A/N: I, of course, do not own any character featured in a Marvel comic/movie/cartoon. It would be plain ridiculous to assume that I did. This story was brought over from Mibba, so if you see it there, it's okay. The story itself is set after the third film (The Last Stand), and will include information given via X-Men Origins: Wolverine. So if you haven't seen either and don't want anything spoiled, you may want to hold off, or you can go ahead and read. Your choice. And please feel free to leave reviews!
"Good morning, Eric."
A young woman with waved black hair dropped gently onto a stone bench and pressed her ToGo coffee to her pursed lips. Every Thursday morning Emma Jackson went to Central Park to play a game of chess with her good friend Eric Lensherr.
"Good morning, Emma," Eric's gaze lingered on the woman's dark sunglasses, which she wore even in the rain, "Are you still not going to take those ridiculous things off?"
Emma paused and looked up from her open purse, "You know why I wear them, Eric. Not for them, but for me."
She adjusted the thick lenses on the bridge of her nose. She knew who Eric had been, and he knew what she was. There were few secrets between the two. He had been Magneto, and she was a mutant. Eric let a smile cross his face as he placed the pieces on the board. She was his new companion, but he knew she wasn't ready for the backlash of the war she had been fighting.
"You always say it's for you, Emma, but when will you really mean it?"
Emma zipped her purse together and placed it at her feet, "Eric, I do not delve into your personal life and you should not do so to mine. I come here because you are a damn good chess player."
"As you wish," the elderly man smiled and took the first move. A pawn.
It had been only a few months since the Alcatraz incident, and there was still much tension between humans and mutants. Riots had broken out in small clusters all over the country. There were curfews for all civilized creatures, set by the president. Children were to attend school, and must be home by 6:00 pm. Adults were to attend work places, and shop at certain intervals until 8:00pm.
Hospitals were overrun with mutants seeking help, but were not able to care for them. There were many doctors who were anti-mutant, or anti-human and would go out of their ways to find reasons to not care for an injured or sick person. There were even times when the doctors would let patients die. Those were the times, and there was little to be done about it.
Eric Lensherr was no longer in the game of mutant versus human. His power had been stolen from him when he was injected with The Cure, and now he was just another elderly man sitting in the park. His life had become so droll in comparison to what it had been months before. His companion had been "cured" before him, and although he thought of her as nothing but mere human now, he still considered himself to be of the mutant race; therefore, he was still as anti-human as ever.
Emma Jackson was a mutant doctor; she was also an activist against The Cure, and against the anti-human network. Half of her life she'd spent to educating mutants and humans alike of each other, but with the battles won and lost her hope was fading. She had been fired from the private hospital she worked at, and had been arrested on account of her pro-mutant connections and she herself being a mutant.
"I hear you have a job interview today, Emma. Where at?" Eric asked, watching his partner as she moved her chess piece. He had a hard time reading her face through the black lenses of hers.
"I'm sure you know the place. I'm up for a job at Xavier's school, since Jean Grey is no longer with us." Emma placed her piece and waited for his reply.
"A bright one she was, powerful as well," he moved his bishop, "But you are better qualified for the job. The only reason she was a part of the staff was because of her former education there. Aside from Wolverine, you will be the first non-student to be a part of Xavier's little school."
Emma moved yet another piece, her knight. Eric checked the gold wristwatch of his and glanced back to her, "You don't want to be late for such an opportunity, do you?"
----
As she passed through the gate of Xavier's School of Gifted Youngsters, Emma couldn't help but wonder if she would be well liked by these people. She was after all replacing a former student, good friend, and good teacher all in one. She worried about being well received in most situations due to her disability, but this was much different.
Emma stopped and parked her car right outside the building's front entrance and crunched up the gravel to the large oak doors. She pressed the lit up doorbell and waited with her hands a wringing. One moment later the door opened and Emma faced a young blond boy.
"I'll be there in a minute, Kitty!" he called over his shoulder, and focused back to the black haired woman in front of him, "Can I help you?"
Emma smiled, and then toned it down, "Yes. I'm here to speak to Ororo Monroe, about a job?"
"Oh, yeah; come in," Bobby shut the door behind her as she stepped into the main entrance of the mansion, "She's in her office. I'm Bobby, by the way."
He held his hand out and she shook it, "I'm Emma."
He was quite a looker. He motioned for her to follow him, so she did. Down the hall, past closed doors, the kitchen, the common room, and a set of stairs. The pair came to a stop at the end of a hall way, and Bobby knocked on one of the many closed doors. He smiled an "all-American-boy" smile, and started off, calling back wishes of luck. Emma waved a 'thanks', and waited for the door to open.
When it did, a slender woman with dark complexion and outstanding chalky colored hair greeted her, "Emma Jackson? You're a little bit late, but it's a pleasure to meet you anyhow. I'm Ororo Monroe."
Ororo let Emma pass into the room and Emma spoke, "I'm sorry about that. Being late. I was tied up with a friend of mine back in the city. I expected to be here earlier, but he's got a hard fix on keeping me."
The older woman smiled, "No problem. Have a seat."
They both sat in their respected chairs, across from each other over a glass table. Emma set her purse down at her feet and shyly said, "It's great to finally meet you. I'm so glad that you've considered me for the job. I really need it."
Ororo chuckled, "Oh, the pleasure is all ours. We've been in need of a new doctor for months. I know a little, but not nearly enough to keep the kids from getting sick, or how to cure them of colds and flues. You're resume is impressing, and you are the first fully qualified medical personnel I've interviewed in weeks."
Emma gave a small smile, and wondered, "What about the others who are qualified?"
"They were scared off by the mention of mutants. Most of them were humans who were pro-mutant, but the job was too risky for them. I know all about your run-in with the law, and I'm proud to see that it doesn't affect you."
"Well, the man I worked for has a daughter like us. He didn't want to let me go, but it was in the best interest of the hospital. Because of my rap, it would have endangered their reputation. I can't blame them. They are good people."
Ororo nodded. She was glancing through a manila file folder, probably Emma's own resume. The woman looked up at the young doctor and smiled, "Welcome aboard Dr. Jackson."