I tried to make this chapter longer then the last ones, I own Anna, and that's about it! I think for this one, I might have the translations at the bottom, depending on how much needs translating. Please read and leave a review!
A couple of moments after Charme leaves, there is a knock on my door, I can hear it crack open. Then Logan's voice.
"Anyone in here?"
-Just me.
I hear the door close, then Logan's voice again.
"Are you still up for that talk?"
-In the bathroom, I am decent. Come on in.
Sitting on my toilet, he tells me a part of his story, World War I, the living with the wolves and then with a Blackfoot Tribe, and the terrible death of his lover, a beautiful Indian woman named Silver Fox. She was killed, he doesn't know how, on a day like today, in January of so many years ago, a cold, dry, sunny day with no clouds. It was Logan's birthday, and when he came back from hunting with the men, he found his beautiful black-haired lover in a bloody snow bank.
-Today's my birthday.
-I am sorry, Logan.
-I'm going to leave for a bit. Now you know why.
-It's ok. It's going to be ok. And get better. I know so.
-But hey, Kurt's back, he can train with you, he told me so.
-Yes, of course.
Logan has a sigh, I flip around to hug him before he gets up, he hugs back, and closes the bathroom door softly behind him. I sigh, what a terrible memory to live with. With a terrible reminder too. Your lover killed on your birthday. "Happy birthday, you poor bastard" I probably would have tried to kill myself long ago. And somehow I know that no birthday of mine will go by, ever again, without holding Kurt in my arms from dusk 'till dawn.
And I find myself to sleep better, knowing Kurt is in the other room.
Starting the next morning, however, Kitty seems to be pissed off at me, during my class where Kurt is assisting me with his habitual happy-go-lucky behavior, she clearly blames me for Logan leaving. Even after Kurt reassured her that Wolverine going away had nothing to do with me, she is adamant. And at the end of the class, she clearly puts the moves on Kurt, who simply vanishes away. Overactive hormones on a 14 years old, she will try to put the moves on a man two times her age. I find that ridiculous. She's a kid, he's a grown man, and what the hell does she know about anything?
It's very shortly after Kurt comes back that Scott decides to take an indefinite leave from the school, he smiles more, but he still has a very hard time to cope with Jean's death. That to me comes as another hard hit, as I wish I could help him. The Professor will take over Scott's classes, but as a result, he asked Colossus to come back temporarily, this place needs a security that we lack, without Logan and Scott. Still, Professor X believes that with me, Kurt that is back, Bobby and Peter, the four of us makes a pretty good Cyclops and Wolverine.
-Wha'd abou'tt me?
-Remy? It's not everybody that trusts you yet, and it is a very heavy task but to protect the Mansion.
-I kno'! I was 'ere w'en 'de 'umans attack' 'dis place.
-Bear with me, Remy.
-He's a jerk anyways.
-Why you be mean, chere? I was not'in' bu'tt nice to you.
-You're a jerk!
-You break my 'eart, Rogue.
-Break this.
I have a chuckle as she flips him the bird, those two are something, I know years down the line, they still will be at it. There is something about the two of them. I decide to just leave, I already know what my role around here is, and I have had some pretty intense sessions talking about what happened in September with the Professor. I still won't assume supervision alone over the children, but defending the fort is right up my alley.
I am happy to see Peter again, and it seems that he got over his feelings for me, as when he first walks in, a couple of days after his return was announced to us by the Professor, he grabs me in his arms to hug me, a big sloppy kiss on the cheek and a booming "I got my friend back!" that makes me chuckle a lot. I am very happy to resume a real friendship with him, and even happier that he takes my side when Charme accuses me in front of Peter to have led him on. Kurt too. I find myself two harsh defenders.
-No. You mislead yourself. Don't blame her, blame yourself.
-You think Anna Maria is like any other girl you were with, and it's your mistake.
-Your mad that she was able to keep the agreed distance and you were not. I tried my chances with her, and she made it clear that it wasn't going to be this way.
-She falls for no tricks.
-You calling me a trick?
-I just call it like I see it. You are an illusionist after all.
-And you're a freak.
-Knock it off. Or I'll knock you off... Charme.
Charme goes quiet, and Peter wide-eyed, he points Nightcrawler.
-Wait... You? And her?
Kurt goes quiet, eyes up locked on Peter, he has an ever so slight nod, the rosary appeared in his hand, sign that he is worried, or anxious.
-Since Dia del veterano y de los Caidos en la Guerra de Malvinas.
-When is that?
-April second.
I am floored to learn that his attraction to me started about the same time as mine for him, mine really turned from attraction to something real on that very day, when we had tea after planting a rose-bush together in the garden, when he called me serious and truthful and magical. And I seriously wonder how we went a month and a half being able to keep to ourselves separately. And I am surprised that Kurt remembers the name of the holiday, in Spanish, too.
-So you are the guy she turned me down for?
-I turned you down because I wanted nothing more than to be your friend, Peter.
-Shh, you. I am talking to him.
A smile pops on his face as I give him a deadly stare, he waves his hand, unimpressed, and turns back to Kurt, who is quiet, tough his lips are moving, his fingers too, he is praying. Only after a long time does he find something to reply to Peter, who is patiently and now coldly waiting.
-I take no responsibility to that. I am a pacifist at heart.
-Aren't we all... Maudit monstre. (A/N: Damn monster)
-Take that back. Charme, take it back. You maldito m...
-Frau... It's ok.
-C'est donc cute... Deux freaks. (A/N : How cute... Two freaks.)
-You shut up.
-Make me.
I stop Peter from bashing Charme's head in. It won't do Peter any good in the end, even if on the moment, it would feel pretty good. Instead, I just send Peter away, and I take Kurt's hand to walk away, even if we go separate ways when we get out of the dimly lit living room. I am angry at Charme for turning an innocent fling into a full-blown love affair.
That night, long after I turned in to my room and changed into my nightgown, Kurt comes and knocks softly, inviting me to follow him to his room. There is something he wants to show me, he says. My hand in his I follow him, and I am surprised that he sits me on his bed in the dark room, he turns on the lamp on his night stand, and I smile to see the single purple carnation that grew in the Masson jar, after nine months, I know it's its second blooming, Kurt took great care of it.
-It bloomed a single pink carnation, four months ago, when I arrived in Germany. And it just bloomed today. A different color. You are magical. And you put happiness in my heart, Anna Maria La Rioja.
-I'm sorry?
-Don't ever be.
I smile as he turns the clock radio on, it plays something soft, and Kurt extends his hand to invite me to dance. It's in my white nightgown that I slow dance with him near his bed, I am just the right height to lean my head on his shoulder. He held me tightly for a song or two, before returning me to my room, where he kisses my hand with a smile, I don't think he has any ideas how much he twists my insides.
-Gute nacht, schöne weiße engel. (A/N : Good night, beautiful white angel)
-Buenas noches.
I giggle as he backs up to his room across the hall while remaining in his curtsied position, it's very hard to close my door and get in bed.
I have a real laugh at the breakfast table when Rogue declares very seriously that she wants to go and play mallrat today, and she won't go alone. She enrolls me and Lisa as her cohort of "mallrat minions", since it's Saturday and I have no other obligations, I decide to go, that really gives Kurt a giggle, he is sliding sideways glances at Peter who smiles, and I don't like the conniving undertone of the glances.
Outside, it's a bit cold, but not too much, still enough to explain Rogue's gloves, sunny, it explains my sunglasses, and for the first time of my life, I set foot in a mall. Professor X gave us a bit of money, not a lot, sixty dollars for the three of us. Since I don't have any intentions of buying anything, I am not really worried about that, still, I go into a music store with Rogue and Lisa, where we listen to some stuff, we decide to buy a compilation CD that suits both our tastes, we then go and hang out at the food court for a while.
It takes me a long while to understand the point of hanging out at the food court. And I only understand it when two boys go to speak with Rogue and Lisa while I am in line to get a hot-dog.
"Don't worry about her, she has a boyfriend" says Lisa when I come back to the table and the two boys have worried glances for me. I don't know why it kind of hurts my feelings. Maybe it's because she put my private business to perfect strangers, humans that is. Or maybe it's because of her tone. Or because she referred to Kurt as a "boy". One of the boy has a chuckle, sitting very close to Lisa who smiles, acting all cute, from slightly hurt, I am now vexed. They had me walking all the way here just to catch on some boys. And ignore me once two idiots took the bait. I decide to go to the bathroom, maybe there I will be able to compose myself a good façade of "smile and pretend it's all good" I can yell at them later.
But when I get back to the food court, Rogue and Lisa are pissed, there is a lot of panic, and the two boys are gone.
-Your stupid boyfriend ruined everything!
"Uh?" is my initial reaction, until I see that my hot-dog is gone. I just paid four dollars for that.
-You took my hot-dog?
-Kurt did. He stupid teleported on top of the table, and asked us "What are you pretty girls up to?" that freaked Derek and Peter right out, they ran. Then he said "come back? while eating your hot-dog.
-Well that's what the two of you get for ignoring me for two stupid boys.
I turn around to have Kurt teleporting right in front of me, half the hot-dog in his hand, an apologetic smile on his face.
-Hello, pretty.
-You took my food.
-I only had half.
-I don't want it anymore, it's going to taste like brimstone.
-Brimstone is tasty. A bit crunchy, tangy.
-Kurt.
-I made them go away so you could enjoy some Frau time.
-You're here.
-Right.
He put the hot dog in my hand, I work very hard to keep a straight and not-so-happy face as he waves his fingers to Lisa and Rogue, then "bamf" he is gone, I roll my eyes before having a bite of the hot-dog, both girls screech their disgust over the twice-teleported hot-dog that has to be tasting like hell, but I have to agree with Kurt. Tangy and a bit crunchy, but not bad.
Lisa quickly makes it clear that she wants to chat boys more, Rogue agrees, so I decide to leave. The heck with them. When I get back to the mansion, it's snowing heavily, and my coat is not thick enough, I am surprised to hear the "bamf" and not even seeing Kurt, before I know it, almost in the same "bamf" I am inside in the living room, and Kurt is rubbing my arms.
-I hope I did not cause an argument? Are you mad at me?
-No. In fact, you don't know that you helped get my point across, even if I failed to do so. Can we go and train somewhere?
-Of course.
"Bamf", we're in the indoors training hall, and Kurt is all business here. And despite that his teaching manners are day and light from Logan's, he remains stern but encouraging, he is so much softer in his take-downs that I have to get him going. But I have no clue of how to push his buttons, I have no clue of what buttons to push. So I just start being rougher with him, like I would be rough with Logan. I don't think he has a clue of what hit him when I grab him by the arms since he took his jacket off, my foot up his solar plexus I just roll and tumble to my back to send him flying towards a wall. Then I hit the floor when I get back up.
-Come on! Hit me!
I have to do it literally ten more times before he gets pissed off enough that he roughs me up a bit, I love it. I am used to Wolverine manhandling the crap out of me until I can't even walk anymore. Still, manhandling is not in Kurt's vocabulary, all he does is roughing me up slightly. And when he has enough of my rough ways in the training hall, he grabs me in his arms, wraps his tail around my ankles, and he leans down to kiss my forehead before leaving behind a puff of crimson red clouds. I decide that he is so pure that I will call it angel dust. There is nothing on this Earth purer than Kurt, except a new-born baby.
It is decided a week before I leave for Argentine that Gambit will replace Iceman as my security in Argentina, and that Nightcrawler will get there as additional security after the Professor learns that I intend to stay an extra day just for Martes de Carnavale.
The flight with Gambit is the longest and most annoying thing I ever had to sit through. He is arrogant and flirty and flat-out a pain in the butt, immature a lot. We are about to land when I lose my patience, and ask how much of a joke he thinks life is.
-I don'.
-What if I am getting almost killed and you are too busy flirting with a secretary? Because you are an idiot. I should have come with Bobby instead.
There's a look of hurt on his face, but I could not care less. When we unboard the plane, I don't bother waiting for him, I mean the leader of the X-Men sends you on his own dime to South America to appear in front of Congress, you have no margin for error. Or goofing around.
It's not very long that we checked in at the hotel, Kurt just pops upstairs, and sits down in one of the chairs, he's having long warningful stares for Gambit who got back to goofing again, as I disappear to change in the bathroom, once again, I dress really sharply and smartly, before taking my speech, one written by my father for his last planned appearance in front of the Congress of San Juan, and with Gambit I walk to Congress, we have to hurry before they stop letting people in.
The echo of Kurt's teleportation makes everyone but just about me and Gambit jump and investigate if it was a gunshot, when he makes it to the Congress. He is invisible for now, but I know he is there, it reassured me. So when I take the podium to speak, I can do so with confidence. And Gambit behind me is finally serious, hands crossed in front of him, his back is at me, but he is scanning the crowd of politicians, civilians with grudges and demands, security guards and curious, his eyes peeled for anything unusual.
It still doesn't stop someone from shooting at me while I am demanding in the name of my father and tens of hundreds of Argentinians mutants the basic rights every human has. "We are humans with a few extra genes, that's all", I hear the gunshot, and everything slows down for me as I feel my eyes widen with a sharp pain to my upper body, back, right, and the blood gushing from just below my clavicle, splashing in a inkblot like manner, like those psychiatric tests, on the podium and the paper. I can almost see the astonishment on my own face as I feel my legs giving in under me. In the blink of an eye, Kurt is in front of me, catching me as I fall, then a very long moment of darkness. Day light again, we are in the X-mansion, Kurt is livid, exhausted from his feat, falling to his knee as he cries for help. After that, no clue. It's dark again.
When I come to, I am in the medical center under the X-mansion, no one is looking after me per se, but on a medical table next to mine, Kurt seems to be sleeping. My shoulder is bandaged, it hurts when I move, but I still try to shake Kurt awake. He doesn't come to.
-I put him to sleep mentally, he kept on trying to get up and look after you, he needs to recuperate, never has he even attempted to travel such a distance. Six thousand miles, he traveled, when the greatest he had ever teleported was 50 miles. His heart failed, we had to resuscitate him. And after that, he would not lay still and rest. He saved your life, almost at the cost of his own, Anna.
I turn to the Professor, scared to ask him if Kurt is going to live or die, but he has a reassuring smile.
-Almost, Anna, but he's going to make it, with a lot of rest. And so are you.
It barely takes a second for the Professor to make me pass out. When I come back to on my own, I am in Kurt's bed, in Kurt's arms, I am now wearing my nightgown, and Kurt is peacefully resting. I missed Martes de Carnavale, obviously, it's now Friday and I am thankful that we are both alive. Tears comes down my cheeks as I realize how close I came to losing Kurt one way or another. I feel his hand in my hair as I lean against his rib cage to cry against his skin, he rubs my scalp with the tip of his fingers before reaching to pull me closer to himself, our faces inches apart. He kisses me, I can read the concern in his eyes, he closes his eyes so I can't see the worry any more.
-Don't ever do that again, Kurt. I couldn't live after losing you.
-And I could not live with myself with letting you die. I would much rather die helping you. But I agree. Let's not do that again.
He lets me cry against his neck until I can finally calm down on my own, but not a single second does the caress on my scalp stops. "Meine Anna", he whispers softly, I put one finger on his lips, I just want to hear his heart beat. "Meine Anna" he whispers again before his mouth inches towards mine and takes possession of it, again and again, he tilts me to my back, one arm around my waist, his hair is so soft under my fingers. It feels like silk.
-Meine Anna...
-I'm scared.
-Don't be. Don't be scared. I am right here, with you.
-I love you, Kurt.
He nods, kisses my cheek and holds me against him, holds me until I go back to sleep. When I wake up, I am alone in my bed, and the mansion is eerily silent. I softly get out of bed, it's very early in the morning, a bit cold, the hallways are deserted, doors are closed, even Declan who usually haunts the living room to watch TV all night is not there, I find him in his own bed, sleeping, which is very unusual. He has not slept a second since he was here in October, that's not how he "recharges". I try to shake him awake, I try to shake his big brother Smith, I go in the girls' dorm, where little Heather telepathically tells me that it's Professor Xavier's doing, she doesn't understand why.
"I was sleeping. He woke me up to make me sleep."
-It's ok, lovey, try to rest. I am sure he has a good reason.
I fix her blanket to tuck her in, before going back to "my" wing of the mansion, neither Peter, Kurt, Storm or Bobby wake up when I try to shake them awake. I am a bit worried as I get back downstairs, there is a ray of light coming from the Professor's office/classroom, I go and knock softly.
"Come in, Anna."
It's a woman's voice, I am unsure, but I push the double door open. Sitting behind his desk, Professor X smiles, gesturing for me to come in, standing beside him is a mid-thirties, tall, blonde and luscious woman, she looks like a cartoon, or a blonde Jessica Rabbit, and she makes me uneasy as I walk in silently.
-Is everything going alright upstairs?
-Everyone is sleeping.
I wince as I feel the woman try to get in my head, she has no business there. A moment later, she smiles.
-A tough cookie you have here, Charles.
-Indeed, Anna has a very tough skin. Anna, meet Emma Frost, she will be joining our staff as a teacher and our psychologist. Young Anna here is supervising the physical training of our students, she is quite skilled, she has a way with the children.
I am nice, I shake her hand, I don't like her. I still slap a smile on my face and do the polite and civilized thing to do.
-Pleased to meet you.
-Same. So physical trainer, huh?
I wince as she lights a fine cigarette, this seems like a ridiculous act, and I wish it would cut short.
-Yes.
-You are a telepath?
-No, I am more down to Earth than that. Professor, you know that keeping them asleep like that is going to mess them up for days. Teenagers especially.
-Teenagers. You are 19, no?
-I don't like your line of questioning. The bottom line is I am a part of the staff, the same goes for Peter and Bobby. We paid our dues here, and we earned our places, it's not a question of age. Have a good end of night, Miss Frost, Professor.
I close the doors behind me, and go slide myself in Kurt's bed, he smile in his now-genuine sleep, tosses to grab me in his arms, kisses the nape of my neck, he whispers.
-I was having beautiful dreams of the future, Meine Anna. Of a beautiful orange house with tons of plants, a German flag, kittens and a nursery.
-A German flag and a nursery?
-Ja, Frau. A German flag between two windows, and in the windows, there were fluffy white and orange kittens. I didn't see, but I knew in my dream that the windows were one of a nursery. Oh, Meine Anna, I wish I had pleasant dreams like this one a lot more often.
-You have a lot of bad dreams?
He opens his eyes, I can read the hesitation in the glow if his eyes, he's so beautiful to look at. He looks so fragile, how can he not know how strong he is?
-I don't have bad dreams. I just dream of bad things that happened in the past.
-Like what?
-My father's death. How my foster-mother found me. Of Stephen.
-Who is Stephen?
-My foster-brother.
-Older, younger?
-Almost the same age. Something bad happened, when I went to Germany.
-Do you want to tell me about it?
-Not yet. Es tut weh.
-What does that mean?
-It hurts. Königin der Engel. You must be the Queen of Angels, Geliebte, I see no other explanations to you.
I have a big shiver going up my spine, it makes me smile, close my eyes and lean towards his face to kiss him, my blue lover, that nickname makes me chuckle as I whisper it to him between two kisses, "bamf" we end up in my room, on my bed. After several more cuddles, he winks at me, and teleports back to his room, after I change, I end up back downstairs, in a splendid mood. In the hallway, wearing a smart suit and her blonde hair in a bun, Emma Frost warns me about not wearing shoes, but I already know what game she is playing. The "I am an adult, you are still a kid, and my age gives me authority over you" game. She knows that I cannot reply back without undermining my own authority towards the kids, and the kids know that I don't wear shoes in the mansion because all the floors are made out of my elements, wood or rocks, and being barefoot provides me a direct contact that would prevent me from wasting precious seconds if we ever came under attack like last fall. She can play her authority game all she wants, I answer to the Professor, not her.
In the dining hall, I act as a hall monitor, like every morning, when some students are cranky and not to be bothered while other always seems to have slept splendidly well and are ready to wreck a little bit of havoc. Peter in the morning always is of great help. He even stays behind to help me clean up after the students go up to their classes, joking and putting me in a good mood when I am a bit moody, he usually spends his mornings in the Danger Room after that, while I train with Kurt who gives me two hours every day. He is usually on watch at lunch time, and I self-appointed myself to make sure that he does not get pranky and start a food fight, before having students in the training hall for two hours. The rest of my day of usually varied, sometimes I go to the Danger Room after filling up my student files, some other times I just go with them outside, or I give one on one sessions to some students, generally with the Professor, or I practice in the outdoors training hall with the older students.