Authors note: Yes this is an original character fic but don't let that stop you from reading it. In my sunny little X Men world; Jean, Scott, Bobby, and Warren are all the same age (early 30's) and the Professor is wheelchair bound but most defiantly alive. Hank and Ororo are older (mid 40's), while Kitty and Petor are early 20's. Timelines will vary and it may seem like I am picking and choosing them; which I am. For the sake of this fic, Jubilee is 15 and at the mansion. Later on the kids will be shipped over to the new academy run by Emma and Sean but not until it fits my plot. Oh, yes. I also like my equine friends so there is a horse that makes herself known in the first few chapters or so. I am stealing from the movies a bit here as there was a stable in the first movie and the Professor seemed to have quite the interest in them. Hence the beginning of this story takes place where it does. I also have plans for this fic to jump forward several times. Think of it like a highlight reel in sports, they just show the best stuff and skip the boring things.

Chapter One

(In The Beginning)

Thunder rumbled across the mid summer sky and Emma's mount trembled and tossed her raven colored head.

"Easy girl." She murmured, stroking the mare on the neck. "Just a bit longer and we'll head for the stables ok?" Seeming to understand her rider, the mare settled down.

The day had lasted way to long in Emma's opinion and she was more then ready to take Beamer back to the stables and hit the showers herself. It was the last qualifying show before the young riders championships so everybody who was anybody was riding today. Her only comfort was that there were several other people who were just as miserable as she was. Glancing up at the darkening sky, she hoped they would hurry up and finish this jump off before the storm hit.

At last it was her turn and she started her course just as the rain started to fall. The buzzer sounded, so Emma headed for the first fence and hoped it wouldn't pour hard enough so that she couldn't see where she was going. The first four fences went by quickly, and they headed for the combination. The combination was an impressive sight; three fences, all around four feet high, with the middle one being a three-foot oxer. The striding was a bit tricky but Emma knew that Beamer could handle it. The first fence was beneath them when a loud crash of thunder was heard and the white-hot light seemed to burn itself into their eyes.

Beamer hit the ground and spooked to the left, throwing Emma onto her neck. The terrified horse then bolted across the arena and was headed straight for the stands on the far side and the safety of the stables beyond. Now the rain was coming down in sheets and turning the arena into a large mud puddle. Beamer slipped and slided her way across the arena, seeming to ignore her rider who was desperately trying to right herself in the saddle and stop her panicking horse. Emma looked up and could just make out a man in a wheelchair on the other side of the arena fence. There was no way he would be able to move out of the panicked horses way in time. Holding on as tight as she could to Beamers braided mane, Emma shouted, "BEAMER WHOA!"

To her immense surprise, Beamer slammed on the brakes and Emma went flying over the mares neck, landed in the mud, and slid under the arena fence. She came to a stop inches from the mans wheelchair and looked up at him.

"Hello. Fancy meeting you here." Emma smiled while trying to pretend she wasn't lying on her back, covered with mud, while meeting the events main sponsor.

The man in the wheelchair simply smiled at her and pointed towards her horse. "She seems well voice trained."

Confused, Emma looked over at Beamer, who was still standing right where she had slid to a stop. The mare continued to stand quietly even though the thunder and lightning continued to flash and rumble.

"Ah, yes. Thank you, ah, she is. I'll just go catch her now. Nice to meet you and all." Emma said quickly climbing to her feet and crawling back into the arena. She grabbed Beamers reins and tugged her towards the gate. This was just to weird for Emma to think about as Beamer had always been afraid of loud noises and always went nuts at the sound of thunder. She just couldn't figure out why her normally spooky mare was standing so still amid all the noise. The ring steward met the soggy pair at the gate and directed them to the stables before heading off with an umbrella to cover the man in the wheelchair while they tried to unstick him from the mud.

Back in the stables, Emma caught up with her mother who started to fume about Emma's muddy clothing. Used to her mothers rants about things that meant little to her, Emma walked Beamer into the stall and proceeded to remove her tack.

"Oh Emma, are you ok?" She thought angrily as her mother continued on. "That was a nasty tumble you took out there. Is Beamer ok? She looked like she slipped in all that mud. Do I need to call the vet?" Emma gave an angry snort and dropped her saddle onto the rack outside the stall door. As if her mom would ever spare a thought for Emma's best friend.

"I feel fine Mom. Thanks for asking." She interrupted while returning into the stall with a brush. "Beamer looks ok too."

"Oh forget about that silly horse for a minute!" Her mother shrilled. "Just look what you did to those new clothes. After all that I had to do to get them tailored in time for this event too."

"Yes Mom, I'm sure Jose at the dry cleaners had to rearrange his busy schedule just to get you in."

"Stop calling me mom. You know its Mother, mom is what public school children call their mothers."

Emma rolled her eyes at her 'mother' as she finished brushing Beamer down. The mare wasn't showing any ill effects from the romp in the rain and since the storm was passing, she was standing quietly munching a bit of hay. "I'll try to remember that, Mother."

"See that you do." Her mother said with her nose in the air. "Are you almost done with that beast so you can go change? If the weather clears you'll be the first to go I'm sure. You'll have to get a re-ride, but that can be arranged."

"Yes Mother."

Emma was picking up her sodden jacket and was locking her borrowed tack room door when she heard her mother exclaim.

"Oh, Professor Xavier! What a nice surprise to see you in person. I see you got a bit damp in that rain. Do you need a ride to get a change of clothes? My daughter and I would be happy to give you a lift where ever you needed to go."

"Thank you for the kind offer but I have my own transportation thank you." The Professor answered gracefully with a gesture of his hand towards toward the tall man pushing his wheelchair. Emma gave the Professor and his friend a smile before going to stand next to her mother. She hadn't gotten that good of a look at the professor before, and if you forgave the soggy clothes he looked like that caption from that space show she used to watch. The tall man behind him was, to Emma's teenaged self, very hot. He didn't look as wet as the Professor due to the trench coat he was wearing. He just screamed cool to her.

"Well let us know if you need anything. We'll be glad to help." Emma's mother said in a cheerful voice. Dragging Emma in front of her she continued, " My daughter Emilyne is a wonderful rider; she won the New York Charity Show this year. You may have seen her ride today, she was starting her last round when the storm hit."

"I do believe I saw her ride today." The professor smiled at Emma (who just blushed in mortification). "She seems to have a way with horses."

"That's my daughter!" She exclaimed. Happy that he realized her own child's skills, maybe they would get some more invites from this meeting. She had her reputation to look after you know. "She can ride any horse in the stables and make them look good."

"Mother, please." Emma pleaded to her mother. Why couldn't she see that this was totally embarrassing her in front of the hot guy who didn't seem to talk much. Looking back at the Professor she explained. "Not every horse Mother. I have had some very good teachers and ridden some well trained horses…"

"Nonsense. Its all talent dear."

Just then, to Emma's immense relief, the Professors cell phone rang. "Saved by the bell." Emma thought to herself. He excused himself and answered the call leaving Emma a minute to think about how overbearing her mother could be. Couldn't she see that she was embarrassing her only child? It seemed the heavens were listening to Emma because then the PA crackled to life and announced that the show would resume in a half hour and that Emma would be the first to go with her re-ride. The riders times/faults before her ride would stand.

"I beg your pardon." Emma said to the Professor and Hotness (as she was now thinking of him), "I need to get Beamer tacked up again. It was lovely speaking with you."

"A pleasure to met you ladies as well." The Professor addressed them while putting his phone away. "It seems we must be off as well. I hope to met you both again soon."

"Oh, must you leave so soon?" Emma's mother pouted. "We were just getting to know one another."

"Well all good things must come to an end I'm afraid. Good luck Miss Carter. I think you'll do well."

"Thank you sir. I hope so too." Emma replied, opening the tack room back up and walking inside. She had a lot to do and just under a half an hour to get it done.