++++++ I do not own Marvel or any affiliated characters apart from my OC. All rights belong to Stan Lee ++++++

X2 Part 1

It was my first time back at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters after a very lengthy ten year assignment. The internal politics of SHIELD had changed so much after the incident with the Winter Soldier in Russia that what friends I had left within the organisation thought it was best for me to stay off the grid for a while.

It was arranged for me to spend a two year stint in Germany to track down the remnants of HYDRA but after that gigantic failure, I was sent to Italy on babysitting duty for penance. I stayed in Italy for three years before being sent to oversee the care and protection of a super-secret SHIELD facility called the Fridge for five years.

The Fridge was a place where all the most dangerous weapons and criminals were sent to spend the rest of their life. I couldn't help but feel that even though I was in charge of the facility, I was just as much a prisoner there as everything else.

Than one morning, out of the blue, I received a call from Director Nick Fury telling me that I had been reassigned and that he was letting me go home. He and his techs had found my file buried at the bottom of the archives room sitting there gathering dust. The file read inactive but he was happy to reinstate me because I was deemed to be a great asset to the organisation. Fury told me I was to return home, get my bearings and settle in before going to see him in a month's time for a new assignment.

I had to admit that I was pretty pissed for being left in a hole in the desert to rot for five years. It really did show how much things had changed since I'd been sent away.

When I got the news, I called Charles to see if I still had my old job, he said that someone else was teaching history but he had another temporary job as gym teacher available.

You know when they say there's no place like home? Boy are they right.

After landing at Salem Municipal Airport, I couldn't help but feel simple joy at the fact that I was so close to the only home I really had left. Tony wasn't living in New York anymore, he hadn't been for some time, and my old apartment building had been knocked down to make way for a hotel so all I had left was the house that Xavier built.

When I left the airport, I went to one of the many storage houses in Salem to get my bike before heading home. As the familiar view of the mansion came into view, I grinned and speed faster down the driveway. I stopped short of hitting a blue car in the garage and chuckled. After five years in the Fridge, I still had it.

I tied my hair back in a loose bun as I sauntered up to the house.

There were students everywhere.

They didn't seem to pay me any attention when I headed off to Charles office. I knocked on the door and let myself in like I usually do. There were three other people in his office who all turned to look at me when I closed the door. "Charles, a welcoming party, you didn't have to."

"Astrid!" Jean grinned when she saw me. She crossed the room to hug me. "Where have you been?"

"I'd tell you but I'd have to kill you," I shrugged. I sat down in front of Charles desk and looked at the TV. "Seems like I missed a lot." The TV was playing a White House Press Conference and the words mutant assassination attempt playing across the bottom of the screen. "A mutant tried to assassinate the president?"

"My opinion? Magneto's behind this."

I looked at the guy standing by the window. He was wearing glasses inside the mansion. "Eric? Eric's bold but assassinating the president would damage the cause for mutant rights. I'm Astrid Ellis by the way. You?"

"Scott Summers," he answered. "Nice to meet you, Astrid."

Charles cleared his throat. "While Eric might have organised something like this from prison-for him the gesture is far too irrational. Astrid is right, it only hurts his goal of mutant prosperity."

I raised an eyebrow. "Eric's in prison? I really, really missed out on a lot. Exile sucks ass."

Charles looked at me. "I will explain everything to you later. Right now we need to figure out who tried to kill the president. Storm?"

"You know how the government will respond to this," the one called Storm responded. "They'll reintroduce the Registration Act."

"Or worse," Charles sighed.

"Eric didn't do this," I objected. "He wouldn't risk some mutant registration act being enforced considering he was a Jew living in Nazi Germany. It had to be another mutant organisation."

"The only way we'll find out is if we find the mutant before the authorities do," Charles replied. "You came back at a bad time, Astrid. I do apologise for your timing."

I shrugged. "That's ok. The new director has me taking a break before I get a new assignment. I have no idea what it will be but whilst I'm here I'm happy to help you in any way. I've been sitting on my ass for the last five years getting fat eating marshmallows." I folded my arms. "I want to visit Eric this afternoon, where is he being held?"

"That's probably not a good idea," Charles advised me. "Eric and you have history-"

"So do you!" I argued back. "So what, Charles? We slept together on more than one occasion but you of all people know that I am not the one to put personal relationships before facts. When you and Eric came to me in that bar asking for my help during the missile crisis I came even though I had nothing to do with me."

"Astrid," Charles sighed. "You've been back less than an hour. You need to understand the facts behind this. As you said, you've been in exile for ten years. I need you to stay here until we can figure out what is going on. Scott and I will go and visit Eric tonight whilst Storm and Jean go after the mutant."

I raised an eyebrow. Babysitting? I'd seriously just babysat a top secret facility for five years and now I'm babysitting a bunch of student? I flexed my hand a little and ignored the small sparks jumping off. I certainly had missed a lot during the time I'd been away.