Rage of Innocence

[hellfire_empath]

Brooke was pretty sure she knew why she had been summoned into Rachel’s office. She waited outside, dressed in a floral-print Dolce and Gabbana dress and blue suede Christian Louboutins, both freshly delivered from Barney's. She wanted to appear mature, adult, and demure, projecting the image of a young woman who was savagely attacked by a little blonde monster from the ninety-nine percent who was hating on Brooke for no reason other than the fact that Brooke owned shoes that the mangy little snow rat could never afford.

Or something to that effect.

Would Rachel buy it?

Brooke doubted that. Granted, given the history between Rachel’s family and Brooke’s, it was hardly likely that the red-haired telepath would ever take the brunette empath’s side on anything.

Meanwhile, Bobbi was probably getting taught how to make ice cream with her powers so she could give herself a treat whenever she picked on someone better than her.

She sighed and continued waiting for Rachel, reading out of a book of short stories by Edith Wharton. At least Edith Wharton could always be counted upon to bring some class and sophistication, if no one else could.

Comments

[hellfire_empath]

"Apparently, my aunt Martinique didn't approve of the relationship, and so he broke things off with my mother, so she wouldn't ruin her relationship with her family." Not that Brooke could verify this, since Martinique was allegedly dead. "But they left things on a sour note, I suppose." Brooke nodded. "So yes, you're in the ballpark."

[nohoundsallowed]

With all that the Wyngardes had done to her family, Rachel found it vaguely unsettling that she would side with them. However, the man who went by Empath was much worse at the mind games.

"I don't know that because I'm up on Wyngarde family events, Brooke. I honestly try to ignore what your family is currently doing if they're not apart of something that is threatening to Xavier's. I figured out what he said because it fits his profile. The traits I mentioned to you earlier? Your father hits all of them solidly. He's a master manipulator without his powers."

[hellfire_empath]

"..." Brooke tilted her head and studied Rachel for a long, solid moment. Despite the history between their families, Xavier's people were generally a goody-goody crowd. Rachel wouldn't lie to her.

But at the same time...

She frowned, softly.

"But, socio -" she couldn't bring herself to say the full word, now. It made her mouth feel wrong. "But, the condition...it's not permanent, right? It can be..." cured was never really the right word for mental issues, "dealt with?" Still not the right phrasing, probably. "What if he's changed?"

That? That was a daughter who wanted more than anything to believe that her parents had loved each other, and who wanted to hold on to the real flesh-and-blood father that her mother had denied her.

[nohoundsallowed]

"Dissocial personality disorder," Rachel supplied helpfully. "Technical terms carry less stigma if it helps."

She was trying to tread carefully. She could see the desire to have a real, perfect father. "There's been positive results for therapeutic interventions, but that requires someone else bringing it to his attention to work on it. I can't honestly say if there's anyone with the strength to step in to do that for your father."

Because if Manuel did not like what you were saying, there would be hard emotional repercussions.

[hellfire_empath]

"I think I preferred it when I thought this conversation was going to be about taking away my privileges to go into the city for two weeks," Brooke said dryly.

[nohoundsallowed]

"I won't apologize for being concerned about your well-being," Rachel noted. "And the incident with Bobbi just brought it to the fore."

[hellfire_empath]

"I wasn't searching for one," Brooke said. "Though I'll be sure to thank Bobbi for this startling little revelation." She crossed and uncrossed her legs, shifting in her seat. In a startling moment of clarity, she added, "Given all of the genetic information that's gone to create me, you realize that you pretty much have a Herculean task ahead of you, right? My Fair Lady, this isn't." Pause. "Even if I am the fairest lady of them all."

[nohoundsallowed]

A bit of a wry grin peaked out from underneath Rachel's calm facade. "If we agree you're not Eliza Doolittle, then we have to agree I'm no Henry Higgins."

She stood up and offered her hand to Brooke. "If you'll agree to my help, I'll do my best to shoulder the herculean task in front of both of us. Things between our families are never easy, but I'm willing."

[hellfire_empath]

"Then I'll be thankful that Mr. Ramsey isn't Pickering." Brooke stood up and shook Rachel's hand. There was a good chance that, once their hands touched, Rachel would feel a swirling maelstrom of emotions beneath Brooke's seemingly calm, lightly-joking exterior.

"If this helps me become a polished, classy, beloved society matron one day," not to mention, the best queen the Hellfire Club had ever had, "then I'll work with you as best I can."