heading to the phone to call the cab.
to be continued.
note:
S- You may be the only one to pick-up on the connection to 'Fantasies and Nightmares'! Good for you. Unfortunately, if I go futher in that direction it will be much farther in Jenny's future. She has some hang-ups to get over before she has fantasies about anybody, as you'll soon see. I'm really not sure if I'll go in that direction at all anymore, but I like the idea of a Nightcrawler connection. We'll see.
Elizabeth Robbins- I agree about the reasons behind Logan's sense of humor, but remember Jenny didn't know that at the time. Just that he's weird.
Jinxeh- Yeah, I know about Natasha, but the X-men are mutants only. And Jenny is very happy at Harry's. Though she might be going to the mansion for awhile it will only be temporary.
Thank you so much everyone for encouraging me to keep writing about Jenny. She's in no way a self-insertion (except maybe in vocabulary) but I really like her. I know the X-men will like her too.
Thanks for reading,
Dizi