I will follow you,

my love,

to the edge of all our days,

to our very last

tomorrows.

-Atticus

AUTHOR'S NOTE: A year to the day! Wow, I seriously didn't do that on purpose but I'm sure you're happy to see a new update. Thank you to all that have waited and welcome all new readers. This prompt kind of came out of nowhere and this whole thing takes place in a world where mutants aren't as hated as they are in the show while still having the typical discrimination. Enjoy and let me know what you all think!

TRIGGER WARNINGS: gun violence, blood, and Purifiers being all-around assholes.

"So, what makes you think you're going to be able to surprise John?" Lauren asked Clarice as she pulled out a shopping cart, idly tossing her phone back and forth in her hands. "That's literally an impossible task."

"Obviously, he knows I'm doing something. It is his birthday." She began walking in the direction of the bakery, smiling at one of the cashiers, a young girl no older than Lauren, as they passed, "He went to pick up his brother and mom from the airport so I thought I'd take advantage of the small bit of alone time."

"Can you even bake a cake in thirty minutes?"

"No, but I can buy one." She smiled when Lauren laughed, "Just because John and James can't taste it doesn't mean I should force everyone else to eat my horrible cooking or baking. That wouldn't exactly be a good first impression on his family."

Lauren was silent for a moment, "Are you nervous?"

"A little." A lot. She' d been trying to ignore the gigantic knot her stomach had turned into since John had told her they were visiting. Clarice knew that it had been years since he'd seen his mother and while he'd said he didn't want anything big, she still felt like she had to do something.

"Only a little?"

Clarice's response was cut off by the familiar feeling of eyes on her and she turned, barely keeping her own expression stoic as the man's lip curled in clear disgust at her openly displayed mutations before she forced herself to keep walking.

Lauren didn't miss the exchange, "Clarice…"

"It's fine, Lauren. I'm used to it." Doesn't mean I have to like it. Even living in a mutant-friendly community and shopping at a mutant-friendly supermarket didn't stop those looks. Nothing ever really could.

The girl frowned, "But it's not and you shouldn't be. It's not fair."

Clarice smiled, "I know, kid. But that's life."

She huffed out a breath, still clearly peeved. "I guess."

"Hey," Clarice bumped her shoulder, "What's your favorite kind of cake?"

"Chocolate, but…it's John's birthday."

"And he can't taste the cake." She added as she scanned the pre-made cakes and their flavors, "I decided I'd get a vote of everyone else in attendance and go from there. I figured that's what he'd want to do anyways."

"He can't taste cake?"

"Unless it's really spicy…he can't taste much of anything."

She pursed her lips, "I guess I never thought about his mutation having downsides."

Clarice was grimly reminded of the migraine he'd suffered two weeks earlier and how even her own heartbeat caused him immense pain and how he hadn't been able to sleep for nearly two days, and held herself back from snapping and saying that not tasting was minor when compared to that. "Yeah, well, every mutation has its downsides."

Lauren hummed, "So what's the vote?"

She glanced down at her small list, "Uh…looks like chocolate."

She grinned, clapping her hands, "Yay! Andy will be glad to hear that."

Clarice chuckled as she bent over, finally deciding on a chocolate cake with white frosting bordered with red and yellow flowers, "Where is he by the way?"

"He was pretty focused on his drawing when I left." she shrugged, reaching to pull a box of candles from a nearby display. "Didn't want to bother him."

"Fair enough."

"Are you doing ice cream too?"

Clarice set the cake down in the cart, "Yeah, I was just going to grab-"

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Both went rigid as the sound of gunfire came from the front of the store, but Clarice managed to recover first. She pulled open a portal to the front of their apartment building, "Go, Lauren, get out of here!"

"What, no! I'm not leaving you!"

"I need you to go get the others, alright? They'll be able to help."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm getting as many people out of here as possible." She turned to the people behind the counter and the young couple also browsing the cakes. "My name is Clarice and this is Lauren. I need you to go through this with her, alright? My friends on the other side can help you."

They didn't need any more convincing as they all followed her directions.

Lauren paused, face bathed in violet light, "Be careful, Clarice."

"I will. Now go."

Clarice closed the portal, and instinctively ducked as more gunfire sounded.

"Where is she?!"

She glanced over and found two girls, the older of which was clutching a whimpering baby to her chest. She waved them over, guiding them behind the end cap. "I can get you out, but I need you to trust me alright?"

The oldest nodded.

She pulled open another portal to the same spot, closing it behind the children before anyone on the other side got the stupid idea to jump through without a plan, and had found another group to shuttle through when she caught the glint of metal and froze.

The man from before now had a gun trained on her, an automatic rifle from the looks of it, and Clarice had never wanted Lorna more than she did in that moment, and it wasn't until she saw the black hoodie and white cross that her heart plummeted.

This wasn't just some run of the mill robbery.

"Ah, there you are."

This was so much worse.

She was glad she'd sent Lauren ahead. "Here I am."

"Where's the other one that you were with?"

"I sent her away." Clarice glanced behind him, seeing three more men in similar garb watching over the people that had been gathered from around the store and she could see that they'd separated the visible mutants from the others. "She's human. Didn't think you'd have much interest in her."

"Sent her away?" his eyes narrowed, taking a step toward her, "What did you do?"

"I'm a teleporter." It took significant effort not to look at the gun trained on her chest and she hadn't felt the urge to run so strongly since that night at the movies so long ago except she knew they were going to do worse than torch her car. "I sent her home."

He laughed, "And you came back…to what? To play hero? To play an X-Men?"

She clenched her jaw but said nothing more.

"Ah, well, doesn't matter now does it?" he smiled, jerking his gun towards the front, "Move."

With hands held up, she did as asked while keeping as calm a face as she could.

Multiple pairs of eyes shot up as she approached and her heart broke at the little girl no older than four with white hair and pearlescent skin looked up at her with teary metallic eyes, the split second pause costing her as the man slammed the butt of the gun into her back and forced her to her knees.

She held back her cry, blood flooding her mouth as she bit her cheek.

"Get over there with the rest the mutie freaks!"

The girl kept crying and Clarice pushed herself up, going to wrap herself protectively around the small, trembling body even as her back throbbed and ached with the nearly forming bruises she would no doubt have, "Shh, it's okay sweetheart."

"Mommy." She burrowed her face into her neck, "I want Mommy."

Clarice looked at the other mutants but it wasn't until she looked at the humans that she saw the weeping blonde woman on her knees and her chest tightened. She eyed the numerous guns pointed at them and could only imagine how the separation had gone. "I know, honey, I know, but you gotta stay with me, alright?"

Her words did little to quiet the girl. "My name is Clarice, what's yours?"

The tears soaked her t-shirt as she continued to sob.

"Shut that brat up!"

Clarice glared at the man, "You took her from her mother what did you expect?"

"Gratitude! She won't have to care for that…thing anymore."

Clarice was sure the murderous anger that flashed across the mother's face was identical to her own, but she held off another comment. She just needed to wait until Lorna and the others got there. Ten minutes. She only had to wait ten minutes.

The man scoffed, walking off to talk to one of his buddies.

She swallowed back the anger, running a hand up and down the girl's back.

"Emilia, look at Mommy."

The little girl twisted to look at her mom.

"Stay with Clarice alright? She's a friend of Mommy's."

She looked up, holding the woman's eyes, amazed at the trust she was being shown with this woman's child. Clarice nodded, understanding the words for what they were. She would protect this child like it was her own.

Emilia finally quieted, but didn't let go.

Clarice?

She kept her expression as calm as she could, recognizing a telepath's touch. Who is this?

My name is Kala. I'm sitting to the left of Emilia's mother.

She found her, a young Indian girl with milky eyes, why are you over-

They didn't bother looking past physical appearance it seems.

She almost smiled. Their mistake.

Yes, it was. But I have something important to tell you.

What is it?

John wants to come in, but Lorna and Marcos are cautioning him.

Relief washed over Clarice and she might've smiled if the image of John's face baring a stony expression as he paced back and forth didn't concern her. She knew that the only reason they were staying their hand was the sheer number of innocents. Sounds about right.

He cares about you, they can't keep him back much longer.

She glanced around the store, mindful to keep the Purifiers' attention off of her as her gaze was drawn to the large windows in the front and winced as sunlight glinted off the hood of a car. She smiled as an idea began to slowly form. Can you reach John?

No, he's shielding me. Lorna too.

Marcos?

No, what do you want me to say?

Tell him he can flash us…he'll understand. And tell everyone to close their eyes.

Kala smiled. Even me?

Just to be safe. She pulled Emilia away, keeping her voice at a whisper. "Hey Emilia, my friends are coming in to help us, okay? But I need you to close your eyes. There's going to be a really bright light."

She closed her eyes and shielded Emilia right as light flooded the store.

Erratic gunfire erupted and Clarice cried out as one nicked her thigh before the familiar warbling sound of Lorna's abilities reached her ears as the bullets were stopped and the guns were yanked from their hands.

She finally opened her eyes in time to see John bodily throw one of the men aside, along with a young man she presumed was James. She ushered Emilia over to her mother before using one of the nearby shelves to pull herself up, gasping as she put weight on her injured leg. "Shit."

"Clarice!"

She nearly sobbed in relief as she collapsed into John's side and she could feel some of the tension leave him as he gently held her face in his hands, those fathomless dark eyes seeming to drink in her features. "You don't know how happy I am to see you."

He smiled, thumb brushing over her marks, "I told you, you didn't have to do anything."

"I would be a horrible girlfriend if I didn't do something for your birthday."

His eyes zeroed in on her leg, "You're hit."

"It's just a graze, John."

He lifted her up with ease, "We should have Caitlyn check it out."

Clarice sighed, shooting a glare at a snickering James as John moved towards the entrance and he stopped moments before Emilia called out her name. She requested to be put down in voice only he could hear, the man grudgingly doing so. She forced a smile as the straightening of her leg sent a flash of pain through her. "Hey, sweetheart."

Eyes the beautiful color of rose-gold looked at the blood soaking the denim. "You're hurt."

"I'm fine, Emilia. Are you and your mom okay?"

Her mother nodded, looking at both her and John, "We're both alright, thanks to you."

He inclined his chin with a small smile.

The woman adjusted the girl on her hip, "Emilia has a question she wants to ask you."

"Okay." She turned a questioning smile on the girl, "What is it?"

Emilia repeated, "I can help you."

Clarice nearly laughed at the statement that was meant to be a question, noting her mother seemed to be doing the same. "Help me with what?"

"Your leg."

Clarice looked at the girl's mom.

"She's a healer." She explained, expression growing more serious, "I've always been cautious of her using her gifts around others, especially given what they are and how young she is but you both have done so much for us and she wants to help."

Clarice went to shake her head, knowing how much energy mutants with healing abilities expended with even years of experience and training. The last thing she wanted was the little girl exerting or hurting herself and went to say so when John's fingers squeezed her shoulder, looking back to see John nod.

He, more than her, had experience with others like Emilia (hell, he might've trained a few) and if John was okay with it, then Clarice would trust him. He wasn't one to endanger a child for selfish reasons so she nodded, "Yes, Emilia, you can help."

Her entire face lit up with a grin as her mother set her down before the girl came over.

John helped her to sit, closing his eyes and placing one hand on the ground.

The mom glanced at him.

"John's a tracker." Clarice smiled, "He'll keep an eye out."

The woman's worry visibly lessened, "Go on, Emilia."

Clarice bit back a hiss when Emilia pressed one hand to the wound, her eyes widening as light moved under the girl's pearlescent skin, pure white light moving through her veins and pooling in her palm in a sight reminiscent of Marcos as he drew on the heat in his blood.

Emilia's eyes glowed with that same light just before they closed.

There was a brief flicker of pain as her skin stitched itself back together, leaving behind nothing but a pink line of a long-healed wound. She ran her own fingers over the mark, poking at the flesh around it and smiled at the girl when there was no pain. "Thank you, Emilia."

The girl grinned, wrapping her arms around Clarice's neck before turning to John, whose smile was warm as he opened as his eyes and gently embraced her, murmuring a thank you in his native language.

They both watched as the little girl and her mother walked away.

John helped her to her feet. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," Clarice leaned into his side, "Thank you for coming."

He pressed a kiss to her temple, "I'll always come for you."