The next few days where kind of a blur for Sara. Hank had done test after test on her. She felt like a lab rat when he was done with her. Blood tests, brain and full body scans and even tissue samples.
The Professor and her spent hours in his office talking helping her to understand her powers and the best ways for her to channel them. He was fascinated by her and what she was able to do. "She's not like Jean at all." He thought to himself as he watched her levitate a book from his desk. Her head was cocked to the side as she stared at the large leather bound book. "She controls it; it doesn't control her at all." He thought. Relief crashed over his body like an unseen ocean wave at that simple thought.
"Now tell me Sara, how you moved that book?" he asked smiling at her.
"I'm not really sure." She said turning her soft glowing gaze to him. I just saw it move in my head and it did. It's almost like if I just think about it it'll happened. I think if I watch someone long enough I could copy their mutation. " she said smiling at him.
"That's a very interesting hypothesis. We should test that theory out. How would you feel if I got a few volunteers this afternoon and ran a few tests?" He watched her tense up at that question.
"Umm… ok as long as they don't mind helping me." She said a little unsure.
"I'm sure it'll be fine. Lunch is in 20 minutes how about we meet in the back garden by the fountain at 3?
"Sounds good to me." She said hopping up from her chair.
"Thank you, for everything." She said looking at the older man with gratitude.
He watched her stroll out of his office and closed his eyes. "Storm, please gather the team and have them come to Hanks office in the med bay in 15 minutes."
"Yes sir."
He heard them all talking when he made it to Hanks office. The room fell silent when he entered. "Is there a problem Chuck?" Logan asked. He was itching for a good fight and hoped Charles had a mission for them. Little did he know that in just a few hours he'd be in the fight of his remembered life.
"Yes and no. he said maneuvering his chair beside Hanks desk. "I have called you all her to talk about Sara. Hank and I have discovered a lot of very unexpected things about her. I feel she would be a valuable member of this team someday. But I also think you all have the right to know what we are dealing with here."
"What is it?" Remy asked pulling a chair out for Marie to set.
"Well she's not what you would call a conventional mutant. "
"What is she them Charles?' Logan asked.
"She's technically not a mutant at all." Hank said pulling her file out. "There are no traces of any mutations in her genes."
"Frankly I have no idea where her mutation is coming from. She's…. Well she is altogether something new." He said looking at the group.
"What can she do? Kitty asked "I just got home this morning from the tech convention. I haven't even seen this girl."
"I think the better question is what she can't do." The Professor said "If she can think it she can quite literally do it." He said looking at the team.
"Charles, are you saying Sara is like Jean? " Ororo Asked softly. The whole team was thinking it but Ororo was the only one willing to put it in words. Logan bit back a ping for fear and pain at her name as he waited for the answer.
"In a way she is. But she doesn't let the power control her at all. She is the exact opposite of Jean. "
"If she is in so much control why is she here?" Marie asked a bit confused.
"She's looking for answers. Why this has happened at her age. She has adjusted very well to her mutation if you can call it that. She just wants to understand it."
"She could possibly have one of the most powerful mutations on earth. Like Charles said, she could be a valuable member of this team one day." Hank said.
"Well, I sure as hell would rather her be on our side then her be a part of the brotherhood or with someone worse." Logan said folding his arms over his broad chest.
The team met Sara at the back garden. They were all willing to help her out with the tests that the professor told them about.
She was setting on a stone bench looking way to nervous. She ran the palms of her hands over her jeans and stood up when she saw them coming.
"Sara I'd like you to meet Kitty. She just returned home this morning and wanted to help you out with this little test." Charles said reassuring the woman.
Her southern hospitality kicked in after that was said and she held out her hand to shake. "Thank you so very much .You have no idea what this means to me." She said smiling at Kitty. She relaxed at her touch even though the woman towered over her small 5 '2 frame. she wasn't sure why but she trusted this taller woman. That reaction was not lost to the Professor and he watched as the rest of the group greeted Sara. "She takes the tension out of a situation with a touch. How spectacular." He thought to himself. It seemed to even work on Logan as she gave him a quick hug. "I don't even think she realizes she does it." He said to himself. "Well, let's get this underway."
An hour later Sara held one of Remy's cards in her hand and watched it as it turned purple then tossed it in the air. It made a small pop and the ripped paper fluttered down to the ground. "Wow!" she said smiling at the man. "It's not red like yours but I can do the same thing." She said looking at him like a kid that just got a new toy. She has mastered his mutation and kitty's fast. She stared at them for a long moment and then it just happened. She copied them perfectly. Storm on the other hand wasn't so easy she has to physically touch the weather goddess to understand. It took several minutes for her to really pick it up. She asked her several questions and the people around her watched her master storm's powers. She looked at the group with cloudy eyes with a bright purple tent to them. She smiled again at Storm. "Thank you." She said softly to Storm. She felt how uneasy she was that she had mimicked her powers without really even trying hard. It unnerved the weather goddess. "I never take anything for granted. That was a blessing to understand your gifts Storm." She said touching her shoulder. Sara blinked a few times and her normal fiery eyes stared back at Storm and she relaxed at her touch. "Ororo" She said. "Excuse me?" Sara asked a bit confused. "My real name is Ororo." She said smiling. "Or Ro for short." She said laughing. They had all told her their real names not really knowing why. It just felt right to do so.
"What about you wolf man? " Sara asked teasing Logan with a new nickname. "Oh no darlin' my mutation would hurt you too much." He said holing up his hands to her. "Why, what is it?" she asked smiling at him. He smiled back at her without even thinking about it and popped the claws in his right hand. She jumped a little. "HOLY SHIT." She blurted out looking at the metal protruding from his hand. "I don't think I can do that." She said tracing one long finger down the warm metal. Her eyes reflected in the polished adamantium as he watched her study his claws. "There so beautiful." she said mesmerized by them. "Many things had been said about his claws but beautiful was never one of them." He thought watching her. Her finger rested between his knuckle and the blunt side of one claw. He slowly retracted them as she watched. She took his large callused hand in hers and rubbed her fingers between his knuckles. "That's amazing." She whispered staring up into his eyes.
"Marie what about you?" Sara had touched the small patch of skin that she had uncovered. She cursed herself briefly for not putting on the gloves that went passed her elbows. The people around her panicked as did Marie when she felt the pull start. But as soon as it started it ended. Sara gently pulled the glove off and held her hand. "My god sweetie, that's a hell of a mutation you have." she said studying her. She couldn't stop the tears when Sara looked at her. It had been so long scents she had been touched. She cried uncontrollably. "Oh God, Marie I'm so sorry please don't cry." Sara said fearing she'd done something terrible. "I'm sorry sweet heart." she let go of her hand and looked at the other people around her. "I'm so sorry." Marie grabbed her hand again with a vice like grip holding on to Sara, desperate to feel her touch. "NO... don't let go, please don't let go!"
Sara wiped away tears from Marie's face with that touch she understood what this meant to her. She couldn't stop Marie's thoughts from flooding into her mind. "I got yah baby girl you're going to be ok." Sara pulled her into her arms hugging her like a mother would do to calm a young child. She whispered to her in motherly tones until she calmed down and her body stopped jerking from her crying.
Sara pulled away from Marie a bit to look at her. "You gota stop crying baby girl you're going to give yourself a headache if you don't. She gently wiped away tears from her cheeks with the sleeve of her shirt. "I…I don't know what to say." She said still hiccupping a bit from crying. "You don't have to say a thing baby girl." Sara's said smiling at her. Marie nearly started to cry again. This was all too much. Sara's thick accent reminded her of her mother so much. The painful pictures of Marie's past flashed in Sara's head. The loss of her childhood and her family's rejection. Sara shook her head a bit as another picture flashed in her mind, something about being on top of the statue of liberty and that Logan saved her. And the painful memory and the internal battle after she was forced to drain a woman of her powers. The mutation that had given her great strength and the ability to fly had also taken a part of the young woman's soul in return. The realization of just how broke she was hit Sara hard. She looked at Marie for a long moment before speaking. "I can never be or replace you mother baby girl. But I'll be around if you ever need me. No matter where I am. " She wasn't making empty promises to her, it was just a fact. Sara wasn't sure where this overwhelmingly fierce motherly instinct came from. She barely knew Marie but she wanted and needed to help this girl.
"Hay, you ok?" Logan found Sara was setting in the dark empty kitchen sipping a beer. It was late and she thought this would be a good place to set and think. "Yah, I'm fine. I think I got one of your beers." She said watching him set down beside her with his own. He watched her for a moment; her soft glowing eyes filled the room with purple shadows. "That's fine by me. After this afternoon I think you deserve one." He said leaning back in his chair. "Just one? Come on wolf man. These are good I could drink 5 or 6 of um." He laughed at her and it made her smile. "You should do that more." She said looking at him. He watched her eyes flicker in the glass door as she stared out it. "What." He said raising one eyebrow at her. "Laugh, you smile a bit when you laugh and it's …nice. "He stared at her and it finely hit him. There's something about her that calmed him down completely. "What you did for Marie to day. That was …" he stopped in mid-sentence when she turned her gaze on him. "I had to help the kid." She said. The flames in her eyes flared and seemed to lick softly at the edges of her eyelids. "Does that hurt?" he asked slowly running his finger down the side of her temple. "No." She said looking at his hand when he pulled away. He sat back in his chair just looking at her. "What are you Sara?' He asked studying her. She didn't know how to answer him. She didn't really know herself. "I'm just a florist from a nowhere little town in Alabama." She said dropping her head. "You're much more then that darlin'." Logan's head jerked to the right and looked down at the floor. He cocked it to the side a bit as if he were listening to something she couldn't hear. "What? " She said watching Logan jump up from his chair. "The Professor just told me to get to the blackbird ASAP." He said tapping the side of his head. "I'm going down there with you!" She said dashing out of her chair. He didn't try to stop her. He didn't think he could even if he wanted too.
