Let's Get Cooking

As Clarice adjusts to her new civilian life, Charles helps her discover where her true passions lay. Scene between Chapters 54-55 of "Monsters." Cute Clarice & hungry Charles.

"Um... knock, knock?"

Charles glanced up from his lesson planning to find Clarice peeking into in his cabin's doorway. She smiled shyly.

"Hi Professor! Sorry, if I'm interrupting you...?" She motioned to this notes, but Charles grinned and quickly waved away her concern.

"Not at all." He dropped his pen and flexed his fingers. His hand felt and tired and cramped from writing, and her unexpected appearance was a welcome distraction. "What brings you by?"

"I have a small favor to ask." She opened the door and showed him a bowl brimming with what looked like cookie dough. "Mind if I use your oven for a bit?"

"Of course," he waved for her to enter, "but, is something faulty with your oven? I can have Hank take a look at it..."

"Oh, our oven's fine." Clarice snickered. "I just had to get out of the cabin for a bit. I couldn't handle all the screaming."

"They're not fighting again, are they?" Charles frowned he followed Clarice into the kitchen area. She put her bowl on the counter and starting fiddling with the oven's temperature nob.

"Fighting or fucking, it's hard to tell the difference sometimes." She smirked until she saw what Charles was sure was an expression of utter horror on his face. Clarice bit her lip, looking apologetic. "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean too..."

He shook his head and held up a hand. He knew what she'd meant, but he certainly didn't want to think about that. While Raven and Azazel were easing back into their relationship, it hadn't exactly been smooth sailing. They loved each other, but that didn't change the fact they were still two very independent, very stubborn individuals with strong opinions. Charles found it baffling how easily they could agree on major situations involving Kurt, but then immediately start bickering over trivial things like folding towels or grocery shopping.

"Anyways," Clarice politely changed topics, "I promised Kurt I'd bake him and his friends some cookies for when they get home from the mall, so here I am."

Charles observed quietly as she resumed her work. He watched her carefully lay balls of dough on a greased sheet and slide it in the oven, the set the timer. Honestly, he didn't even know his cabin had a baking sheet until she pulled out one out.

"Do you bake much?" He asked as Clarice wiped her hands.

"Not really," she shrugged, "I much prefer cooking to baking, but Kurt's got a sweet-tooth and pretty much begged me to make cookies, and you've seen that puppy-dog face he can make." Charles laughed as he nodded. Saying 'no' to his nephew was a rarity when the boy really wanted something; thankfully, Kurt was considerate and the few things he asked for were always extremely reasonable.

"Hey, what are you eating here?" Clarice took the lid off a stove pot and peered inside.

"Nothing special, just some canned soup. Bachelor lifestyle, I guess. Actually, I'd completely forgotten about it." Charles had become so engrossed in his notes that he'd actually forgotten about his dinner. The soup was probably cold and needed to be reheated. "Normally Hank does all the cooking around here, but he's out right now, and..."

"I can make you something." Clarice interrupted, quickly moving to the fridge.

"Oh, it's alright! Really, you don't have to..." But she was already began rummaging though the produce. She pulled out a few eggs and vegetables as well as a block of cheese. A peaceful concentration bloomed on her face as she methodically sliced and scrambled. As a telepath, Charles made it a point not to randomly read people's minds, but even he couldn't help but feel the serenity and happiness radiating from her as she worked with the food. She really loved it.

A short while later, Clarice handed him a plate. On it was a piping hot and rather picturesque omelette, and it smelled heavenly. Charles could feel his mouth salivating as he accepted it. He took a bite; he'd been wholly unprepared for how delicious it was.

"You didn't have much in your icebox, so I hope this is alright."

"Clarice this is... extraordinary." He looked up at her in awe and saw her cheeks flush.

"Aww, thanks Professor! It's just an omelette. I make them all the time for breakfast."

"Seriously, if you can do this with an omelette..." He quirked an eyebrow and studied her carefully for a few seconds. "Have you ever considered attending cooking school?

"Cooking school? Wait, there's a school for that?" She asked, clearly puzzled. "Like an entire school?"

"Several, actually," Charles grinned and ate another mouthful. "And a really top-notch one right in New York City. You know, I have an acquaintance who sits on the school's board. I could speak with her, and see if it's possible for you to enroll in the spring semester."

"Oh, wow!" Clarice's eyes went wide and she looked taken aback. Charles felt the doubt rolling off her.

"You've never thought about you going to school before, have you?" He asked as he set down his folk. She shook her head.

"The only school I've ever known before Westchester was the KGB training program Azazel put me in. In the East, there aren't as many schools as in America, and certainly not cooking schools or even schools that are mutant friendly." She frowned. "But, even if I wanted to go, I don't have any paperwork, like a high school diploma. Peter said you needed that to get into college, which is why he's taking that big GED test in a few weeks, and I..."

"Don't worry about that," Charles assured. "You don't need a high school diploma for all colleges, and I'm sure I could pull a few strings. Speaking of Peter, he'll be attending a city college in the spring. You'd like to go with him."

"Did you read my mind?" She quirked an eyebrow, but her tone was playful, not accusatory.

"I don't need to read your mind when I can read your face," Charles smiled. He was quiet for a few minutes as he finished the omelette. "Anyways, you have real talent, and you should think it over. It could be a wonderful opportunity for you, and it'd be fun to live in the city as a young person. I know Peter's mentioned it a few times to me."

"I've never been away from Azazel for longer than a few weeks." She admitted quietly before glancing away. She started soothing her braid, and waves of concern tinged with fear started rolling off her. Charles nodded as the implication of her words hit him. He didn't fully know the siblings history, but he did know that Azazel practically raised the girl, and the two were extremely close. He could easily understand that from Clarice's viewpoint, leaving Azazel's side to go out on her own could feel wrong, and even a bit scary.

"Clarice, sometimes you have to leave your family for a while to become who you're meant to be."

"You mean, like with you and Raven?" She asked. "Because I have to admit, if I grew up at Westchester, I'm not sure how I could ever leave."

"Well, it was a different time, and we were different people." Charles smiled sadly. "I didn't understand Raven, or what she really needed. I thought I did, and I thought by sheltering her here and keeping her mutation a secret, I was helping her; but really, I wasn't there for her in the way she needed, or the way she deserved. I was still treating her like a child, and failing to realized that she'd grown up, and had different dreams, needs, and desires than I did. That day on the beach was the first time I realized my mistake; that I needed to let Raven go so she could become who she was meant to be. The hardest thing I did that day was watch my sister - my best friend - walk away, and not go after her. And over the years, it was almost impossible at times to not use my powers or Cerebro to find her, and try and convince her to come home."

Clarice reached out and her hand over his, squeezing it affectionately. He hadn't realized he'd been close to tears until that moment, thinking over his past and reflecting on his relationship with his own sibling.

"I think you did the right thing, if that matters." She offered with a smile. "If you hadn't let Raven go, she wouldn't have found Azazel, and then we all wouldn't have Kurt, or be a family."

"That is very true, my dear." Charles laughed just as the oven timer dinged. Clarice put on mitts and pulled out the freshly baked cookies. Now the cabin smelled warm and wonderful, like a home. She picked up a cookie.

"Here Professor," Clarice laughed as she broke it in half, "have a cookie."