Part 21

The fly-bys started in March, in truth they might have begun earlier, but the occasional plane passing over the property wasn't completely unusual. While there was no real reason for it, sometimes new pilots trained in clear skies, and sightseers liked the terrain. The first two were ignored, the third and forth raised some suspicion, and the fifth and following began to cause panic. There was no logical pattern for when they occurred, sometimes it was during the day, sometimes at night, sometimes military-style jets, sometimes private planes, and even a few ultralights. The IT people had entered every factor into their computers and nothing emerged. By June Storm and Jean walked around in their uniforms constantly, waiting to hear the sound of an engine so they could take to the air and pursue. But they never managed to find one to pursue. The absence of Logan and his tracking abilities were bemoaned under the breath of more than one person.

And then the flights would stop, for weeks, just to the point when people began to think that the particular threat was gone, only to start again for a few days. It was impossible to keep eyes on the skies all the time, at least without involving a radar system, which was finally ordered and installed. The few planes that strayed over the property after that were easily tracked down, and dismissed; which only added to the frustration of Scott, and to a degree, Xavier, though his mannerisms never betrayed the growing concern to the others.

Classes had continued, despite the undercurrent of hair trigger alarm that each professor carried with them. The older students knew what was going on, to some degree, but they still had faith in the X-Men who remained, and Xavier, to protect them, no matter the threat. It's not the school insulated them from the reality of the world around them, but, as young ones always have, the air of invincibility clung to their hearts and minds.

Kurt and Scott had both started pushing the training sessions, working more individually with those 'offensive' style students, to get them ready to fight. It hadn't been their first choice in courses of action; no one wanted to train an army, which was exactly what the 'anti-mutant' politicians and groups looked for, to fuel their fires. But it was becoming painfully apparent, that they needed everyone at the top of their games for the foreseeable future.

Hank had his share of patients in the infirmary, as the older students pushed themselves to keep up with their instructors and each other. Thankfully there were only a few broken bones, and mostly contusions and cuts; Kurt had also added in training with blades and weapons. Storm hated that, just the thought of the children with guns or rifles in their hands made her heart ache, even if the children were all over eighteen, and easily eligible for enlistment in any army in the world. She didn't speak of it to anyone though, because she knew that their sacrifice of innocence was in order to protect the youngest ones. At least there was the comfort of knowing that the guns were locked away after each session, and only a few kept blades in their rooms, and only after Scott and Kurt had agreed to their proficiency and maturity. If there was one good thing that had come from all of the dread, it was that the whole school was acting as a cohesive unit; there had been no petty fights in the corridors, and nothing more serious in the Danger Room either. If she had ever wanted to instill a sense of family in the group with her weekly dinners, this had accomplished it. She tried not to think of the students as a unit though; the military metaphors were simply too much for her to smile through.

Kurt was bringing back Japanese food for dinner for them tonight, another leftover from Logan, apparently every year or so the street punks made their rounds to harass local businesses they thought would bend to them. And so Kurt's phone had rung mid afternoon and he had taken a car out to town to 'speak' with one of the upstarts on behalf of one family business. He had been getting so much more comfortable going into town during the day without his disguises: although, only to certain places where those he went to meet were expecting him to be different; or counting on it.

He came into her room with two white papers bags, with the charming grin on his face that Storm had begun to realize, had become a needed part of her life. She had set up some candles on the table, and plates and chopsticks. She had even found some classical music CD's; German composers of course, and she had put them on softly in the background. They stole whatever time they could together now, in the little bubble of their rooms, insulated, for the most part from everything else that was going on around them.

"Anything really odd this time?" She asked as he began unpacking.

"Obaasan wanted us to try barbequed eel."

"Sounds alright."

"She wants us to come for dinner at the restaurant next time we are in town."

"You've made quite an impression on them it would seem."

"Well, she says we can have the chef's table in the kitchen."

"That's quite an honor isn't it?"

"I think she just wants to make sure she gets to parade us through the whole restaurant first, just so people get the idea that her family has special protection."

"Sounds like something a Grandmother would do."

"I think you would like her Oro, she's all about protecting her family. Just like you are."

"Then we shall have to make a point to go in one night."

"She also says that my katana isn't as high quality as it should be."

"She knows about swords as well?"

"She's going to have her son send me a proper one."

"She certainly does sound like me, looking out for everyone. You really must have impressed her."

Kurt shrugged, and took a mouthful of his hot and sour soup.

That night, was quiet.

Scott came to find Kurt one morning in the early summer, the cohort of students had been reduced by the end of term, and Xavier, as always had made arrangements for as many as possible to leave the mansion on their own pursuits with trusted friends. He took him aside in the dinning room and asked a rare favor.

"I need you to take me up in the Blackbird Kurt, I have some land I want to look at."

"Of course Scott. But why wouldn't you ask Jean, if you don't mind me asking."

"It's not something I want her to know about yet."

"A surprise?"

"Can I tell you on the way?"

"Of course, is there a flight plan I can log?"

"West Coast, California."

"I'll see you in the hanger, it should take me twenty minutes or so to do my pre-flight. And if anyone asks?"

"Tell them the truth, I asked you to take me up."

"Twenty minutes then."

Scott was quite quiet for the beginning part of the flight, but as soon as they crossed into Pennsylvania he seemed to give himself permission to open up, as if crossing the state line made it all right to consider something he would never have thought of a year earlier, breaking up the team he had spent his adult life trying to lead and hold together.

"I found some land for sale in California, several plots in fact, around Sonoma and San Francisco and I want to have a better look at them."

Kurt nodded.

"I want to build a new school Kurt."

"Yes."

"I'll take half the students, and Jean, and see who else I can find to help me protect them."

"I think it's a very good idea."

"Because it was Logan's?"

"Because it is a good idea Scott, and the decision to act on it could not have been easy for you."

"Are you offended that I want you to stay behind?"

"No, my place is with Xavier and Storm, you need to remain inconspicuous, I am not inconspicuous. It was the only decision you could have made."

"Thank you for understanding Kurt, it really is nothing personal."

Nothing ever was personal with Scott; Kurt knew that well enough. Every decision he made was for the greater good, except possibly where Logan was concerned; those two were like fire and water, or perhaps better, matter and antimatter, when brought together in an uncontrolled fashion the resulting explosion would annihilate anything around them, but when controlled, at least in theory, the energy created could work amazing feats. Eventually they would come back together, Kurt could feel it, everyone could. It might not be in the next few weeks, perhaps not even years, but it was coming; and Scott's decision would work in their favor.

Kurt took the plane around the coast as Scott's eyes darted from the windows to a file of papers he held, comparing each plot, and humming under his breath, jotting down scant notes for himself. Kurt made a second pass.

"I like the vineyard one very much."

"It's a good cover, and security would be easily explainable. But you'll have to send us a case or two every now and again."

Scott tried to smile and nodded. "It will work won't it?"

It was an unusual question for Scott; which deserved an answer. "I believe it will Scott."

"Good, I'll put an offer in when we get back."