Over the years Charles Xavier had found himself in many interesting situations and conversations. Being the head of a discreet school for mutants made that inevitable. Not to mention being in charge of the storied X-men. This however was a new experience for him. He had just concluded a phone call with a former student who had news of a mutant who wasn't actually a mutant. Rosalie, the former student, had the gift of touch empathy. She worked in a pediatric hospital in Florida. She had called to tell him about the child that had been found abandoned, after having been horribly beaten. This child, a girl who barely spoke, was slowly getting better, but she had been also showing signs of mutant ability. Almost without fail, mutants are either born with their ability, or come into them in puberty. It was almost unheard of to begin showing at the age of eight, especially if a history of starvation had delayed the onset of puberty. Even the youngest students in his school were usually eleven or twelve, and most were teenagers. That wasn't the only strange aspect of this situation. The girl, who refused to give her name but was being called Jamie, clearly had abilities, but didn't seem to have the X-gene. Jamie was still healing, and was in for a fairly long stay in some manner of facility as she had been paralyzed among other injuries, and needed to learn how to handle that. But as she had begun interacting with some of the other injured and sick children, though she wouldn't talk much at all, she would lay her hand on some a friend and smile. Sometimes those she did that to would feel a significant improvement and then Jamie would be exhausted. Apparently this had been going on for a few weeks, but kids being kids, had kept it as a secret, but it was starting to garner unexpected and undesirable attention. The only reason Rosalie knew what was going on is because of her skill. She had aided in the secret once she found out, and was helping Jamie as much as possible, but they were running out of choices. The people who were looking around were not the type of people you wanted interested in you. They were clearly mutant hunting, and were baffled by the absence of the X-gene in patient tests. They were about to start on the staff, and Rosalie wanted help getting out, now! for herself and her young patient.
Charles knew some of the people in the mutant for labrat field, and these were not some of the 'better' ones, if the term could even apply. They needed to disappear fast. Rosalie was going to gather up all of Jamie's charts, and explain what was going on, and get ready to leave. In anticipation of something like this happening, Rosalie had already done what she could to sanitize her apartment and pack her important things, they were in her car, and others were in an untraceable storage facility, but Charles was going to call in a couple of favors on his network to see what he could do to pack up the rest of her stuff. He called Jean Grey and Ororo Munroe to his office to explain the situation, and get ready to leave to collect them. The plan was to fetch the two people with the jet, and to have someone else drive the rest of Rosalie's belongings up separately. Meanwhile Rosalie would explain things to Jamie.
Back in the Children's hospital in Florida, Rosalie got off the phone and went to find Jamie. She was sitting by herself with a book, one of her favorite things, and she took a minute to smile at how much better she looked from when she came in nearly three months ago. Jamie had been found in a hotel room, beaten within an inch of her life, and clear signs that it wasn't even close to the first time. She had been outright unconscious for the first three weeks she had been here. Some injuries had already healed, some never would. It turns out that she had been beaten till her back broke, and she was permanently paralyzed, barring a miracle. She had several other broken bones and torn muscles and ligaments. Too many cuts and abrasions to count, and even nearly three months later, the bruising was still interesting colors. But she was healing. She has very slowly started to come out of her shell and interact with other children and a select few nurses, of which Rosalie was one. She was capable of speech, and sometimes she screamed in nightmares, but her voice was damaged, and there was a gravelly aspect to it now. The few times she did speak, she did so with an adorable English accent. No one had gotten much of her story from her, Jamie just wasn't ready to talk about it yet. Rosalie was a little afraid that this mess would negatively impact her recovery. She was just starting to trust, and a child like Jamie's trust was a nearly impossible thing to get back once broken. So Rosalie was going to tell the truth, and hope she didn't scare her off.
"Hi Jamie," Rosalie approached announcing herself. It was not good to startle Jamie.
Jamie smiled and waved back. Rosalie was one of her very favorite people here. She had even come up with a name she liked. It was close to part of her own, but not the same so her Uncle wouldn't be able to find her again.
"Can I talk to you about something important for a bit?" Rosalie asked.
Jamie nodded.
"Have you ever been able to do things other people can't do?" At this the smile vanished and Jamie started to hunch in on herself. "It's okay if you have. It can be kind of like magic"
At this there was a violent flinch. "Bad word. Not real" Jamie almost spit out. "No! No1 No!"
Not knowing what she had set off, but knowing she needed to help right now, Rosalie hunkered down in front of Jamie and very slowly reached up to take her hand. The wave of absolute terror and self loathing was nearly overwhelming. It took a minute to find any, but she began sending as much calm as she could. It wasn't much. She had always been much better at reading rather than sending, but is was useful for dealing with children's nightmares at times. "Sh...Sh...It's okay" she crooned. It's not magic" again there was a big flinch. "There are some people who are born with the ability to do something special. Others start to be able to do something special when they are a little older than you. I am one of these people. You are too. It's okay Jamie. I know you are the one who has been helping to make the other kids feel better. You have helped a lot. How could that be bad? Sh...It's okay Jamie." Slowly Jamie stopped rocking back and forth in terror and really looked at Rosalie.
"You too?" Not realizing she was tacitly admitting it was her that had been healing the others.
"Yes, me too. I went to a school full of others like us. Each of us could do something different. I am a touch empath. It means that when I touch your skin like this" she lifted their held hands for a moment, "I can tell what you are feeling, and sometimes I can help to calm you down a bit."
There was a tiny but real smile "feels nice."
"I'm glad. There are others like us out there. I want to thank you for what you do to heal the other kids. You make a real difference. I have known it was you for a couple of weeks now, and have helped you all keep it a secret. I keep what I do a secret, but I also take night shifts so I can be on hand to deal with nightmares and help where I can." Rosalie paused, "There are good reasons to keep it a secret. Have you ever heard the phrase 'people fear what they don't understand' Jamie?" A head shake no. "Well there are some people like us who can do things that can be scary. There are some people who could hurt others if they wanted to with their abilities. That doesn't mean that the do hurt people, just that they could. There are people out there who are scared of people like us, or jealous that they can't do what we can do. Some people like that found out that something was happening here. They don't know it was you, and I will never tell them. But I really don't want either of us found by them. They really aren't nice people. I don't want anyone to hurt you, or me. I called the man who started the school I went to, and he is sending people to help us leave, if you are willing. That means that we will have to leave very soon, and I will get your things together. Is that okay?"
There was a very long pause. "Hurt bad?" like most of the times Jamie spoke aloud, she used as few words as possible to convey meaning. It was easy to think her less intelligent, or a lot younger, than she was, but she was really smart.
"Yes. I think they would hurt the both of us really badly. That is why I want to take you somewhere safe. I am effectively kidnapping you, though my friends will probably make it look like we were both kidnapped by someone else. Will you come with me?"
She nodded yes. "Can help Kelly first? Bad." Kelly was a new admit who had very bad complications to asthma. She was very sick.
"Do you think you will be able to stay awake after?"
A shrug. "Try."
"Okay then. Is there any of your stuff that you really need?
"Need here." She pointed to her chair and some of the pockets. "Want blanket, cat." The children who will be here more than a night or two all get a pretty blanket made by the local quilters guild. Some kids have more than one if they have been here long enough. They are very special, and really make a difference for the kids. Many children treasure them for a long time after they leave, and take them home. The cat was a plushie that she had fallen in love with. "I will try to pack up some of your clothes and get all of your charts. Why don't you help Kelly and say goodbye to a few people, but keep it a secret. Maybe write a letter for Nicole to show the others later, but only tell her goodbye in person. You can tell her a little of why, but please don't mention what I can do, okay." Nicole was as close to a real friend as Jamie got. She was also one of the few Jamie would let touch her, or hug her without explicit permission. Nicole was also a very quiet person, a girl of few words. She was one of the people Jamie had helped a lot. She was actually finally beating her cancer, and coming to terms with the idea that she might survive after all."
Again a nod. "Goodbye, yes. No write. Proof."
"Very true. And a good idea." Jaime didn't like her chair being pushed by others often, but would tolerate it when hurt or exhausted, so Rosalie didn't offer now. "I think she was in the playroom not long ago."
Jamie nodded and was off. She found Nicole in the playroom. The moment that Nicole saw her, she could tell something was wrong. She immediately turned off the movie and went to Jamie, who gestured to follow. Soon they were in on of the many hidden nooks that the kids found all over the hospital. It allowed for privacy.
"Leaving. Scary men know. Would hurt bad. Miss." A pause while Nicole processed this. "My first friend." at this Nicole, who still hadn't said anything, glomped on for a huge hug.
"I will miss you so much. You saved me. I love you. Find me at some point? You have all of my and my mom's contact information. Have someone mention my cat whose real name I have only told you, and I will know it's from you. Let me know you are ok."
Jamie was nodding and crying into Nicole's stomach. "Maybe not soon. Check you first, then try Kelly. Bad. Then vanish, with Rose. Helping"
"Nurse Rosalie is wonderful. She helps with nightmares all the time, and she always seems to know what to say to help you feel better."
"Like me, different."
"I will miss you so much"
Jamie nodded like a bobble-head in strong agreement. Then she put her right hand on Nicole's heart and her left not quite centered on her abdomen, where her cancer had been. She closed her eyes and for a moment, Jamie's hands began to emit a faint golden light. Nicole felt warmth flood her entire body. Her ever present nausea vanished. Various small pains and annoyances disappeared too. The left hand moved around her abdomen, still glowing. After a few minutes, Jamie seemed to fall back into her chair.
"All will heal, slow. Love." With that she looked up into Nicole's eyes. They seemed to speak volumes to each other in the silence, then Nicole gave her another huge hug. "Food, Kelly" After healing, Jamie seemed to need calories. Chocolate was also highly helpful. So they went to lunch, and when some of the kids who were somewhat in the know saw Nicole slip Jamie her cookies, they discretely followed suit. Several were wrapped in a napkin and tucked beside her lie in her chair to eat a little later. Jamie gave everyone a special smile, though it was different, a little sad maybe. "Tell all later, after?"
"Of course. Let's go to Kelly now." Again Jamie let Nicole push her chair, this time to Kelly's room. They had to wash well and mask up to enter. "Are you sure you can do this again so soon?" Kelly was unconscious.
"Try. Dying." And with that, Jamie put one hand on Kelly's forehead and the other on her chest. Again the golden glow appeared. This was a much longer time. During this time Rosalie came in, also washed and masked up.
"You will keep her safe? I love her. She saved me. She is my friend."
"I will do my best. There are others like her who are helping us. You might be able to help too. We are going to make it look like we were snatched. Would you be willing to 'witness' that and maybe be knocked out?"
"Of Course! Anything for her. I will miss you too." There was a pause as they both watched Jamie work, "She healed me again first. She said all will heal, slow. You know how much she has been reading about how cancer works, and all the other illnesses we all have. It felt different this time. I think instead of fixing the damage itself, she tweaked me to help my body fight better. We had been talking about how to help more effectively. I feel better, but different. I feel stronger, and so much more awake. It's hard to explain." After a pause, "She has a code of sorts to let me know the message is from her. She has all of my contact information. Will you let me or my mother know she is all right please? I would prefer to be able to keep in touch, but her safety matters more."
"I will figure something out, but it may be months. I will make something work. There are a bunch of us blending in. But there are people who are terrified of us. They will hurt us, then use us to hurt others. That would destroy her. I can't let that happen."
"Okay. Thank you. She will need calories when she is done. She has cookies tucked in her chair. Chocolate, sugar, fruit are all good. Orange juice helps. Like giving blood, but less about the iron. Chocolate chip granola bars and cookies seem to work the best. She has never done two big heals this close before. She might pass out. I packed a little of her stuff, but I can't get most because she wouldn't have it with her if she was just kidnapped, but I have her blanket, cat, and some keepsakes. We can pretend she just keeps them with her normally. I have her favorite sweater and a couple of her prefered clothes that could vanish without too much suspicion. I heard from my friends, who will be here within the hour. I thought we could go for a picnic in the courtyard for dinner, and the request of the two of you. Since she asks for so little, it is reasonable to accommodate things like that. Also we can sneak some more of her stuff along that way. She wants to eat on the grass and stargaze a bit after sunset. It's not too cold yet, and I will join you. My friends will 'snatch' us from the grounds. You will have been hit from behind and not seen much, and I'll leave my shoe or something behind. You will wake up, scream, and then the world will go crazy, and the hunters sniffing around will hopefully think that other hunters got us, as the 'good guys' don't tend to knock out kids. Hopefully I can send a little suspicion towards the hunters before I go, like the reason to want out is they were making her uncomfortable, and anything significant enough for her to actually speak about it is a big deal."
"Sounds good. I want to give her my favorite plushie to take with her. Would that work? Sounds reasonable to bring stuffed animals to a children's picnic. They just grabbed it too." As they were talking, Jamie seemed to be finishing up, and the glow receded. She practically collapsed in her chair. Nicole reached down and grabbed a cookie and put it in Jamie's hand, and guided the hand towards her mouth. Eat, I'll get you some juice. Go back to your room for bit. Check to see if there is anything you can't leave behind.
"You." Nicole squeezed her hand in sympathy.
Rosalie explained the plan. You are requesting a sunset picnic, and some stargazing because of the scary men. We three are going to the courtyard where her friends will make the 'snatch' and I will 'witness' it. I wake up, Rosalie's shoe will be there, but you two will vanish. Now go rest for a little bit. I'll meet you in your room with juice, and more chocolate if I can find some."
They did just that. Nicole went to get some Juice and treats from some of the others. there were a few who could tell something big was happening. Kids were often much more world-wise than adults gave them credit for, and so many of them had been helped by Jamie. They would help out anyway they could. So with a decent haul of treats, and a couple of keepsakes, and one prized stuffed Llama, she trooped off to Jamie's room. Meanwhile, after leaving Jamie in her room, Rosalie went to gather picnic supplies and put a bug in the right people's ears about the 'scary man' that managed to unnerve Jamie enough to actually speak aloud about it. Jamie had a special place in most of the staff's hearts. Most of the patients were here for illness, like cancer, or something congenital, like CF or degenerative disease. Few had been put through the utter hell of what they could uncover about Jamie's life. Given who they were and what they did for a living, they were all very compassionate people. Jamie just was special. She asked for practically nothing. It was work getting her to accept even small gifts. For her to actually ask for something was very significant. Everyone bent over backwards to help. All sorts of little treats made their way onto the cart, and people would have probably come along if she hadn't conveyed that Jamie had asked for 'too many people, scary men'. The whole picnic idea was a good one, and it was a shame that it would invariably mean no picnics for anyone after this, but it was a good plan.
Nicole was already in Jamie's room, and she had clearly had some juice and snacks, and was looking a little better. "I just had a thought, we don't really know who Jamie is. This could all be from her past. Do you think they could get their hands on chloroform or something like it? Something to knock me out harmlessly? That way 'he' can come up from behind me, threaten me with a gun, so you do what he says, they only seemed interested in Jamie, they knock me out, you leave your shoe, and I either wake up, or one of the nosey nurses comes to see what's taking so long, and find me. I say what I 'saw' and you have vanished."
"I like it, and that way no one has to hit you." Jamie contributed a thumb's up. "Meanwhile, they are on their way, and we have just enough time to get outside by sunset, and the food and treats are ready. Let's go."
"We found a couple of hidden keepsakes for Jamie, and grabbed her snuggly robe as it is warm and comfy. I grabbed mine and my blanket and fuzz too."
All three headed out towards the grounds, away from the bright lights. A couple of nurses wished them well on their way, and most smiled as they left. Once they reached a spot somewhat isolated, and away from both highly illuminated building and the various security cameras, but also somewhat near the parking lot as it would facilitate the getaway and be easier to wheel on than the grass, they set up a picnic blanket and actually enjoyed the sunset and their dinner. As they were sitting there, and lovely young redhead showed up. Rosalie grinned in relief. "Jean. I was getting worried. Can you read me for the plan?" Turning to the girls she said, "She's a telepath, and can see what I am thinking about faster than saying it all again. And she can share it with whoever else came."
"Storm, Banshee, and Cyclops" Jean said.
"X-men?" Nicole asked incredulous.
"Yes." Rosalie said with a smile. "My friends."
Jamie clearly didn't know what that meant, but Nicole said "If they can't keep you safe, no one can. They are superheros." She turned to look up at Jean, "Please take care of her. She's my friend, and she save my life, and many others."
"That's the plan."
"Jamie, I want you to take fuzz." I watched as she started to refuse, but then she looked at her stuffed cat, which had no name. She gulped, nodded, and handed me the cat.
"Remember...Love you. First friend." Then Jamie Hugged Nicole. Jamie almost never initiates any kind of physical contact, so that was a big deal.
"I love you too. Contact me when you can and let me know you are well. You know the codeword. If this gets really bad, my mom and I can vanish too. If we need to, let us know."
"I really don't think you will, but if you do, I or someone who mentions me and fuzz will help you." Jean said.
"Okay. Take care of yourselves, and Nurse Rosalie, you were always one of my favorite people here."
"Thanks. I will miss you too. Among other things, you were always very good at taking care of and looking out for the people around you." Nicole blushed, looked down, and smiled a thank you. She really was usually very shy and quiet. "Alright, here they come. Jean, grab me, I'll struggle a bit and lose my shoe. Try to knock over the cart we brought the food on and ruffle up the blanket."
"Storm will help you to the van" she said to Jaime, and pointed out Storm who was just walking up.
"We will do introductions later, we are in a hurry now and you look tired. May I push you?" Jamie nodded.
"Banshee is going to sedate you. Sorry in advance, you will have a headache, even without the insanity that is about to land on the hospital. Many thanks for your help with this."
Banshee waved at Nicole. "Sorry about this. I'm going to mess up your hair and clothes a little like if I grabbed you."
"It's alright. As long as Jamie is safe."
"Okay" And he injected a sedative in her neck, and left the needle behind. It had no prints on it and it would help prove abduction.
The plan worked perfectly. One of the nurses had come by and saw the 'crime scene', screamed and ran to Nicole, who was starting to stir. That end of the plan went off without a hitch. The hunters were run out of the hospital and were put on several watchlists. Security tightened up, eventually Nicole was able to tell a select few that Jamie was safe with Rosalie, and they were 'taken' by friends to prevent being taken by 'bad men'. Kelly improved almost overnight, like a miracle. And Nicole was also showing significant consistent improvement. She did get a chance to tell her mom about what had happened and explained the code, both for Jamie and for the X-men incase of trouble. Eventually, though regular communication was not possible, Jamie was able to get her a few messages as to her safety and wellbeing.