July 15, 1985
Dr. Jean Grey was gloomily familiar with being woken up in the middle of the night by the presence of a strange mind on the school grounds. She knew that it caused the Professor to start too, but she'd long ago told him that she could handle it. As long as the mind wasn't hostile there was no reason for him to get up. His age and wheelchair made it difficult for him to personally greet every new student that came through the doors so late. His visits would be scheduled to a later time.
It wasn't a duty that she relished. Jean never liked seeing the desperation on the children's faces as they showed up; often at the back door. It was like they were too defeated to go through the front. It broke her heart but she did her duty as quickly as possible. They needed to get in where it was warm, get fed, and put in a bed with clean sheets. They needed to know that there was someplace safe for them as soon as possible.
She pushed the sheets back from her bed, careful not to wake Scott. Jean put on her bathrobe over her nightgown and slipped into her slippers. Quietly she walked through the halls, following the slight telepathic disturbance. Jean managed to get to the back door a fraction of a second before she heard the knock.
Opening the door she took in the sight before her. It wasn't an unusual one. The girl was young, late teens probably. Her clothes were in better condition than mostand the dark circles under her eyes proclaimed that it had been a long time since she'd slept properly. She also had a sick look about her, like she wasn't feeling well. A messenger bag was slung over her shoulder and she bore an expression that was both hopeful and anxious.
Again, it was something that Jean had seen before. Those who came to the back door had followed a rumor; their only real hope when the world had seemed to turn its back on them. The Professor found many of their students through Cerebro, but so many more seemed to slip through the cracks.
However, there was one small difference between the children she normally dealt with and the one in front of her. Jean had never had a pregnant teenager knock on the door. The girl was several months along and Jean was surprised to see a wedding band on one of her hands. It wasn't something anyone really expected to see on a girl so young, but neither was her swollen stomach.
"I…I need to talk to Professor Charles Xavier," the girl said.
Jean's eyebrows raised in surprise. She'd never heard that from a prospective student before. Usually the opening line was a tentative; 'I heard this was a safe place for mutants.' The girl appeared nervous but she seemed to know what she was talking about. Perhaps she'd had more than the usual scraps of information passed onto her.
"The Professor's asleep right now," Jean said.
The girl shifted.
"I'm sorry to disturb him, but I really need to talk to him," the girl said, biting her lip.
Jean hesitated as to her next action. The girl didn't seem damaged or abused, just tired and worried. So she allowed herself to put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. The girl didn't seem too affected by the gesture, but she didn't shrug it off or recoil in horror. That was always a good sign.
"You can talk to him in the morning," said Jean, "He always talks to the new ones in the morning. But you can come in. You're more than welcome here."
The girl nodded before walking in. One of her hands kept itself on the wall as if to steady herself. Jean shut the door behind her as the girl sat down on one of the nearby couches. It looked like even the short walk was becoming difficult. Jean sat next to her. The girl gave a nervous smile and extended her hand.
"Amanda Wagner," she said.
"Dr. Jean Grey," Jean said, taking her hand and shaking it.
Amanda gave another nervous smile.
"I read some of your papers once," she said, "I particularly liked the theory about the x-gene being passed from fathers to their offspring. From what I'd seen it seemed plausible."
"I've seen a lot of evidence of that," Jean said.
A thought occurred to her. It wasn't particularly inspired, but it was somewhere to start.
"Was your father a mutant?"
Amanda bit her lip gently.
"No…he wasn't," she said, "And I'm not either."
Jean raised an eyebrow. She hadn't been expecting that.
"I…my husband is. His name's Kurt."
The name dripped with pain and Amanda turned her head away.
"Kurt's father is too. And I'm pretty sure the baby is as well."
She put a protective hand over her stomach. Jean winced inwardly as the girl's pregnant state began to make sense. Something had happened to the baby's father, possibly his family too, and the girl needed a safe place to give birth to a child that hospitals might not be ready for. It was simple enough.
"You see…I…I'm not sure how to explain this," Amanda said, "But there are things I really need to talk to Professor Xavier about, and soon too. We didn't know what else to do. My father-in-law said he'd be able to help."
Jean let out a deep breath. Perhaps it wasn't simple enough.
"If it's difficult to explain," she said gently, "then I might be able to help. I'm a telepath; not very good I'm afraid, but good enough to be able to pick up a few thoughts if you're thinking about them."
She saw Amanda twist her hands together. Jean waited patiently. The girl had obviously had something traumatic happen recently. She was good at reading the signs.
"Alright," she said, "I'm ready."
Jean put her hands on either side of Amanda's head, not quite touching. She closed her eyes and concentrated. The scene changed and she was in a hotel room. A man was sitting next to her, his skin a brilliant shade of red. A scar cut down the side of his face and his hands were clasped together.
"Nevetska," he said, "I am going to take you to place; safe place. It is only place I know where you may find help."
Jean vaguely registered the Russian word for 'daughter-in-law'. So this was Amanda's husband's mutant father.
"What are you talking about?" asked Amanda.
He leaned his forehead onto his clasped hands. Every word seemed torn out of him like he was angry at revealing this, angry for leaving her.
"It is school," he continued, "Well, not exactly school. But good for mutants, humans too. It is run by man called Professor Charles Xavier."
"I read a few of his papers," Amanda said.
"Da, he writes papers," the man said bitterly, "But he will help. He…he does not know…but he is Kurt's uncle. The brother of Kurt's mother."
Jean jerked her hands away from Amanda's temples. She stared at her for a minute before getting up.
"Where are you going?" asked Amanda.
Swallowing Jean put one hand on the door frame, trying to calm her breathing.
"I'm going to go wake up the Professor," she said.
Charles looked at the girl sitting across from him. She stared back, looking exceedingly nervous. His head was ringing. He'd gotten very little sleep but despite the late hour he was wide awake. The kind of thing that Jean had said wasn't something you could go back to sleep after hearing.
Could it be true? Jean was a good telepath, better than she thought she was. She wouldn't have gotten this wrong. At the same time what she'd said had been incredible. Raven had effectively severed all ties. He'd never seen her in a non-combative situation after Cuba, and God knew how he'd tried.
Now this girl had shown up after twenty-one years, the wife of his nephew and the mother of his unborn child. He swallowed hard as he looked at her. After so many years of dedicating himself solely to his cause he could once again be looking at a member of his family. It was almost too much to think about.
Amanda stared back at him, apparently nervous as well. He swallowed, remembering that he had to put her at ease.
"Amanda," he said kindly, "I'm Professor Charles Xavier."
She nodded.
"I read a few of your papers once," she said, "I've read some of Dr. Grey's too…did alot of reading when I met Kurt. They had a few pictures with them."
He smiled weakly. Carefully he wheeled over so he was next to her. She didn't seem alarmed by the proximity, just nervous by the situation.
"Now," he said, "if you could please show me what you showed Dr. Grey."
Amanda nodded and he put a hand to his temple. He saw the hotel that Jean had mentioned, only he had several other observations, one that made him start in surprise.
"Nevetska," he said, "I am going to take you to place; safe place. It is only place I know where you may find help."
Charles stared at Azazel, the word filtering slowly through his mind. He'd been with Raven? Raven had told him of the terrifying mutant that she'd seen at the CIA complex. And yet, she'd trusted him enough to become his lover? The mother of his child? Charles was once again confronted with the fact that, in the end, he didn't know much about his sister at all.
"What are you talking about?" asked Amanda.
Azazel leaned his forehead onto his clasped hands. Every word seemed torn out of him like he was angry at revealing this, angry for leaving her. Charles frowned. Everything about Azazel seemed tired, tense, on edge. Charles still didn't know what had happened to Kurt, why he wasn't there. However, he could tell that it was the reason for Azazel's apparent frustration.
Perhaps he didn't know very much about Azazel either.
"It is school," he continued, "Well, not exactly school. But good for mutants, humans too. It is run by man called Professor Charles Xavier."
"I read a few of his papers," Amanda said.
"Da, he writes papers," the man said bitterly, "But he will help. He…he does not know…but he is Kurt's uncle. The brother of Kurt's mother."
Azazel's lips curled in something like a snarl.
"I don't…" Amanda said, "Kurt's mother abandoned him."
"Da, Kurt's mother abandoned him," said Azazel, "Should have known. She abandoned brother shot in back on beach. Should have known, should have seen."
He shook his head before resting his chin on his hand. Charles looked at the red mutant somewhat differently. He still believed the man was dangerous and wasn't pleased that he was the father of his nephew. However, whatever Raven had done before leaving had obviously hurt him badly.
"Now, Kurt's uncle is mutant. Telepath," said Azazel, "When go to school, show him this memory. Just think it."
"Azazel, I don't…I…well," she said.
She shook her head.
"We both knew I couldn't keep help you look for the people who took Kurt forever," Amanda said, touching her stomach, "And now that I'm sick…you think they'll be able to help? I'm really worried about Blue."
Charles' eyebrows rose in shock.
"If anyone can, they can," said Azazel.
Amanda closed her eyes.
"It's going to get more dangerous, isn't it?"
"Da," Azazel said.
He gripped her hand.
"But I swear I will find him nevetska," Azazel said, his voice fierce, "I will find him and bring him to school. Then we will have to move, but he will be with us. Trust me nevetska."
Amanda nodded.
"I trust you."
"Good. If they find him, and they might, or if need me," said Azazel, "Keep in contact with this."
He handed her what Charles recognized as a cell phone. He decided not to speculate on where the teleporter had gotten it.
"Now keep self safe," Azazel said, "Kurt will want to see you."
"I will," Amanda said, her voice quiet as she turned the phone over in her hands, "I will."
Charles pulled out of Amanda's mind. She looked at him, her eyes wide and her hands still over her stomach. He gave her a gentle smile.
"Of course you can stay here," he said, "There's no question of that. And I'll have Dr. Grey examine you in the morning to see about what we can do about your illness."
She smiled, looking much less nervous. When she did that he could see how truly young she really was, how much strain she'd been under since Kurt had been kidnapped.
"And I will do everything in my power to try and find Kurt," he said, "You can rest assured on that."
"Thank you," Amanda said, closing her eyes against tears.
He gave her a sad smile.
"No, don't thank me," he said, "It's the least I can do for family."
