Disclaimer: the characters aren't mine, but I will be doing naughty things with them.
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"Why the hell wasn't she brought to me? A girl collapses unconscious in our home and you decide to tuck her in for the night? What in God's name were you thinking, Scott?" Jean yelled, before her face turned stony. "You know what? I don't have time for this. I'm going to go check on her and hope she didn't die in her sleep."
"Jean!" Scott called pleadingly, digging the heel of his palm into his forehead. "Jean, come back! I checked on Bianca a few hours ago and she's fine!"
"Oh, Bianca is it?" Jean seethed, turning back from the door. "Well, Bianca needs proper medical treatment, not an at-a-glance check-up, Scott! Although, since you came to our room without a shirt on, I'd say you got more than a glance!"
"I already told you, she had blood all over her! I had to-"
The couple continued to yell at each other and the rest of the teachers just rolled their eyes. Their morning staff meetings were usually dry and all-business, but today was practically a live soap-opera. Jean's notorious jealous streak was coming out over an injured, unconscious girl she hadn't even met yet – a new record of insanity for the good doctor. Scott, who obviously felt something for the girl, even if it was just protectiveness, was under siege from his fiancée and becoming a little pathetic in his attempts to sooth her. And then there was the girl at the center of it all, Bianca LaConte. Scott had filled them in on every detail of last night and they didn't know what to make of the situation. She came to them covered in blood, knowing things she shouldn't and rambling about hunters; it was all very odd…and suspicious.
"Enough!" Xavier cried, shaking his head at their display. The psychic took a deep, measured breath and spoke with more calm than he felt. "Ororo, please wake our guest and escort her here. We must talk to her. I'm not comfortable having her stay in the mansion, around our students, with so many serious, unanswered questions. Jean, speak to the other girls and see if you can get them to lend her some clothes. Scott, ask the kitchen staff to prepare something and have it brought here; she'll be hungry, I'm sure."
The older staff scattered and Xavier was left in his office with Remy Lebeau, a recent addition to the mansion. "And what do you think of all this, Remy?"
"Remy can't get over her askin' fo' sanctuary. What are we, a fuckin' medieval church? Lots of t'ings don't add up, professeur, but Remy be willing to reserve judgment until he meet the girl. If she hot, Remy may go easy on her." Remy said with a smirk. "Or hard, depending on how she likes it."
"Ugh." the Professor groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose and squeezing his eyes shut. "Mister Lebeau, if you're going to continue teaching young and impressionable minds, your language and-"
"Alright, Xav, Remy'll rein it in. But jus' because Remy likes you." he said with mock seriousness. "No promises about de girl, though."
"I was under the impression you had feelings for-"
"You know nothing'll come of it." he snapped, his charming indifference gone in a flash. "And not for lack of trying on my part! So, Remy'll do what he always does to get over a femme: get laid to clear his head. Remy knows you can't help pickin' up on certain t'ings, but this best stay between us, mon ami."
"Of course." Xavier murmured. After a long pause, he spoke again. "I'm sorry, Remy. I wish things were different."
Remy swallowed tightly. "Me too."
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Bianca stepped under the warm, flowing water and sighed. She was completely recovered from yesterday's ordeal but today would bring a new one. Ororo Munroe had woken her up and a pretty awkward situation ensued. Halfway through the night, she'd regained consciousness and moved under the bed. Well, it was hardly practical to sleep on a bed and be woken up by sunlight streaming into the room! And that's how the African Amazon found Bianca, after her mass of curls poked out from under the bed skirt. And to make matters even worse, she was told the staff needed to 'speak to her'.
Bianca didn't know what to say to them, but she needed to stay here. She couldn't go back to her apartment in the city; the Hunter had taken her only a few blocks from there. She'd come to Xavier's for three reasons. First was protection. She could look out for herself just fine, but she needed a place to lie low until she could gather the Vampires. That was the second reason she was here. There were two ways to disperse information throughout the Vampire community. The first was through Anatolie Petrescu. He was the oldest and best connected Vampire in the world. Unfortunately, he was in Eastern Europe at the moment. The second was through encrypted websites and untraceable email accounts. Xavier's state-of-the-art computer lab would do nicely.
And third…she was here to meet her family. Her entire line, which had once consisted of dozens in a generation, had narrowed down to one. It was her only connection to mortality and she treasured it. Generally, her policy was to observe and protect her descendents from afar, but she had failed this one. That kind of negligence was unforgivable and she intended to make it up in person.
Shaking off her distracting thoughts, she stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around her. Someone had put piles of clothes on her bed while she was in the bathroom; they weren't really her style – and there seemed to be an unusual amount of yellow – but at least there was a hoodie. Bianca dressed in a pair of dark jeans and a purple v-neck t-shirt. They were both a little small on her; she was petite at 5'4" but curvy. Beggars couldn't be choosers, though, so she threw on the gray hoodie and moved out the door.
"I was just about to come get you." Ororo said pleasantly.
Bianca gave a strained smile, not really knowing what to say. "Lead on, I guess."
Ororo smiled kindly back, hoping to get the girl to open up. There was something strange about her and not just because she slept under the bed. Something about her seemed off, but Ororo couldn't put a finger on what. Then again, who could claim normality under this roof? They walked through the halls together, Ororo swaying like a graceful willow with each step and Bianca moving sensually, her hands clasped behind her back. Ororo filled the silence by explaining the facets and programs in the school.
"If you're interested, we could enroll you in classes." Ororo offered.
The Vampire passed her hand over her mouth to hide an amused smile. "My education is quite extensive. Thank you anyway."
"Oh?" Ororo asked politely. "What is your field of study?"
A sly smirk came over Bianca's face; this was the perfect opening. "Actually, I'm very skilled with computers. It is a matter of some concern for me, though. The industry changes so quickly. New software, micro-technology and programming methods are developed constantly. If I fall behind, it can be difficult to catch up."
"You're in luck, then! We have a very advanced computer lab!" Ororo said excitedly. She was happy to finally get more than one-word answers from their guest. "I'm sure the professor will grant you access after you meet with him. I can even introduce you to our resident computer wiz, Kitty Pryde!"
Bianca passed near a large bay window and cringed at the light. She pulled her sleeves past her hands and the edges of her hood over her cheeks. "That's very kind of you." Bianca said distractedly. It was the best non-committal response she could think of. Meeting some mortal computer nerd was not high on her list of priorities.
Ororo noticed her evasiveness and decided to back off. The girl was a tad socially awkward, but a few weeks in the mansion would cure her of that. The two continued on in silence and finally reached Xavier's office.
"Ah, Miss LaConte, it is a pleasure to finally meet you in person." Xavier greeted warmly, holding his suspicions at bay.
"Likewise, Professor, and thank you for your hospitality thus far. It has been most appreciated, especially considering the circumstances of my arrival." Bianca said formally. She took a seat in the semi-circle around the professor and looked at the rest of the staff as Xavier introduced them. There was the man from last night, Scott, who'd helped her and cared for her. Her lips quirked a gentle smile in his direction, which he returned. A red-headed woman flared her nostrils at the exchange; this must be the fiancée he talked about last night. Ororo took in all these interactions with idle curiosity, a slight tilt to her head. And there was another man, with demon eyes. They were unusual and beautiful in their own way, but there was no mistaking the lust behind them. Remy looked her up and down hungrily; her lip curled in distaste. Insolent pup.
"Well!" the Professor clapped his hands. "Now that the introductions are out of the way, why don't you tell us a little about yourself?"
"Not much to tell." she shrugged.
"Well, I'm sure there's more to you than your name and the fact that you're in trouble." Jean insisted. "Because that's all we know at this point."
"I'm 19." Bianca offered, as though that should satisfy them.
"That's it?" Jean demanded.
"What more do you want?" she asked, baffled.
"What about your background? Your interests? Your mut-" Scott asked.
"Whoa! Let me stop you there!" Bianca held her hands up. "Look, I've been on the run for a while. Moving around, flying under the radar, paranoia: these things have been very good to me! Forgive me if I'm not eager to share information about myself, but complacency is what got me into this mess."
"By 'mess', you mean your assault?" Xavier asked.
"Exactly. I got careless and it nearly got me killed. Trust can have the same consequence."
"Then you understand our dilemma." Xavier retorted. "If we allow you to stay, knowing nothing about you or the danger you're in, then we are putting our students at risk. That is unacceptable."
She huffed and crossed her arms, but reluctantly agreed. "Fine. What do you want to know?"
"How you heard about us be a good place to start." Remy said.
"I already told Scott last night." Bianca explained.
"Ah, yes. Does this alumnus have a name?" Xavier asked.
Bianca shifted uncomfortably in her seat, but spoke with firm finality. "I don't want to get anyone in trouble."
"What can you tell us about the attack, then?" Ororo asked gently.
"That the consequences won't follow me to this school and that I'm fine." she said evenly. As she heard the harsh gusts of breath from Remy's nostrils and the grinding of Jean's teeth, the absurd desire to giggle rose in her chest, but she squelched it. Guilt also nagged at her, but she pushed that aside as well. She knew they were irritated with her non-answer answers, but it couldn't be helped. They would be in serious danger if they knew anything about her; even the smallest grain of truth would have severe consequences. Her guilt over a few lies would be nothing compared to the guilt of getting them all killed.
"Is there anything you can tell us?" Remy demanded harshly.
Bianca looked around the room and saw either suspicion, frustration or both on every face. Living life on the fly was a necessity for her, so she created a new, shorter past for Bianca LaConte. She told them her mutation had manifested publically in her hometown and that anti-mutant fanatics had been chasing her ever since. For good measure, tears pooled in her eyes and her chin wobbled pathetically. Ororo's face shone with pity and Bianca cringed. She was a pat on the back away from scrapping this whole endeavor. Most major cities had Vampire gathering spots and that was looking pretty good about now. But the temptation of seeing her descendant was too great. She was already here, within the same walls; she'd even caught whiffs earlier this morning. There was no way she could leave now.
Bianca was in the middle of a heart-rending description of her time on the streets as a mutant runaway when Remy burst out. "Oh, come on, cut de bullshit! You a liar; it's written all over yo' face! Professeur, this femme be trouble! Somet'ing ain't right wit' her!"
"Remy!" Ororo warned through clenched teeth, shooting an apologetic look to Bianca.
"How do we even know she a mutant? She could be wit' de FOH or de government, comin' to infiltrate us." Remy's eyes darted around the room, desperately looking for support and finding none. He skidded to Xavier's side and his stare bore into the older man's eyes. "Professeur, Remy knows he ain't de best teacher or role model, but nobody can spot a liar better den Gambit. Please! You gotta believe me, homme."
Much as he was messing up her story, Bianca couldn't help but grudgingly respect him. She had more experience with deception than they could imagine, but this…infant, had nearly derailed her entire story. No matter, though; it was easily remedied.
Bianca strolled casually to Xavier's desk and grabbed an old-fashioned letter opener. Making eye contact with Remy, she pulled up one sleeve and slashed a deep cut in her forearm. There were gasps and flinches around the room, but everyone's eyes widened as the wound healed before two drops of blood could fall.
"Oh! What was that?" Bianca asked smugly. "Why, I think it was a mutation!"
"Doesn't mean you ain't workin' for de bad guys." Remy said stubbornly. Neither noticed the other teachers frozen in place, staring at Bianca's forearm.
Her playful, snide demeanor fell away and she became a serious, cold woman once again. "Back off, Cajun. I've done a lot of terrible things to survive, but selling out my own kind is where I draw the line. I would rather die than betray my community. Now, do I get to stay at your school? Or will you be subjecting me to more hostile inquisitions?"
Her last question was directed at Xavier and he shook out of his reverie. "My staff and I must discuss a few things, but for now, you are welcome to explore the mansion."
"Thank you, Professor Xavier. Let me know when you've reached a decision." Bianca said, pinning Remy with a scathing glance as she swept from the room.
There was a moment of shocked silence before Jean spoke dazedly. "Did you see that? I mean, it was just like…"
The older staff all nodded while Remy ignored them, still glaring at the door. Ororo finished Jean's thought in a whisper, "Logan."
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