Hope Returns
Chapter Four
By: Lily Handle
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Author's Note: I have to say, I'm trying really hard to heat up the plot in this chapter. I know the story is moving kind of slowly, but that's just because there's a lot of little details to get in so some of your more astute readers can maybe figure out what's going to happen. Please enjoy and read and review.
Lily
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Logan tucked himself into a small corner booth in the back of Last Drop, the Boston coffee house where he was suppose to meet with Fury. He ordered a large cup of black coffee from a pale-faced waiter and settled back to watch the door. His training made him watch everyone in the room, the morning crowd looked to be mostly businessmen, a lot of them, stopping in quickly for a morning cup. There was a group of college students in the opposite corner, a mountain of books spread out between them while they laughed and joked. Some soccer moms getting a cup and a bagel before heading out to do the shopping were milling around at tables or the coffee bar while reading the morning paper. Then there was him, he didn't exactly blend in, but those who passed him didn't glance twice at him, and if they looked to take the seat across from him a scowl or glare sent them packing. He didn't like having to wait for Fury, he didn't like having to wait for anyone, but it ticked him off that his old boss still made him wait. He had to give it to Fury though, agreeing to meet with him was giving a little ground, but Logan knew Fury wasn't coming because of his charming personality. The Doc had charmed the old guy, which wasn't surprising, the Doc charmed most people. If Fury thought the Doc was in danger, he'd come running. Logan found himself frowning into his coffee, why did it bother him that someone else would come running to rescue the Doc? Not that he wouldn't charge in, too, but he'd saved a lot of people in his time, adding the Doc to that list wasn't something spectacular. Except he hadn't kissed the people he rescued. Don't think about it, he ordered himself that brings nothing but trouble. The door to the coffee house opened, a tinkle of bells and the traffic noise signaled it and had Logan glancing over the rim of his cup. Fury was dressed conservatively in civilian clothes, his eye patch hidden under the brim of a hat. Odd how they'd both chosen cowboy hats to tilt over their eyes and hide any noticeable or memorable features. Fury spotted Logan instantly, his trained eyes focusing in on him right away. With clear purpose Fury strode his way, not bothering to glance anywhere now that he had his target in sight.
"Nice to see you, Logan," Fury said, sitting down across from him.
"This isn't a friendly visit, Patch," Logan muttered, setting his cup down.
"When are they? Alright, what do you want to know?"
"What do you know about Wilson Trask?"
"His name's Jason, Logan, or is your memory finally starting to go?"
"I know what I'm talking about, Fury," Logan growled, "the Doc got an invitation to some sort of party hosted by some guy name Wilson Trask. I'm not one to believe in coincidence."
"Hmm, neither am I, but everything we have on Jason Trask, you have since the Sentinel incident," Fury explained quietly, "There's no record of him having any living relatives. Parents died a couple years before he join us, no brothers or sisters or aunts or uncles."
"Yeah, read the file before coming here," Logan sighed, "How about an affair? Did he take any personal days? Or what about missions, he get too close to a fellow operative?"
"Personal days would be in his performance record, and you know the rules Logan, no one gets too close to a fellow operative."
"Yeah, and we saw this guy's got a good respect for the rules," Logan snorted, "Do a favor for the Doc, look this guy up. She's going to this meeting thing in a day, and I don't want her walking into the arms of a mutant hater."
One corner of Fury's mouth titled up, "You think I can get everything there is on this guy with a day to look into him?"
"Get enough so we don't get a ransom note or a body back from this party," Logan ordered, rising from the table, "You like the Doc, you'll be able to get that much."
Fury waited until Logan was gone, he'd left him with the bill and a little to think about. For all of Logan's surly-ness he'd never made an order like that one before. He'd note it down in the file they still kept on Weapon X, Dr. Chandler's well being was a button they could push if they ever needed him. Fury smiled, picked up Logan's discarded cup and took a sip. He'd do what Logan asked, he didn't like coincidence either, but it would cost Logan, later on.
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If Hope had known she was being discussed in the back corner of a Boston coffee house she may not have been so excited, but she didn't know so excitement reined. She was sitting at a window table of an excellent French restaurant in Baltimore, waiting for her sister. She'd called Thea as soon as she'd finished putting her clothes away and they'd talked for hours. They'd agreed that a day in Baltimore's finest shops would give them both a stress free day, and that meeting for breakfast at the restaurant would satisfy the two agents with Hope. It was public, but not packed, so the agents sat at the table behind Hope. She could feel their eyes on her. When she'd woken up this morning they'd been waiting in the room next to hers, they're names were Roberts and Daniels, or something of the like. She was having a hard time remembering all the agents that had been introduced to her. They were two silent, tall, grim faced agents who had in mater of fact style gone over every detail of their six hour shift with Hope. It had been possibly the most boring hour of Hope's life. Only men could make talking about what stores Hope wanted to shop at seem boring. Now though, they were chatting quietly behind her, while she watched the door for Thea. Her sister was a lot like her mother, small and delicate looking, but with her father's famous Chandler temper. Her hair was cut short and business like, a few shades lighter than Hope's, but her sister's eyes were gray instead of brown or green. A recessive trait in the Chandler line, Thea Angelica Chandler barely looked like a member of the family, but ran one of the largest branches of the Chandler Shipping empire and she was Hope's baby sister. With an age difference of five years Hope had taken care of Thea sometimes when the nanny needed a break or Thea had girl problems. Hope adored her baby sister, loved spending time with her and taking care of her. When she walked through the door Hope was on her feet in a second and waving an arm towards her.
"Thea! Thea!" She called, and her sister turned towards her and within seconds they were hugging, "It's so good to see you again!" Hope said when she held her sister an arm length away.
"Michael called me last night, he sends his love and ask why you haven't called in a while," Thea said, taking the seat across from Hope.
"He should know I've been busy with work," Hope said waving away her brother's concern, "And anyway, what's wrong with his phone? If he wants to talk he can call me."
Thea chuckled while looking over the menu, "I told him the same thing. Anyway, Mom's a little worried about you too, saw the news last night."
"Oh no," Hope groaned.
"Oh yes, and since I check in every night with Mom she went on and on about how you should move somewhere else. That boarding school is too dangerous, and I quote."
"The Institute is probably the safest place in the world for me, I've got Hank and Charles to watch out for me."
"Yes, but she didn't listen to me when I explained that too her," Thea said, "But you know Mom, she doesn't believe either of us can take care of ourselves."
"Right," Hope placed in orders with a waiter in French then turned to her sister for some serious gossip, "So tell me, are you still dating David what's his name?"
"Ugh, now that was a tragedy waiting to happen, why didn't you tell me he was a jerk?" Thea groaned, rolling her eyes.
"I did, if I remember correctly, now, details woman, I want to know every sordid little detail." The gossip flowed between the sisters like water over breakfast. They covered everything, from the latest movies to the latest love interest a topic that Hope was quite tight lipped about.
"Oh, come on Hope," Thea pleaded, "There has to be someone. You've been going to all these dinners and symposiums and you want me to believe there isn't anyone your interested in? Not some brainy but studly doctor or scientist?"
"My whole life is work, I don't have time for a relationship," Hope said trying to explain away the topic, "Much less the inclination."
"You are such a bore, sis," Thea laughed, "I can tell there's someone, you just don't wait to talk about him. That's fine keep him a secret, I'll get it from Mom when you tell her."
"Mom won't know any sooner than you," Hope challenged.
"Mom will know because she's Mom." Hope sighed, Thea had a point, mother always some how found out.
"Well, what do you say we go shopping? I've got to find a nice pair of ear rings and maybe a new suit or skirt for Congress." Hope said getting to her feet, Thea followed suit and so did the agents and they started for their cars. The first stop was a little dress shop not to far from the restaurant, while Hope didn't find anything to her taste, Thea bought three jewel toned blouses. It wasn't until the third shop that Hope found exactly what she was looking for. It was a pin stripe skirt suit, with light blue stripes.
"Oh, you look so respectable," Thea sighed, "And professional. Are you going to wear your doctor's coat too? With that dark blue collared shirt the white won't wash you out too much."
"I don't know, I've got a gold caduceus pin along with a silver one for the Institute, I was thinking about wearing those. Show my doctor status and support for the Institute," Hope commented, turning this way and that while watching herself in the mirror. "What do you think about the hair? Leave it down?"
"How professional do you want to look?" Thea asked, coming up behind Hope and scooping her hair up, "You put it in the school marm bun and those conservative senators are going to be happy, but you might lose a few of the liberals."
"I should get some new reading glasses too, something silver and thin," Hope murmured, "My gold ones won't work at all."
"Right, get out of the suit, buy it and I know a great glasses boutique down the street." Hope went back into the dressing room and started on the buttons on the jacket, "So, what can you tell me about this Congress thing?" Thea asked through the door.
"Well, what do you want to know?"
"Tell me about these bills, I get that they'd limit the use of mutant powers, and instate a national registry, but I don't know anything else. I mean, why are mutants protesting these, they seem perfectly logical to me."
"A lot of mutants value their privacy," Hope said, sliding out of the skirt, "A registry would invade that, also why limit a mutant's use of power if they're perfectly harmless? I know mutants who's powers can't do anything to harm anyone."
"But, there's that gang of mutants, what do they call themselves?"
"The Brotherhood? They're punks, with nothing better to do than cause trouble," Hope slid back into her pants, "Anyway, the X-men handle them."
"Along with you," Thea chuckled, "Remember when you and the X-men stopped them from destroying that bank? You snuck up behind that big one and injected him with something."
"A large amount of a mild sedative," Hope said, folding the suit over her arm, stepped out of the dressing room, "Most people weren't happy I did that."
"What? He was going to crush that girl with the brown hair, you saved her."
"Kitty has the ability to pass through solid objects, and I'm not suppose to get involved with the fights," Hope explained, carrying the suit to the register, "I'm the on scene doctor, and only that. I'm not supposed to take stupid risk." Hope repeated the words Logan had said to her after the fight. He'd made Scott fly the jet, plucked her out of her seat and dragged her into the back of the jet. A nice argument had started between them, Hope going toe to toe with Logan as they argued back and forth. In the end they'd both done nothing but yell at each other, and stormed back to their seats, seething. The students had exchanged looks with each other along with whispers, but said nothing. Hope had seethed for hours, it was still a touchy subject between them.
"Well, I'd say if you can do something to help, do it," Thea said as Hope handed over the check she wrote for the suit and took the bag.
"That was my point," Hope muttered, then followed Thea out the door into the cold. The agents were still trailing behind her, looking really put off that this was their shift, shopping with two gossipy women. Well, Hope thought, it was better than sitting in the hotel room all day. At the sound of a speeding engine Hope stopped and looked over her shoulder. A big black Jeep came racing down the street, the passenger side window rolled down, and then the barrel of a gun appeared.
"Get down!" One of the agents yelled from behind her, and then tackled her to the ground. A few seconds later gunfire shattered the window above her head. She could see Thea on the ground across from her, the second agent covering her and found a little irony in that only yesterday it had been Jean lying across from her.
"Dr. Chandler, we're going back to the hotel, you want to go shopping, you use e-bay like everyone else," the agent who was on top of her said.
"Damn," Hope replied, but had no time for anything else as she was herded into a blue Ford and driven away from the street at top speed. She pulled out her cell phone and called her sister.
"I'm sorry, Thea, are you alright?" Hope asked, looking over her shoulder back towards the restaurant.
"Yeah, I'm fine, how about you?"
"Perfect," Hope snorted, "Maybe you can come to Bayville next time and get shot at there."
"Oh, don't worry, now that this happened I know Mom's going to get me a body guard like she'd been threatening for years to do."
"Sorry, Thea, really, about all of this," Hope said again.
"Just don't get hurt, and I'll forgive you," Thea said, "I'd better call the office and tell them I'll be in today after all." Hope closed the phone, and leaned her head back. The Institute was going to find out about this, they were going to call and she'd have to explain how coming early was not a good idea, she'd just work in her hotel room and live off of room service. She probably wouldn't be able to go to the talk she had come early for now. Until the talk with Congress she'd get trapped inside her room, like a grounded child. Well, she'd call in the Institute once she got back to the hotel. She'd let the agents talk with Charles first, they'd want to anyway, and then she'd enjoy explaining everything.
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The agents actually didn't talk very long with Charles, they gave a very short and to the point description of what happened and then held the phone out to her, "Wants to talk to you."
"Hello, Charles," Hope said.
"Hello Doctor, it's nice to hear from you."
Hope sighed, "I know, I should have been more careful."
"Well, as long as you concede that point, I can't see any reason why you're not safe now that you know better," Charles said.
"Well, so, you won't be coming to join me?"
"Would you like me to, Dr. Chandler?"
"No, uh, no I think I'm fine by myself."
"Then Doctor, with the FBI watching out for you, and with yourself on guard, I think it's alright for you to stay on your own."
"Thank you, Charles."
"As long as you're careful, Doctor. I'd expect a call from Hank once he finishes with his work."
"I'd counted on that," Hope said, "Good bye Professor." And with a sigh she hung up then flopped onto the couch behind her.
"We're going to leave the door open between the rooms, don't answer the door, let one of us." One of the agents said, "If there's trouble call the authorities and stay out of the way." Hope nodded silently, and watched the agents until they went into their room.
"Exactly like a grounded child," Hope muttered to herself, "Guess I should go wax the jet too." She picked up her laptop from the coffee table, and started working. What else was she to do locked in her room like she was? Hank called an hour later, sounding panicked, but Hope just calmly explained the situation to him.
"I'm fine Hank, besides a few bumps and scrapes from getting tackled, I'm not hurt," Hope said sympathetically.
"I was so worried when I heard you'd been shot at," Hank sighed, "It's nice to know the FBI's watching out for you."
"They're doing a very good job of it, too. They didn't let the bellhop come in with lunch, took it in themselves. I think they'll start tasting my food before long just in case these crazies start to try poisoning me."
"That's not funny Hope."
But Hope laughed, "Of course it is," she said, helpless to the urge to goad Hank, "What's that fly that can kill you with just an small amount? Oh right, Spanish fly, that's what I'd use if I wanted to poison someone."
"You really should take this more seriously Hope," Hank scolded, but Hope continued to chuckle.
"I wonder how much Spanish fly cost? If these guys can get the material for a bomb, do you think they have enough to get Spanish fly?"
"Hope," Hank growled in warning.
"All right, all right, I'll stop," She laughed, "Sorry. It was just too easy."
"Well, don't make it too easy for the people after you."
"I promise, Hank, just like I promised Charles, I'm going to be careful."
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Author's Note: I got this chapter out surprisingly quick. It's probably because I have all day to write the ideas that have been flowing through my head lately instead of just when it's breakfast, lunch, dinner and naptime at the camp. I've been working at this camp for two years now, as a junior counselor, now I'm a senior counselor, which leaves me with so little time. The pay's really good though and I get to spend time with children, which I like a lot. Well, I promise to make the next chapter more interesting. Please read and review.
