Title: Power of the Heart
Author: Lady S
E-Mail: anywho_sew@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: I do not own the X-Men, Marvel among other, does. However! I do own my character, name to come soon (can't give too much away now can I?).
Summary: A woman on the run is taken to Xavier's School to be helped and healed.
Category: For now Drama... but soon will come the action and the romance, though not necessarily in that order.
Author's Notes: I hate doing chapters... but I need feedback to keep me inspired. Any constructive criticism will be greatly appreciated but flames will be shot down by Ororo and a really big rainstorm! :O) Enjoy!
Chapter One - The Rescue
"Get her!"
The mutant ran, ran in fear of her life though she had done no wrong. Ducking tree limbs and bounding over fences she ran into the woods, hoping to hide long enough for them to give up. When she heard the barking of the hounds she knew that hope had vanished. Her only hope was to make it to the River of Despair and try to cross safely. As she stood on the banks of the raging river she shuddered, swimming was not her forte. With a false sense of courage she stepped in and after only a few steps was swept away by the river, forced along with it as it claimed yet another victim. The village had aptly named the river that rested near it; no one had ever made it across alive.
As the mutant was pushed under the water and pulled up to its surface several times she found it impossible to keep air in her lungs. It wasn't long until she had more water than air in her lungs and rode the rapids of the river in blissful unconsciousness, unaware of the strange man who pulled her from it and saved her life.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Thaddeus moved silently around his small backwoods cabin, stoking the fire to keep it roaring, trying to warm the young woman he'd pulled from the freezing river. He didn't know who she was or where she was from but he knew she would have died in that river if he hadn't helped her. So help her he did. Thaddeus could only hope she woke soon; otherwise he didn't know what to do with her. He was no doctor, just a simple man trying to keep a low profile in the world. You see... Thaddeus was a mutant.
He had been born to a loving mother and father who were killed in a freak accident in their laboratory just a few days after his seventh birthday. Sent to New York to be raised by his uncle and aunt, young Thaddeus soon learned the meaning of hatred. It didn't matter what the reason or how it came to be, or even how nice of a person they were; if Regina and Peter Collin came across a mutant that mutant had better get the hell out of town because if they didn't they'd be dead by night fall. Thaddeus would never forget the day he learned he was different.
A quiet young man by nature he kept to himself for the most part, staying in the forest he seemed to have an affinity for nature in all it's beauty and trials. One afternoon after school he was sitting by a tree stroking a wounded raccoon in his lap and fell asleep to the music of the wind. When he awoke Thaddeus was shocked to see that the raccoon had been healed from what should have been a death-dealing wound. Even more to his surprise the raccoon began to speak to Thaddeus, not in words to be understood but rather in the constant chittering of the small animal. From that day one he was able to understand the animals and heal them from whatever wound they suffered. Thaddeus kept this gift to himself for many years.
He graduated from school and began to help his aunt and uncle on their farm until one day he made a mistake. Their cow was ailing and Peter Collin was ready to put the animal to death, to be cut up for meat. When the man went inside for his shotgun Thaddeus placed his hands on the old cow and healed it of the ailment. Before he could finish his uncle returned and saw what was happening. Realizing that Thaddeus was a mutant Peter raised his rifle and fired a shot. Kin or not, Thaddeus was a mutant and all mutants needed to die. Wounded the young man ran, fleeing as fast as he could, never to return. His leg bleeding and the pain affecting his vision he was forced to stop, unable to continue. Sitting next to a large oak tree Thaddeus closed his eyes and passed out.
When he came to he was in a clean bed with a clean quilt thrown over him. The pain was still present but it had been dulled to a small ache, something he could live with tolerably. Looking around the room Thaddeus came face to face with the man that had saved his life; Professor Charles Xavier of Xavier's School for the Gifted. The two men quickly became good friends and a week had passed, all too quickly for either of them, before Thaddeus was well enough to travel. With a parting smile Thaddeus was off to live alone in the small backwoods cabin he'd called home for thirty years since. Alone that is until yesterday when he pulled the bedraggled woman out of the river.
Staring at her he was enraptured by her beauty, not a woman most would describe as beautiful, 'model material' he believed they called it, but pretty in a quiet peaceful way, though that description hardly did her justice. After several hours had passed, and she hadn't moved a muscle, Thaddeus knew it was time to get help. Leaving the cabin he hurriedly trekked the thirty miles to the road and another thirty into town to the local supply store. Nodding to the owner he picked up the phone and dialed a rapid succession of numbers he'd memorized thirty years ago.
"Charles Xavier, please."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Jean Sommers was seated at her desk, finishing up some notes on her latest patient. 'When will he learn that just because he can make ice that it doesn't mean he won't get frostbitten?' she thought to herself as she finished the file marked Bobby. The young man had been released a few moments ago after being treated for a mild case of frostbite from the class skiing trip in Canada.
~ Jean? ~
~ Yes Professor? ~
~ A woman is being brought in she'll be there shortly. I need you to do whatever is necessary for her. ~
~ Of course. Is she a mutant? How did she get here? ~
~ She was found almost drowned in a river near the Canadian border. She's breathing on her own but she's yet to regain consciousness. A friend of mine found her and I've given my word I'll do what I can for her. ~
~ I'll do what I can. ~
Any further questions were cut short when the giant blue doctor carried in a young woman who, for lack of a better word, looked like a drowned rat. Jean saw that her shivering lips were blue and immediately began a warm saline drip. Further examination revealed a sprained wrist and a small concussion. Doing what she could Jean settled back to wait for the young woman to awake.
~ Professor? ~
~ Yes? ~
~ I just wanted to tell you she should be okay. A sprained wrist and a small concussion seem to be the worst of it. ~
~ Very well. Let me know when she is awake. ~
Jean agreed and turned back to her notes. For the next several hours she was occupied with her own work, checking on her patient every now and then. She was about to leave for dinner when she heard a small whimper from the gurney in the main room. Quickly she made her way out to it to see that her patient was stirring and beginning to regain consciousness. Slowly, as the woman blinked and opened her eyes, Jean gasped with surprise. The tired sleepy eyes that stared in confusion up at her were a solid white just like Storm's when she used her power.
"My name is Jean Sommers, I'm a doctor. You're safe here. You were hurt but you're going to be fine. Is there anything you need?" The woman shook her head and tried to offer a small smile of thanks. "Okay. Try to get some sleep. If you need anything just let me know."
The woman nodded off once more into a deep sleep and Jean, waiting a moment to be sure her patient was okay, went to dinner and to report to the Professor. Slipping into her seat at the table she smiled her apologies for being late. Even as she speared her first mouthful Jean told Xavier what had happened.
~ She woke up just before I came here. She seemed okay and is sleeping again. ~
~ Did she say anything? ~
~ No, just went back to sleep. ~
~ But...? ~ he asked, mentally. Charles Xavier could sense there was something the young doctor wasn't telling him.
~ Her eyes, professor, they were completely white. ~
~ Perhaps she is blind. ~
~ I don't believe so; she looked right at me. ~
~ Perhaps she is a mutant then, I shall speak with her when she is well. Do not give her access to anything just yet; I do not want to run the risk of exposing anything until we are certain she can be trusted. ~
After dinner was finished Jean was enticed to go for a short stroll around the lake before returning to the Med Lab. Hand in hand she and Scott walked around the small lake that was on the school's property, grateful for their time alone. It seemed that in the two years since they had wed they'd hardly had two moments together in peace. With a kiss Scott let his wife return to her lab and he went in a futile search of the smaller children to try and round them up for bed; the evening chore he dreaded most. On her way down to the Med Lab she met up with Hank and together they entered just in time to see their patient sit up and detach her self from the monitors.
"No, wait! What are you doing? You need to rest!" Jean admonished.
Silently the woman shook her head. Looking at Jean she smiled shyly, remembering her from earlier, but when she saw Hank a few feet away the smile slipped from her face. She didn't look scared or afraid, just calm and neutral.
"This is Hank, he's another doctor here. You have nothing to worry about, we won't hurt you, but you are still injured, you need to rest." Again the woman shook her head and moved to get off the bed. "Rest the night and then you can move about and speak with the Professor tomorrow, I promise."
Staring at Jean for a moment she nodded and lay back down on the bed. Within moments the woman was asleep once more and Jean began to re-attach the devices to monitor her life signs. Once they were all reconnected the duo moved back to their desks to finish their work, he some charts and she some research. As he worked on his charts Hank couldn't help but wonder where the music was coming from. He saw no radio or other musical device but he could definitely hear music coming from somewhere. It was a soft melody, very pleasing to his ears, but it's sadness made his heart heavy for a reason he did not know.
"Do you hear anything, Hank?" she asked him as she turned to face her partner. "I keep hearing music but I know there's nothing down here."
"I as well hear music but cannot place its origin. Perhaps one of the upper levels is playing theirs a little too loudly."
"Yeah, that's probably it." Turning back to her work Jean couldn't get her mind off the music she was hearing. It was beautiful, but such a sad melody that she could feel herself becoming misty. Shaking her head to clear it she tried to ignore the music and focus on the work before her.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Author: Lady S
E-Mail: anywho_sew@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: I do not own the X-Men, Marvel among other, does. However! I do own my character, name to come soon (can't give too much away now can I?).
Summary: A woman on the run is taken to Xavier's School to be helped and healed.
Category: For now Drama... but soon will come the action and the romance, though not necessarily in that order.
Author's Notes: I hate doing chapters... but I need feedback to keep me inspired. Any constructive criticism will be greatly appreciated but flames will be shot down by Ororo and a really big rainstorm! :O) Enjoy!
Chapter One - The Rescue
"Get her!"
The mutant ran, ran in fear of her life though she had done no wrong. Ducking tree limbs and bounding over fences she ran into the woods, hoping to hide long enough for them to give up. When she heard the barking of the hounds she knew that hope had vanished. Her only hope was to make it to the River of Despair and try to cross safely. As she stood on the banks of the raging river she shuddered, swimming was not her forte. With a false sense of courage she stepped in and after only a few steps was swept away by the river, forced along with it as it claimed yet another victim. The village had aptly named the river that rested near it; no one had ever made it across alive.
As the mutant was pushed under the water and pulled up to its surface several times she found it impossible to keep air in her lungs. It wasn't long until she had more water than air in her lungs and rode the rapids of the river in blissful unconsciousness, unaware of the strange man who pulled her from it and saved her life.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Thaddeus moved silently around his small backwoods cabin, stoking the fire to keep it roaring, trying to warm the young woman he'd pulled from the freezing river. He didn't know who she was or where she was from but he knew she would have died in that river if he hadn't helped her. So help her he did. Thaddeus could only hope she woke soon; otherwise he didn't know what to do with her. He was no doctor, just a simple man trying to keep a low profile in the world. You see... Thaddeus was a mutant.
He had been born to a loving mother and father who were killed in a freak accident in their laboratory just a few days after his seventh birthday. Sent to New York to be raised by his uncle and aunt, young Thaddeus soon learned the meaning of hatred. It didn't matter what the reason or how it came to be, or even how nice of a person they were; if Regina and Peter Collin came across a mutant that mutant had better get the hell out of town because if they didn't they'd be dead by night fall. Thaddeus would never forget the day he learned he was different.
A quiet young man by nature he kept to himself for the most part, staying in the forest he seemed to have an affinity for nature in all it's beauty and trials. One afternoon after school he was sitting by a tree stroking a wounded raccoon in his lap and fell asleep to the music of the wind. When he awoke Thaddeus was shocked to see that the raccoon had been healed from what should have been a death-dealing wound. Even more to his surprise the raccoon began to speak to Thaddeus, not in words to be understood but rather in the constant chittering of the small animal. From that day one he was able to understand the animals and heal them from whatever wound they suffered. Thaddeus kept this gift to himself for many years.
He graduated from school and began to help his aunt and uncle on their farm until one day he made a mistake. Their cow was ailing and Peter Collin was ready to put the animal to death, to be cut up for meat. When the man went inside for his shotgun Thaddeus placed his hands on the old cow and healed it of the ailment. Before he could finish his uncle returned and saw what was happening. Realizing that Thaddeus was a mutant Peter raised his rifle and fired a shot. Kin or not, Thaddeus was a mutant and all mutants needed to die. Wounded the young man ran, fleeing as fast as he could, never to return. His leg bleeding and the pain affecting his vision he was forced to stop, unable to continue. Sitting next to a large oak tree Thaddeus closed his eyes and passed out.
When he came to he was in a clean bed with a clean quilt thrown over him. The pain was still present but it had been dulled to a small ache, something he could live with tolerably. Looking around the room Thaddeus came face to face with the man that had saved his life; Professor Charles Xavier of Xavier's School for the Gifted. The two men quickly became good friends and a week had passed, all too quickly for either of them, before Thaddeus was well enough to travel. With a parting smile Thaddeus was off to live alone in the small backwoods cabin he'd called home for thirty years since. Alone that is until yesterday when he pulled the bedraggled woman out of the river.
Staring at her he was enraptured by her beauty, not a woman most would describe as beautiful, 'model material' he believed they called it, but pretty in a quiet peaceful way, though that description hardly did her justice. After several hours had passed, and she hadn't moved a muscle, Thaddeus knew it was time to get help. Leaving the cabin he hurriedly trekked the thirty miles to the road and another thirty into town to the local supply store. Nodding to the owner he picked up the phone and dialed a rapid succession of numbers he'd memorized thirty years ago.
"Charles Xavier, please."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Jean Sommers was seated at her desk, finishing up some notes on her latest patient. 'When will he learn that just because he can make ice that it doesn't mean he won't get frostbitten?' she thought to herself as she finished the file marked Bobby. The young man had been released a few moments ago after being treated for a mild case of frostbite from the class skiing trip in Canada.
~ Jean? ~
~ Yes Professor? ~
~ A woman is being brought in she'll be there shortly. I need you to do whatever is necessary for her. ~
~ Of course. Is she a mutant? How did she get here? ~
~ She was found almost drowned in a river near the Canadian border. She's breathing on her own but she's yet to regain consciousness. A friend of mine found her and I've given my word I'll do what I can for her. ~
~ I'll do what I can. ~
Any further questions were cut short when the giant blue doctor carried in a young woman who, for lack of a better word, looked like a drowned rat. Jean saw that her shivering lips were blue and immediately began a warm saline drip. Further examination revealed a sprained wrist and a small concussion. Doing what she could Jean settled back to wait for the young woman to awake.
~ Professor? ~
~ Yes? ~
~ I just wanted to tell you she should be okay. A sprained wrist and a small concussion seem to be the worst of it. ~
~ Very well. Let me know when she is awake. ~
Jean agreed and turned back to her notes. For the next several hours she was occupied with her own work, checking on her patient every now and then. She was about to leave for dinner when she heard a small whimper from the gurney in the main room. Quickly she made her way out to it to see that her patient was stirring and beginning to regain consciousness. Slowly, as the woman blinked and opened her eyes, Jean gasped with surprise. The tired sleepy eyes that stared in confusion up at her were a solid white just like Storm's when she used her power.
"My name is Jean Sommers, I'm a doctor. You're safe here. You were hurt but you're going to be fine. Is there anything you need?" The woman shook her head and tried to offer a small smile of thanks. "Okay. Try to get some sleep. If you need anything just let me know."
The woman nodded off once more into a deep sleep and Jean, waiting a moment to be sure her patient was okay, went to dinner and to report to the Professor. Slipping into her seat at the table she smiled her apologies for being late. Even as she speared her first mouthful Jean told Xavier what had happened.
~ She woke up just before I came here. She seemed okay and is sleeping again. ~
~ Did she say anything? ~
~ No, just went back to sleep. ~
~ But...? ~ he asked, mentally. Charles Xavier could sense there was something the young doctor wasn't telling him.
~ Her eyes, professor, they were completely white. ~
~ Perhaps she is blind. ~
~ I don't believe so; she looked right at me. ~
~ Perhaps she is a mutant then, I shall speak with her when she is well. Do not give her access to anything just yet; I do not want to run the risk of exposing anything until we are certain she can be trusted. ~
After dinner was finished Jean was enticed to go for a short stroll around the lake before returning to the Med Lab. Hand in hand she and Scott walked around the small lake that was on the school's property, grateful for their time alone. It seemed that in the two years since they had wed they'd hardly had two moments together in peace. With a kiss Scott let his wife return to her lab and he went in a futile search of the smaller children to try and round them up for bed; the evening chore he dreaded most. On her way down to the Med Lab she met up with Hank and together they entered just in time to see their patient sit up and detach her self from the monitors.
"No, wait! What are you doing? You need to rest!" Jean admonished.
Silently the woman shook her head. Looking at Jean she smiled shyly, remembering her from earlier, but when she saw Hank a few feet away the smile slipped from her face. She didn't look scared or afraid, just calm and neutral.
"This is Hank, he's another doctor here. You have nothing to worry about, we won't hurt you, but you are still injured, you need to rest." Again the woman shook her head and moved to get off the bed. "Rest the night and then you can move about and speak with the Professor tomorrow, I promise."
Staring at Jean for a moment she nodded and lay back down on the bed. Within moments the woman was asleep once more and Jean began to re-attach the devices to monitor her life signs. Once they were all reconnected the duo moved back to their desks to finish their work, he some charts and she some research. As he worked on his charts Hank couldn't help but wonder where the music was coming from. He saw no radio or other musical device but he could definitely hear music coming from somewhere. It was a soft melody, very pleasing to his ears, but it's sadness made his heart heavy for a reason he did not know.
"Do you hear anything, Hank?" she asked him as she turned to face her partner. "I keep hearing music but I know there's nothing down here."
"I as well hear music but cannot place its origin. Perhaps one of the upper levels is playing theirs a little too loudly."
"Yeah, that's probably it." Turning back to her work Jean couldn't get her mind off the music she was hearing. It was beautiful, but such a sad melody that she could feel herself becoming misty. Shaking her head to clear it she tried to ignore the music and focus on the work before her.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*