Chapter One
The black haired girl pulled up to the large iron gates, hit the button for her window, and waited patiently for it to roll down. She reached out to the key pad and punched in her number code. Her finely arched brows raised when the machine beeped and the gates started to open. The Professor had had more faith than she'd had. Putting her Viper into gear, she eased by the gates, lavender eyes gazing ahead at the stately mansion that rose into the sky line. Even with the damage Xavier had told her about, it still looked the same. She couldn't tell where the repairs were.
As she braked in front of the large double doors, they opened. She felt a sudden wave of misgiving. Why was she here? What could she do that these people weren't already doing? But even as she asked herself these questions, she knew the answers. She was here because this was her home, even after fifteen years and all the miles she had put behind her. This place was still her sanctuary, the one other place she was accepted for what she was.
She switched the car off and opened the door, only to be pulled up and into a tight hug. Her face was smothered by white hair, slender arms holding tight around her neck. It could only be one person. She wrapped her arms around Ororo, returning the hug, her mouth splitting into a wide smile. 'Ro pulled back, looked into her eyes and smiled back, hugging her again.
"I'm so glad you're here, Jas. It's been unspeakably dreary around here." 'Ro pulled away, staring into Jas's lavender eyes.
"Well I'm here to help in anyway I can. You know that." Jasmine Englham gave Ororo a meaningful look. "We both know why the Professor chose you to be his successor. From what I hear, you're doing a marvelous job." Jasmine tucked her arm into 'Ro's and pulled the other woman around the car, heading towards the people gathered on the steps.
"Who have you been talking to?" Ro looked at the others with accusation shining in her eyes, and a smile teasing the corner of her mouth.
"Hank called me after he found out that you were talking to me. He helped me decide to come back." The big blue man under discussion ambled over to them and took Jasmine into his hairy arms, hugging her tight as well. She turned back to Ro and smiled a big smile. "And it's about time the two of you got together. The Professor and I thought at one time that we would have to intervene and convince you to go at it. Those were not his words mind you." The other two smiled as they can imagine what the man had said.
"Open the trunk, girl and we'll get your stuff unloaded." Jasmine watched as the trunk popped open and Hank motioned for a few other men to come help him. Ro turned to her to introduce the others to her.
"Jas, this is Bobby Drake, aka Iceman, and Piotr aka Colossus. And this is Logan, the Wolverine."
Logan stopped to sniff the air leveling an intense look at her. Jasmine's eyebrows raised for the second time that day. The man in front of her looked as dangerous as the Professor had told her he was. But there was something in his eyes that made her draw away from him. She felt a sensation go through her body as his eyes bored into hers. But there was something else there too. Something that she couldn't define yet. She pushed at his mind a little and encountered a wall. One that was familiar. The Professor's signature was all over it. She knew some about the sordid history of the man in front of her, but she knew there was more that the Professor hadn't told him.
"The Professor told me about you, Logan."
"That a fact?" His gruff voice slid over her. He hefted a bag out of her trunk, one of her biggest bags, and then lifted another. He turned to her and looked at her again, this time with less animosity in his eyes. "What did he tell you?"
"That you were a good teacher, an even better fighter. How you had come to be at the school, what happened afterwards. Everything that he could think of over the past four years. I know some of everyone at the school now, not just the ones I know personally." She looked up at the mansion, a small smile gracing her plump lips.
"When did he tell you all of this?" Logan looked confused.
"Just before he went to find Jean that last time. He knew he wouldn't make it out alive, and needed to transfer everything to someone else. I got a crash course in the school in just a few hours. The files will fill in any hole that was left out." She shook herself, and turned to find Ro's eyes misting up. The sun overhead was blocked out be clouds. "Hey," Jasmine started gently, "I thought it was supposed to be sunny."
"Sorry," Ro smiled and then her eyes turned white and the clouds moved away. "The Professor said much the same thing to me just before..." her smile was watery now, but the sun still shined. Jasmine nodded her head in understanding, before linking her arm through Ro's and heading toward the doors. They stopped as they came upon the girls standing on the steps watching everything. "This is Kitty, Shadowcat, Jubilation Lee, Jubilee, and Marie, Rogue."
"Ah the Rogue. I know about you too. The Professor had great hopes for you in learning to control your power. I know you went to take the cure. How are you now?" The sincere look in Jasmine's eyes put everyone to rest. She didn't condemn any of the mutants that had taken the cure. And certainly not Rogue.
"My powers have started to come back, but I can control them. At least right now." The girl smiled shyly at Jasmine. "Everyone calls me Marie now, instead of Rogue."
I'd like to help you learn more control as your powers come back fully, Marie. I know you can do it, just as the Professor knew.
Marie's smile stretched off her face when she heard those words. She had missed the telepathic link that she had had with Xavier. It was good know that there would be someone to fill his shoes. The two older women passed everyone and went in. They stopped and the new one looked around, taking everything in, not missing one figurine, one wood panel. The look in her eyes made all three girls smile. Everything would be fine.
"And finally we have two new faculty members with us this year. Dr Hank McCoy will be our resident doctor and our new science teacher. And Dr Jasmine Englham. Dr Englham has telepathic and telekinesis powers. As well as a wealth of other powers. I'm sure at some point during the year you will all see everything she can do. She will have the physics classes and all personal management lessons. Make sure you know both of them and know where to find them. This is a new year for our school, and it will be better than ever. Now let's all go to breakfast."
A cheer went up in the auditorium, making Logan wince at the noise. Everyone tended to forget that his ears were so sensitive. But then this was a school, what could he expect. He wandered away from the crowd, watching as the new doctor mingled with parents, kids and teachers. He picked up her scent, the one unfamiliar scent that hung in the halls. In the week since she had arrived, he had avoided her. In the few seconds that she had looked into his eyes on the first day, he felt that she had known all about him. It was unnerving. The only other person that had ever made him feel that way was the Professor. That connection had been severed when Jean had killed him.
Or so he thought. But here it was, with another person. One that was like the Professor. It was a scary feeling, to have that connection be opened again so suddenly. He watched as an older couple came up behind her. She turned around when the woman spoke, then squealed, hugging them both. When they pulled back, Ororo stepped up and was hugged by the pair. Next Hank was shaking the man's hand and enfolding the woman in a gentle embrace. The five talked for about ten minuets , then parted ways, Hank and Ororo heading off to talk to more students and parents. The doctor and the couple heading for the stairs. It looked like they would be staying.
Logan turned and went out. He made his daily round of the perimeter, checking all the security points. He lit a cigar, thinking as he walked. The feeling that he had had when he killed Jean had been horrible. He killed the woman he loved. The dread swept through him, as his tears fell. He would have stabbed himself if it would have done any good. He had thought then that he would have to live with this awful feeling for eternity. But to his surprise, it was fading. And that scared him even more than what he had done. It meant that he didn't care as much as he had thought. Or maybe he was just moving on.
After he walked the entire perimeter, he went back to the school. By then it was dinner time, with all the kids, parents and teachers gathered in the large dinning room. Logan didn't feel like dealing with everyone, so he by-passed the dinning room, opting for the patio off the library. As he rounded the corner, a smell drifted to his nose, making him stop to sniff the air. There on the patio, standing in the glow of the yellow lights coming from the house, was Dr Englham. She seemed to have an air of exhaustion around her. He moved closer and watched her, waiting for her to notice him.
Jasmine had come outside to get away from all the people. Her shields were still firmly in place, but she needed time away, time to think where there weren't people on all sides asking her questions. She knew that she had made the right decision, but still she was nervous. Charles Xavier had left big shoes to fill and Jasmine knew that she could do it with no trouble. Getting everyone else to stop worrying about her was going to be the hard part. Of course once they saw her in all her glory, they would know what she could do. But she secretly hoped that she wouldn't have to use any of her powers in the near future.
Being back at the mansion had made her think of everything that had made her leave fifteen years ago. So much had happened since then, but it was still fresh in her mind, like it was yesterday. One night in particular stood out. The night she had lost her virginity...to Magneto of all people. No one knew it of course. As far as she knew, not even Charles had known. She had been only fifteen, and he was 45.
It was a few months before her 16th birthday. Scott had broken up with her a week ago. Since then she had walked around in a daze, doing what she needed to do, but nothing else. Both Charles and Erik had noticed and had tried to pull her out of if, tried to get her to talk to them. But she wasn't ready.
One morning on her morning jog with 'Ro and Hank, they suddenly stopped moving. It seemed as if they were trying to protect her from something. 'Ro took her arm and tried to turn her toward the back of the mansion, instead of going the way they usually did. But Jasmine easily shook her off, pushing past Hank, only to stop again.
There in front of her, sitting on her bench, was Scott and Jean. They were wrapped in a passionate embrace, until Scott picked Jean up and laid her down on the ground. Jasmine couldn't watch anymore, she turned and ran as fast as she could into her mansion, up the stairs and to her room, never noticing Charles and Erik standing in the foyer. She didn't hear 'Ro and Hank telling the two men what had happened. She was so intent on getting to her room and letting the dam burst that she wasn't thinking.
Hours later, after she had calmed down, she made a decision. One that she felt was right. It wasn't until she was out of her room, on her way to tell the Professor, that she remembered that he wasn't there. In fact no one but Erik was there. He might had been the better choice anyway. He wouldn't try to talk her out of anything. He'd always had a soft spot for her, and now she was thankful for that.
She used her senses to find him, surprised to find him in his room. He was still awake, but she hadn't realized what time it was. But she was determined to go on with it, so she used her powers, to lift herself up and through the ceiling of her floor, onto the staff floor. She walked to his door and knocked. It immediately swung open to reveal Erik standing in front of his window, watching the a storm rolling in.
"You should probably ask who it is, before you do that." She said. He turned and smiled at her which she returned. She walked over to stand beside him. They looked out at the clouds, dark and billowing. "I'm sorry you've missed your vacation because of me. I didn't even think about that until I was going to find Charles." He watched her for a moment before responding.
"It's quite all right, my dear. I wanted a break from the little brats more than to see the beach." His smile was genuine, though Jasmine knew how much he liked the beach. She watched him for a few minutes, and noticed for the first time just how handsome he is. "'Ro and Hank told Charles and I what happened. You can trust me when I say that they will be dealt with, thought it's too late to take it back."
"They'd already moved to the ground and had started taking off their clothes when I turned and ran. I could have stopped them, but I wasn't thinking too clearly as it was, and that didn't help matters any. Which brings me to why I was going to talk to Charles." Erik smiled at her persistence in calling his old friend by his given name.
"Would you like to tell me instead?" Erik watched the girl beside him. Something was different tonight. He couldn't quite figure out what it was, but he knew that something would change between them tonight. "If you'd rather wait, I'd understand." But he hoped she wouldn't. He turned to face her, his arms crossed over his chest. He had the sudden urge to reach out and take her into his arms and kiss her. She was only fifteen in years, but so much more mentally.
"I've decided that when I graduate next year, I'm going to leave the Institute. I'll be sixteen in a few months, and I'll graduate just after that. I'm already taking college classes, so I'll be ahead. I still want to be a doctor, and I think I can finish before I'm too old." She looked up at him, her eyes shining. "And although I know it will seem that I've made this decision because of what happened, I haven't. Charles will see that when he looks into my mind."
"I won't try to change your mind. I know you better than most. I will say that if you ever need anything, all you have to do is call. I'll be there." Against his better judgment, Erik reached out and ran his finger down her cheek. At her soft sigh, he stepped closer. His finger moved along her jaw and down her neck, then back up to trace her lips.
Everything in him screamed that he shouldn't do this, but he ignored it, shut him mind down and just felt for once. Jasmine stepped closer, coming to within an inch of his body. She looked up at him through thick lashes, her eyes suddenly seductive. A slight smile curled her full lips. Erik fought it as long as he could, but he gave in and leaned down to take her lips in a gentle kiss.
Jasmine gasped softly into the kiss, opening her mouth for him immediately. Erik moaned. one hand going to the back of her neck and the other wrapping around her waist, dragging her to him. Jasmine's hands went to his shoulders as the kiss grew deeper and more passionate. Se was drowning in the sensations of his mouth and hands.
She was suddenly pushed away. Erik looked down at her, his eyes dilated, his breathing ragged. Hers was no better, making her breasts heave up and down. Her lips were swollen. Her hair slightly mussed. And she wanted more. How is it that I've never realized how much I wanted this? She looked into his eyes, seeing that he hadn't wanted to push her away. She stepped close again, pushing herself to him. She looked into his eyes, letting her want show in her eyes, sending him a mental picture incase he didn't understand her eyes. The shocked look that came onto his face let her know that her message had been received. His eyes darkened again, his breathing that had calmed a bit, sped back up. He reached for her, pulling her roughly to him. Her arms immediately went around his neck, stretching her body along his.
"We shouldn't do this, Jasmine..." He leaned down to kiss her again, walking her toward his king sized bed. He pulled her tight against him then pushed her down to lay on his bed. He towered above her for moment.
"But we will, Erik. You want it as bad as I do. You can't deny it, you can't hide it. Just give in and do what we both want." She smiled at him, a sexy seductive smile that shouldn't look right on the face of a fifteen year old. That smile sent heat straight to Erik already over heated member. He quit struggling with it, he gave in and laid down beside her on the bed.
"This will hurt you, Jasmine. I can't do anything about that. But I can give you pleasure before the pain." He placed a hand on her stomach, moving his fingers slowly. The material bunch under his hand, drawing up to expose her skin. Her breathing hitched when his finger touched her naked skin for the first time.
"Then what are you waiting for?" She sent him that smile again. Her smile widened when she started to float, realizing she had metal on and he was using it to move her. He settled her in the middle of the big bed, crawling over to join her. She heard her zipper start to unzip, she looked up at Erik, sucking in her breath. He had never looked more...sexy. That was the only word that would come to her just then. He stalked her like an animal stalked it's prey. If it weren't for the fact that she knew him so well, she would be scared. As it was, it only served to inflame her more.
"Are you sure about this, Jasmine? We can still stop. There will be no mention of this ever again." She watched his eyes. He didn't want to stop, but he didn't want to do something that she didn't want. She touched his face, her first touch of the night. She closed her eyes and entered his mind.
She saw herself as he saw her. Over the summer when she had gotten a new bathing suit, she had worn it to the pool. Everyone was there before her, so when she walked out in that daring little number, that was no more than strings, everyone had looked up. Erik watched her walk by, he was staring at her breast that were barely contained in the triangles, and her rear that was hardly covered at all. He'd had to get up and go inside before someone saw his huge erection.
She saw herself one morning at about 1am. She couldn't sleep that night. She had thought that everyone was asleep, so she had slipped out of her room without her robe, clothed in only a skimpy purple nightie that didn't leave much to the imagine. She had been wrong in her assumption that everyone was asleep. She walked into the kitchen to find Erik sitting at the island with a cup of coffee, reading the paper. She saw that now, he was only trying to read the paper, not succeeding, his mind on the dream that had woke him up. A dream about her, like she was now. Only with much less clothes on.
Jasmine came back to herself and opened her eyes. Erik was still waiting for her answer to his question. Her response was to sit up, she noticed the look of disappointment in his eyes. She smiled as she reached down, took the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head. She flung it somewhere to her right, not knowing and not care where it landed. She heard Erik gasp at the sight of her naked chest. She hadn't put a bra on before she left her room. She leaned forward, placing her hands on the side of his face, drawing him down to kiss her. She used her powers to unbutton his shirt. When the last button came undone, she pushed it off his shoulders and pulled him against her, naked chest to naked chest.
"I'm sure, Erik. I've never been more sure about anything. Even if this is just a one night stand, I want this. I want YOU!" That was all Erik needed to hear. Her pants were being tugged off. They came off without any trouble due to that fact that she was barefoot. In a matter of seconds, she lay beneath him in only her underwear.
"It not fair that you still have your pants on, Erik." She tugged at them, her small hands trembling.
"No, not yet, Jasmine. Let me pleasure you first." He didn't give her a chance to say anything else. He swooped down, taking her mouth in wide abandon. His hands wandered her body, one hand on her breasts, the other moving toward her center. He tore his mouth away, and attacked her neck, nipping the delicate flesh there. She ached as he touched her through the material of her panties. His mouth moved down to his chest. When his mouth latched onto a nipple, she screamed, pushing her pussy into his hand. She had never known such pleasure.
Erik continued to suck her nipple, moving to the neglected one, causing a deep moan to escape her. He kept her panties between them as he stroked her. He wanted the first touch she got there to be his mouth. With that in mind he, left her breasts, as much as he liked them, and moved down ward. He stopped to lave her navel, smiling wickedly up at her when she gasped and bucked into his hand. He'd have to remember that for the future.
When he reached the top of her panties, he stopped, just watching her. When she looked into his eyes, he hooked his fingers into the sides of the material and pulled them down and off. His first look at her womanhood took his breath away. He just stared for a moment, the lurched forward, setting his mouth to her flesh. He used his fingers to pull her apart, his tongue darting into her folds. The moan of pleasure that came from Jasmine was enough to make Erik come right then and there, but he held off, wanting to save it for later, when he had taken her. And he would. She was sending him images of her, when she had been so aroused by him, and in her innocent thinking that it was Scott that made her feel that way. Erik suddenly wanted to wipe Scott... and Remy?... that was a surprise...from her mind. He wanted to replace them with himself, to be the only man she ever thought of.
He felt her enter his mind again, becoming truly one with him. It was more than he had ever experienced with a woman before. He focused completely on ravishing her body, letting her have reign over his mind. He drove his fingers into her entrance, going as deep as possible, until he felt her hymen. He moved his fingers, searching for her spot. The noises she was making suggested that she was liking what he was doing, but he wanted more from her.
He found the spot suddenly, brushing it lightly with his fingers tips at first. She screamed and her legs clamped around his head, trapping it there between them, as if to hold him in place. He moved his tongue of her now sensitive clit while he moved his finger harder on her spot. Jasmine began to thrust her hips up, burying his face in her core, she was moaning, her mind in his a jumble of yeses and mores.
Finally he moved his finger in the right way, and sucked her clit into his mouth with right pressure. Jasmine broke apart. "Erik!!!!" She screamed his name loudly, then her fluids rushed out of her body and into Erik's mouth. He lapped up all he could, his tongue in her body now, enjoying the feel of her clamping around him, hardly waiting to have her clamp around another part of him.
She stopped coming and relaxed her legs on his head. He sat up and licked his lips, tasting her there. She looked satisfied, smiling at him. She held her hands out to him, offering more of herself. He crawled up her body, dropping kisses as he went. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him down on her, her mouth seeking his own. She tasted herself on his lips, her arousal rising again.
"Too many clothes, Erik." She smiled, and there is was again, that smile that made him hot all over, going straight to his groin. She took him by surprise when she rolled them over, putting him on his back. Jasmine straddled him, her still hot core resting on his equally hot member. She smiled devilishly as she used her powers to unzip his pants and pull them down. She floated above him as his pants and boxers were stripped off, then she settled on him once more.
"I want to take you into my body. I want you to see me and I want to see you." She touched him for the first time, her eyes going wide as she took in the size of him. Her gaze quickly moved down to the living flesh that she was holding in her hand. He could feel her eyes on him, taking everything in, hoping that she wouldn't be scared. He just now realized how daunting his size might be to her. But when she looked into his eyes again, all he saw was lust, hot and passionate.
"Glad to see that you're not scared. So what are you going to do now?" His smile was like hers, devilish.
"I'm going to give myself to you." She raised herself on her knees, took hold of him...
"Jasmine, wait, we need protection..." and dropped down on him, impaling herself fully on his thick penis. They both gasped. Jasmine from the pain, and Erik from the sensation of entering her with nothing on himself. He hadn't done that in years.
"You foolish girl...you have to get off. We need a condom." His voice was tight. He didn't want one.
"No we don't..."
"Now listen to me, Jasmine, we have to use one, you don't want to get preg-"
"I'm on the pill, Erik. It's safe." He was quiet at that.
"Why are you on the pill?" He had to know.
"At first I thought it was because I had been planning on letting Scott have sex with me. But even when I thought of that, it didn't seem right. I started thinking about getting it that night I came down stairs in my nightie and you were there. Once I realized when I started wanting to it, I knew who I was planning on being with." She leaned down, making them both moan as it caused friction where they were joined. "I didn't plan on this tonight, but I was going to try to seduce you, Erik. I knew that I wanted to feel you, in all your glory," she smiled widely at that, "and I knew that to do that, I needed to be protected." She gazed into his eyes, making sure he was looking in hers. "You're the only one I want, Erik. Only you." She placed her lips on his, waiting for him to decide.
She didn't have to wait long. His mouth opened under hers, his tongue plunging into her mouth. She felt his hands going to her hips. He moved her, making her break the kiss, her eyes becoming unfocused, as he thrust up into her body. The pain was gone now, and Jasmine just felt Erik in her, and the sensations that he was giving her.
She was flipped, Erik over her, thrusting into her heat. She wrapped her legs around his waist, her nails digging into his shoulders, nearly drawing blood. The sounds of sex echoed in the room. Erik pistoned into her, his balls slapping her flesh.
"Erik...oh...Erik!!" Jasmine arched her back, threw her head back. She tightened her legs around him, trying to pull him deeper. Erik reached a hand down, pushing a finger on her button. Suddenly Jasmine felt her body explode. She screamed louder than before, her body shook, she nearly blacked out. She heard Erik roar above her, and felt his release. For a fleeting moment, she wished that she wasn't on the pill. She would have liked to have Erik's baby. Erik collapsed down on her, and she welcomed his weight. Jasmine wrapped her arms around Erik, holding him close as they recovered, with him still imbedded deeply in her body. Finally Erik rolled them to their sides.
"Jasmine..." She placed her fingers on his lips, stopping whatever words he would say.
"Not now. If you can't ever look at me the same after this, I'll understand. But I will not regret this. I...I love you Erik Lensherr, and nothing will change that." She leaned forward and kissed him, gently, lovingly.
"I was only going to say thank you. No one's ever given me so much as you. I don't want this to be a one night stand. As long as you can accept that this will end when you leave for college."
"If I can have you that long, it'll be worth it." She smiled again, this time a little sleeply. He smiled back, drawing her closer and pulling the covers around them. She felt him finally slip out of her as they shifted around, getting comfortable. There was a dull ache between her legs, but she liked it. It meant that she had her man.
A sound to her left brought her back from the past and made her turn. In the shadows she recognized Logan, lounging against the wall, drawing on a cigar. She turned to him and watched as he came out of the shadows, into the light spilling from the library. The Professor had been right about this one. He was dangerous, in more ways than one. He cocked his head, coming to stand beside her, leaning against railing. She turned and mimicked his position. They were both quiet as they stared out into the night.
"So...why are you out here on the deck, and not in there with all the guests?" Logan glanced at her, then back out over the grounds. He sensed exhaustion coming off her in waves. He waited patiently for the answer.
"I'm tired of all the questions. People that I went to school with are now supporters, and they want to know why I dropped out of sight for that last fifteen years." As she spoke, Logan turned to face her fully. He hadn't noticed her accent before. It was a beautiful sounding Irish lit. She looked at him with her lavender eyes, more openly than she had been to him yet. "I had a long flight from Dublin, and a long drive here. It's been up and down since I got here. I need some time alone to think and reorder my thoughts. Everyone just keeps coming at me." She looked at him, a comical look in her eyes now. "And this just in; Ro wants me to plan the last minuet details of the ball."
"What ball?" Logan raised his eyebrow at her, a look of confusion on his face. Jas just looked at him.
"Do you really not know about the ball?" Jasmine looked at him curiously, a hint of laughter in her eyes. She couldn't believe that this man had no clue as to what was going on around him.
"No, I really don't know." Logan stared at her face, an eyebrow arched, waiting to hear the explanation.
"It's only going to be the biggest event of the school year. 'Ro feels that with everything that's happened lately, the kids, parents and alumni need a reason to get together and celebrate. When she told me about, I was all for it, but then she unloaded her plan about me being the one in charge of making it come off without a hitch. We had big parties like this when I was here. I was the one that the Professor leaned on to make things work. I even arranged for a sort of patronage to take place for all the kids at the school. The idea was for each kid to be paired with a more mature person. They would spend time together and hopefully form a bond to last a life time."
The way she said it, he had the impression that she had benefitted from a relationship like that. Her eyes gazed out, unseeing, thinking of the past of a patron that she had grown close to. Or maybe she was thinking about her years at the school as a student, remembering something. A noise from the room behind them brought her back to the present making her shake herself slowly. She turned back to him.
"'Ro wants that to happen again. And that's all there is to it. It'll be a very big deal that benefits the children. There will be a lot of dresses, black ties and little kids running around. Lots of laughter and food. Wine for the adults, cool aid for the kids. Clanking china and plastic." She smiled at him, her face half lit by the light from inside. He smiled back at her, until he heard footsteps coming their way. He turned to see the older couple that she had hugged earlier. Dr Englham turned as the man cleared his throat.
"We were wondering where you had gotten to, dear." The woman, who had the same accent as the doctor, smiled at Logan, a smile that he liked, that made him feel welcome. The woman standing beside him smiled too.
"I'm fine, just needed a bit of breathing room. Mum, Da, I'd like to introduce Logan, the Wolverine. Logan, these are my parents, Daniel and Isobel, Lord and Lady Englham." She watched as the man beside her gazed at her parents. He was shocked to say the least. She looked at her mother.
"So, young man, how long have you been here at Xavier's?" Her father asked Logan
"Off and on for about four years, until recently. I've been here for nearly six months this time." Logan's gruff voice said.
"Jasmine has never mentioned you before, that's why I asked. Most of the people she knew while in school are here tonight. And some are missing."
"Daniel!!!"
"Isobel, you know I'm right. Scott, Jean, and Charles are missing. Not saying their names will not change that fact. Everyone here tonight has been skating around their names and I refuse to do it anymore. Charles was my friend, like a brother to me. I want to honor him, not forget him. If Erik were here, he'd want the same thing."
"But Erik's not here, Da. And he won't be here. You yourself have told me that he hasn't been here since the Registration Act was introduced. He and Uncle Charles never agreed on things of that nature, and there were many times that he would try to pull me into an argument. Thankfully Uncle Charles never let him. I don't know what happened after I left, but things were heating up even then." Jasmine hoped that no one noticed the bitterness in her voice.
"Wait a minute." Logan looked between the three people standing with him. "Are you telling me that you know Magneto?" He watched as the three looked at each other.
"Of course. Storm and Hank know him. They were here during that time, but they were never close to him like Jasmine was. And we knew him too, of course. We were on the X-Team with him, years ago. Back before the accident that landed Charles in the wheelchair. Because we were team members, Jasmine was taught by Charles and Erik."
"There was another X-Team?" Logan looked to Jasmine for an answer this time.
"Oh yes. It was comprised of the Professor, Erik, my parents, and the Smiths. The technology wasn't as advanced as it is now. But they had some weapons that no one else had." She sent a look to her mother. Thankfully the woman understood. She watched as her mother threaded her arm through her husband's.
"Well, Logan, it was nice meeting you. I hope we have the chance to talk more before we leave. Come dear, we're sure to be missed if we stay away any longer." Lord Englham looked reluctant to leave his daughter alone with Logan on the terrace. Jasmine cautiously reached out with her mind and soothed her father. Then watched as her parents smiled at her and walked away.
Thank you, dear. Jasmine smiled softly at her mothers words. She turned back to Logan, finding his eyes on her face. She watched him, looking for something that would indicate how he felt at that moment. But his emotions were locked up. And she wouldn't read his mind. Soothing her father was something entirely different than reading a strangers mind.
"So what do I call you? Doctor, Lady Englham? What?" His smile reached his eyes and Jasmine lost her breath. It was beautiful. Plain and simple.
"You call me Jas. Or Jasmine. Which ever you prefer." Her smiled matched his until he sniff the air. Ororo appeared in the doorway. Jasmine spoke before 'Ro even opened her mouth, her eyes going blank.
"Magneto is here. He's coming up the drive."