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"Vanda," Kurt said incredulously, his heart racing.
"Hello again, Kurt." She smiled but sounded almost breathless.
Kurt awkwardly looked at Emma and Hank, who he realized were still in the room. With a knowing look, Emma spoke,
"Hank, how about you show me that containment field you fashioned for Professor Xavier, I've heard so much about it."
"Oh, why of course Ms. Frost," Hank stood and led Emma across the hallway, though not before giving Kurt and the transmitter screen a highly curious look.
Grateful to be alone in the room, he looked back at the beautiful face staring back at him on the large, lit screen.
"I…," his voice faltered and Wanda smiled again, making it even harder to find his words,
"I am surprised to hear from you, Vanda. Is everything alright?" He could hardly believe how calm his own voice sounded.
"Yes, everything is alright here Kurt…I suppose I just wanted to apologize for my father's treatment of you here in Genosha. I should have tried harder to defend you."
"I don't hold you responsible for Magneto's actions, Vanda…besides, I have many pleasant memories of Genosha as vell."
The way Wanda's cheeks blushed so prettily and how she slid a lock of her hair gently behind her ear made the X-man's knees grow weak. Just to be safe, he sat into Hank's chair, unused to the feeling of being weightless besides when he was teleporting.
"I know I could never ask you to return here," her eyes were cast downward nervously,
"-but I admit I have missed…speaking to you."
Kurt swallowed, nervously swirling his pointed tail about the stem of Hank's chair, as if to tether him to the spot. He could hardly believe that the daughter of his most hated enemy could be eliciting such a reaction, or such words, from him as he spoke,
"I've missed you too, Vanda."
Her eyes shone with hope as she smiled again, and Kurt could not help but return one. He was not permitted to enjoy her smile long, however, because she turned to look at something out of the hologram transmitter's range, and she said in a hushed voice,
"I have to go, Kurt, my father is returning." She offered him one last smile as she deactivated the transmitter.
"Auf weidersehen."
Kurt sighed worriedly as the reality of his dilemma began to sink in; that Magneto would always be there, and the X-men would always be fighting him. The elated, weightless feeling seeing Wanda had given him was slowly evaporating, and just before he teleported, he heard Emma Frost's voice.
"Treading a dangerous line, aren't we Mr. Wagner?"
Kurt turned around to find her standing in the doorway, leaning against the edge with her arms crossed, as she was so accustomed to doing.
"Vere you-?"
"I didn't need to eavesdrop to know what's going on, Kurt," her thin pale lips smirked, "There's been nothing on your mind since you returned but Wanda Maximoff."
Kurt Wagner was not used to having telepaths in his mind other than Professor Xavier, and was a bit affronted by the pretentious and beautiful Emma Frost. His yellow eyes nearly glowed now, and as Emma continued to smirk they narrowed.
"Don't look so upset, Kurt," Emma neared him and uncrossed her arms, "You should have more faith in the X-men's understanding and acceptance...Logan let me join the team, after all, even with all his doubts."
"Yes, but…" Kurt sighed, "I guess I'm just vorried because, vell, she ist Magneto's daughter."
"Do you trust her, Kurt?" Emma looked at him critically.
After a moment's hesitation, he nodded.
"Then we will too," she stepped nearer to him and placed a pale, slender hand on the side of his face, and Kurt slowly realized she was reading his mind. She smiled up at him in a knowing way that he found a bit unsettling.
"Everything will be fine." She said smoothly.
Gently removing her hand from his face, Kurt bowed his head politely and took a step back from her, vanishing in an instant.
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When Magneto and Blink reappeared in the room with a flash of pink light, Wanda barely had time to shut off the transmitter and turn around before her father was approaching her. With all her love and admiration for Magneto, he still ignited fear within her on occasion-quite frequently the past few months-and she could not move. When he stood before her he offered her a small smile,
"Sending a transmission, Wanda?"
"I was just…speaking with a friend." She said carefully, even if he already knew, there was no point in angering him now.
"I see," Magneto said smoothly, "And where is Lorna?"
"She's in the gardens, Father. In fact I only just got back myself," she held up the yellow rose as if to prove her statement,
"She'd love to show you her flowers, why don't you visit her there?"
Magneto seemed to consider it and then he turned from her and walked towards his throne, his billowing purple cape lurking behind him like a dark cloud. Resting upon his throne he folded his hands together thoughtfully,
"I know that since your coming here you have been rather…lonely, Wanda. I understand how your tireless efforts to improve the life of mutantkind here has taken up most-if not all-of your time, and I am very proud of you."
Wanda swallowed and prepared for a conversation she was not at all ready for.
"By your displays in defense of the X-men's, 'Nightcrawler', and acts of even affection for him, I feel it necessary to urge you to end whatever whimsical fantasies you might be concocting about a romance. My plan is in its final stages, edging every day nearer to fruition, and I need your full concentration and attention at all times. I have entrusted the mutants of Genosha to you, Wanda, and their wellbeing is in your hands while I begin the plans to crush the human's threats and ensure mutant safety."
Wanda's heart sank at the tone of obvious disappointment her father spoke with, but remained silent.
"Do you understand, Wanda?"
"I understand, Father."
"Good," he sighed loftily and spoke with palpable confidence, "Next week Mystique will begin her infiltration of Senator Kelly's MRD facilities, and by then I expect you to end all communication with the X-men."
Wanda did look up now, and tried to keep her face blank of emotion as she nodded. Leaving the throne room silently, the rose slipped from her fingers as easily as it had come, lying on the cold metal in the doorway behind her as she strode past.
