Disclaimer: X-Men and all related Marvel characters are the property of Marvel and Stan Lee. Don't sue me. I own very little.

Story: This story was inspired by the song Think Twice which is performed by Eve 6. I'm not really sure what to think of it right now, as it's like nothing I've ever written. Thank you to my reviewers: JC Roberts and LilyHellsing

Think Twice- The mutant community is coming unraveled as the Friends of Humanity push the government toward the dreaded Mutant Registration Act. Innocent lives are at stake as the X-Men face yet another hurdle. One of their own wages his own life for another, shielding an innocent. Is it the call of duty...or more?

CHAPTER ONE

Hank had insisted that the young woman was fine, and that her child was as well, but Piotr still found himself sitting near her bedside in the Medical Bay in to the late hours of the night. Though he had been informed that the woman was merely tired from a rather strenuous experience, he found himself worried about her safety. His hulking form barely fit in the wide straight-backed chair that he'd found and claimed as his own hours ago. Yet, he could not bring himself to leave, even as others trickled in and out to check on the Mansion's latest guest.

Someone had insisted that the Professor scan her mind to make sure that she was okay, that she was actually on their side. As he recalled, it had been a rather grumpy Logan; he had gotten chastised for his lack of restraint during the riot. The Professor, much to the surprise of nearly everyone on the team, had indeed used his power of telepathy to scan the woman's mind. But he refused to tell them anything other than the fact that her name was Aubrey and that she would be fine after a bit of rest.

Aubrey. Piotr couldn't help but think that the name fit her appearance in some sort of strange way. Even garbed in an off-white hospital gown, she still seemed to stand out under the thin blanket that was draped carefully across her. Her hair, a rich creamy brown honey color, seemed to cascade over her face in small wisps and down over her shoulders. In his mind's eye, he pictured it blowing in the breeze, whispering past her high-arched cheekbones.

It disturbed him that he found himself so primitively drawn to the woman that no doubt belonged to another man. His morals screamed at him to simply leave the Medical Bay and finish a sketch that he'd been working on for weeks, but his gut refused to let him leave the spot. He needed to be there when she opened her eyes, he needed to see her as she came out of her Sleeping Beauty-like slumber so that he could see if his imagination had done her any justice. He had no doubt that the Professor had sensed the conflicting feelings in him, as the older man had attempted to console Piotr and urge him to leave the room. Despite the promise that he would be notified the moment that she awoke, he refused to leave her side.

Piotr was not a forthcoming man, nor was he usually such an adamant one. Under normal circumstances, he would never have cast this Aubrey a second glance. Yet, here he was, perched in the Medical Bay awaiting her revival. His usual routine after such a traumatic mission would have been simple, yet never changing. Piotr would usually find a quiet place where he could simply sit with his art supplies and allow himself to get lost in the sensations that allowed him to at least temporarily forget about what he had done. He was no novice, and yet he still could not bring himself to accept the thought that what he could do was right, was just.

The fact that this woman, this Aubrey, had been so close to death caused something inside of him to twist into a tight knot that he wasn't sure would ever unravel. Of course, he'd been faced with similar situations before, particularly when it came to his teammates. But he'd never found himself so easily affected by a single circumstance. The fact that he'd smashed the man that had held a gun to Aubrey's head meant nothing to him. Until she was able to take care of herself, he made a solemn vow, if only to himself, that he would take care of her. She would not be hurt again under his watchful eye.

Satisfied with his decision, he began to relax. Minutes later, the sleeping woman began to blink her eyes and he used the call button to alert everyone. Piotr started to rise to his feet in order to fetch Hank, who was in the other room, but found himself transfixed by the sight of her eyes. They were exactly the shade that he had imagined.

She felt achy and tired all over as she blinked her eyes over and over again, attempting to clear her head and remember what had happened all at the same time. Aubrey could vaguely remember sobbing as a woman whose hand she had been clutching had been shot right in front of her. Despite the dim light that seemed to be shining down on her, she trusted her instincts and decided instantly that she was indeed not dead. Still, she found herself uncomfortable and leery, and for a split second, considered the thought of being held captive by the Friends of Humanity.

"I see that you are awake now."

Aubrey found herself looking around for the deep and manly voice, ignoring the ringing in her ears until her eyes settled on the form of a large man sitting in a rather uncomfortable looking chair. She was still for a long moment as her eyes locked on his, she felt safe.

The sensation made her uncomfortable, and she found herself pulling her gaze away from his and staring back up at the dim light overhead. The comforting sensation of her child kicking caused her hands to instantly drift atop her swollen abdomen. No matter how many times she felt the life inside of her, she couldn't help but be amazed. So, she was lost in her own thoughts minutes later when she felt more than one presence lurking around her.

Startled and slightly confused, she found herself slowly rising into a sitting position, thanks to a remote that a very blue and very furry man held in his large hand. While the sight of him alone was enough to make her heart rate spike, the realization that there were more people around the bed overwhelmed her. Aubrey attempted to scoot back, pushing her palms against the rails of her bed, but getting nowhere. That's when she noticed the strange contraption on her index finger, one that she recognized from a lifetime ago. Hesitant eyes darted to her right, where she saw the high-tech monitor displaying her blood pressure and heart rate.

"I'm afraid that we've startled you."

A calm and soft voice that was tinted with a recognizable British accent caused Aubrey to search for the source of the voice. She quickly found it, and was startled to realize that such a strong and confident voice belonged to a slightly elderly man that was wheelchair bound. But the kind smile etched upon his face calmed her nerves slightly, enough for her to decide that she was in no danger.

"Maybe just a little," she admitted with a smile of her own, trying to come to grips with everything that had happened in such a short amount of time. She was dazed, surrounded by people that she didn't know. And yet, she somehow felt safe. "What happened? Where am I?" Her voice was huskier than her ears remembered, and her throat was parched.

As if reading her mind, the very blue and very furry man suddenly held out a cup of water with a straw dangling out of it. She offered him a raised brow but greedily sipped the liquid until it was nearly half gone. Feeling slightly better, she tried to settle in the bed but found that the baby was moving around too much for her to actual get comfortable.

"You were involved in a horrible riot on a street in New York City," the same elderly voice seemed to slide over me like a comforting blanket. "My X-Men were able to get to you in time, thankfully. But it seems that the others were not quite as lucky under the wrath of the Friends of Humanity. A number of mutants were killed, execution-style, on that stage, I'm afraid. I am relieved to know that you are unharmed, my dear." The smile that he offered her did a great deal of good, causing her to relax even more so than she thought possible in the presence of so many strangers. "I am Charles Xavier, and you are currently in my school for Gifted Youngsters."

Aubrey found herself slowly nodding her head despite the ringing in her ears. "I've heard of your school, Mister Xavier. My neighbor's cousin went there, well here, for a year or two before going out west." She could vaguely remember the boy coming back for a last visit, beaming and proud of his diploma and newfound sense of belonging in the world. She could even remember the way that he'd urged her to think about calling, but at the time her job had been eating up all of her time. "I - I really don't know what to say." She felt flustered, and didn't know what to say that could ever truly appreciate her thanks.

"There is no need to say anything, my dear. They are simply glad that they were able to aid you in your time of need. Please, won't you allow me to introduce you to them?" Aubrey hesitated only momentarily before nodding her head. So, she sat there, entranced, as he introduced everyone in the room.

She was slightly taken aback by both Beast and Nightcrawler, and was surprised to learn that they were probably the most gentle in the entire group. The many names and codenames seemed to run together in her mind, but she found that she enjoyed the challenge to memorize all of them. Aubrey was simply in awe of Storm, a woman's who exotic beauty simply blew her away. She didn't know what to think about Cyclops or Wolverine, both of whom seemed to share a number of unhappy glances. While she had heard of the X-Men, like most mutants, she had never expected the team to be made up with such a wide variety of people. While Shadowcat and Iceman looked younger than she did, both Rogue and Colossus looked to be her age.

"This is just a bit overwhelming," she admitted out loud as she slowly rubbed her abdomen with her left hand, trying to ease the pressure that slowly built. "I just can't believe that all of this has happened to me in the course of one single day." Her voice started to crack, so she drew up her resolve and attempted to continue. "It just hasn't been the best of days for me."

"Fear not." The voice that had greeted her the first moment that she had opened her eyes, Colossus, seemed to calm her. She sought him out and found her eyes locked upon his blue ones, drowning in their depth. "I promise that you are safe here." It was spoken with such definite finality and sureness that Aubrey found her spirits lifted greatly.

The others, it seemed, were a bit taken aback by his declaration, but they all nodded in agreement. After they were sure that she was more comfortable in her surroundings and with their given names, Charles Xavier asked only for her name.

"Aubrey Wilson."

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