Chapter 10: Familiar Faces

By: Galadeidre

"Len. Len, wake up," Conner spoke softly.

Len squirmed and opened her eyelids as she felt the brake slow the car to a halt. "Where are we?"

"We're here, Len." Conner pulled the car up to an intercom that was inset in a brick wall supporting a gate. Len noticed a plaque on the front of the brick wall engraved with the words: "Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters".

"This place…" Len breathed, her eyes wide with awe. "It's beautiful."

"Yeah, it is," Conner sadly remarked. And you're gonna stay here for the time being.

A female voice spoke through the intercom. "Welcome to Xavier's School for the Gifted. How may I help you?"

I've heard that voice before…Len thought to herself.

"Yeah, hi. My name's Conner and I have a friend here that's new with her mutation. We're wondering if she can stay and learn to control her powers."

"Please, come in."

The gates slowly glided open and Conner slowly drove the car to the front doors. He parked the car and got out, Len following. Conner quickly opened the trunk, took out a duffel bag, and caught up to Len at the foot of the steps. He let out his breath as he glanced down at Len. "Ready?"

Len gave a slow nod and looked at the closed doors. "I guess so." She had a weird feeling about the place.

The thick, wooden doors slowly opened and out stepped a woman the same height as Len, with flowing white hair and smooth brown skin…

…the same white-haired woman from her dream.

Len and the woman stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity until Conner realized the extensive silence. "Uh, Len?"

The white-haired woman was the first to speak of the two. She gave a small, yet wary smile. "Welcome. My name is Ororo Munroe. And you are?" She held out her hand in greeting.

Len inched closer to Conner.

Seeing that Len wasn't going to greet the woman, Conner stepped in and took Ororo's hand. "Hi. I'm Conner O'Brien. The one you spoke to over the intercom. This is my friend Lenette Terace. We're wondering if we could speak with the head of this school about if Len could enroll here for a while."

"Lenette…" Ororo was once again staring at Len, her eyes filled with shock and confusion. She only stared for a short while before putting on her smile once more. "If you would like to follow me, please. I'll take you to the head of this school." She turned around and walked down a hallway.

They were halfway down the hallway when they suddenly heard voices. A group of children opened a door and ran across the hallway, shouting and laughing as they ran outside for their recess.

Another door opened and several teenagers walked out and into the hallway. A certain boy and girl caught Len's attention; the boy had golden brown gelled hair and ice blue eyes, and the girl had red-brown hair with a white streak in the front.

They, too, had been in Len's dream.

She stared at them as they passed her.

Both the girl and boy did a double-take as they glanced at her while they passed. Len turned away and looked at the ground as they continued to walk.

Conner, too, noticed this. "Len? What's wrong? We can still turn back if you want."

Len shook her head and braved a smile. She had come this far and she wasn't going to turn back. But she was afraid.

Then someone behind her called the name that she knew would confirm everything that she had seen.

"Jean?"

Though it was far from her real name, Len turned without a moment's hesitation, knowing who she would see.

Both the visored man and the black, wolf-haired man were staring at her. The visored man had his mouth wide open and the other was holding a lit cigar between his fingers.

Conner and Ororo stopped and turned as well. As Ororo walked towards the two men, Conner gently took hold of Len's shoulders. Len looked into Conner's eyes: He knew.

"Len," Conner whispered quietly to her. "Jean…that's her name isn't it? The girl in your dreams?"

Len gave a slow nod. She was watching the visored man as Ororo cleared up the mistake to both of the men. His pained expression almost broke Len's heart.

Conner sighed as he looked from the man back to Len. "And this place…these people…they're all from your dream?"

"Some of them."

"Who?"

"Miss Ororo and those two men. There was a boy and a girl about our age, maybe younger, that I recognized, too. Conner." Len looked up at him, her voice shaking. "The dream…it…it must've happened already…Jean…she's…she must've died…she's…"

"Hey, hey. Come on now. It's okay." Conner gently drew her into a hug. He made sure he didn't let her go until he knew she was calm once more.

Ororo came back as the two men left down a different hallway. Len caught the eye of the visored man before he left. He stared at her for a while longer before the other dragged him away.

"I'm terribly sorry for that," Ororo replied. She gave a smile. "I…I really don't know how to say this to you, Lenette, but…well…you look exactly like someone we knew before. It's really quite strange. If not for your eyes, they're gorgeous by the way, I probably would have mistaken you for Jean. Jean was her name."

"Mmm," Conner remarked.

"Well," Ororo exhaled, recollecting herself. "Shall we?" She turned and began to walk, once again, down the hallway. Ororo stopped at a closed wooden door and turned to them. "If you could wait here for a moment, I'll talk to the professor." She knocked and entered, closing the door behind her.

Conner sat down on a nearby lounge chair, setting the duffel bag on the ground. He looked up and gently touched Len's arm. "You wanna sit down?"

Len gave a nod and sat, leaning forward away form the back of the chairs and sighed.

Conner watched her every move. "Len…"

"Yeah?"

Conner sighed and leaned back. "I'm serious about this. Do you want to turn back? We still can."

Len looked at him, a frown on her face. "Conner, I'll be fine. It was…was just a shocker, that's all."

"Well, no kidding. And you'll for sure be stared at for a long time if you stay here. Look." He leaned towards her, his eyes gazing into hers. "We can still find another place for you to stay. It doesn't have to be here. I have a few other contacts that I could probably talk to…"

Len shook her head. "You've done enough for me, Conner."

"I wish I could do more…" Conner looked down and away. Len didn't need to ask what he meant.

The door opened and both of them looked up. Ororo stood looking down at them. She gave them a smile. "Come on in."

As Len and Conner entered the room, Ororo gestured to the bald man behind the desk. "This is Professor Charles Xavier. And these two are…"

"Conner and Lenette, yes." The old man gave a comforting smile and gestured to the chairs in front of him. "Please, have a seat."

Conner did so, but Len was slow to react. She had had a hunch that she would recognize the Professor, considering she had recognized the others, but she was surprised at what she saw in his eyes: He seemed to read her a little too well.

"Don't be so surprised, my dear," Xavier replied, gazing gently into her eyes. He nodded. "You aren't as touched in the head as you think you are."

Len slowly took a seat, not taking her eyes off of the old man. "Does that mean that you know how to help me?"

Xavier frowned. "I can help you harness your power if that is what you mean, but I cannot, for the lack of better terms, cure you from your mutation."

Len gave a small nod and leaned back into her chair.

Xavier watched her and gave a sad smile. "I am sorry, but we do try to help as best as we can here in this facility."

"This is a school, right?" Conner asked.

"Yes, it is. What grade are you in, Lenette?"

"I'm a senior."

"Ah." The Professor gave a warm smile. "Well, I do believe we have a few seniors here. Probably not as many as you're accustomed to, but there's a fairly decent amount. Would you like to stay? It is your choice."

Len looked at Conner. Conner just glanced back, not giving anything away. Suddenly, Len was beginning to feel nervous. She took a deep breath. "I'll try it, I guess."

"Very well, then. Ororo, here, will show you to your room. I hope you don't mind sharing a room with some of the girls."

Len shook her head. "I'll be fine."

"Thank you," Conner added.

"Of course. Are you also staying, Conner?"

"Ah, no. I have to get back home and form a cover story for Len."

"Oh, I see." Xavier smiled. "May I ask how you came to know about our school?"

"A friend of mine, another telepath, knows you, I think. Marron's her name."

"Yes, I do recall that name. How is she?"

"Doing great."

"That's good news." Xavier looked back at Len. "Well, I won't keep you any longer. Ororo, would you mind taking Lenette to one of the spare bedrooms?"

"I think we have one room with only one other occupant." Ororo looked at Len and smiled. "I know the feeling that the newer mutants have to other mutants. We'll take it slow for now."

"Thanks," Len remarked.

Ororo winked. "Sure. If you'd follow me, I'll show you the room." She walked out of the office, the two young mutants following. As she left, she looked back at the Professor. He nodded gravely before he looked away.

Ororo turned back around and walked down the hallway. Conner squeezed Len's shoulders in comfort as Len took a few deep breaths and looked around the hallway that they were walking down.

She caught the eyes of the visored man before the elevator door closed in front of her.