Chapter Three

Guardian Angel

Charles Xavier laid in his bed late that night staring at the vacant ceiling up above his head... so many thoughts were swarming threw his head.

"What am I going to do with her..."

He sat up and turned on his bedside lamp, he rubbed his temples as the thoughts increased. He sighed and was about to turn off his light again when he felt a presence outside his bedroom door... Yoshiko? He held up his hand and the door across the room swung open, no one was there...

"Hello?"

No one answered, he felt something out there, it didn't leave. He felt the wave of darkness and light swirled together just outside his door, he knew for a fact Yoshiko was there now. But why wouldn't she answer? He changed to Japanese in hope to make a difference.

"Yoshiko? Please, come in."

Yoshiko stepped from outside into view, her head starring down at the ground in what appeared to be shame. The professor chuckled and motioned her to sit on the side of his bed, she obeyed but sat on the ground and starred up at him from there with her big eyes like a whipped puppy.

"Yoshiko, why didn't you answer me?"

"I... sorry teacher..."

"Why were you outside my door?" He looked at her questionably, "Is there something you wanted to talk about?"

"No."

"Well then, why?"

"You protect me in the day, I'll protect you from the night."

"You can't possibly stay up all night, and it's quite all right." He smiled at her and ruffled her shaggy hair, "I think I can watch myself. Go to sleep child."

"Sleep?" Yoshiko cocked her head as if the word wasn't in her vocabulary.

"You... you don't sleep do you?"

"Why?"

"I... Yoshiko, if you don't go to sleep just try to stay in your room for the night." Charles was once again rubbing his temples, he never had to deal with a mutant quiet this young, "I don't want you to disturb the rest of the school, I don't need a body guard. I am one of the most powerful mutants in the world you know?"

"Mutant?" Her head staid cocked to the right.

"People who have gifts, like you and I."

"Gift?" She shook her head, "Thus only a curse."

"Only if you make it Yoshiko..." Charles motioned her to sit on the bed, he picked her up with his mind and set her there, "That's why your here Yoshiko, so we can help you turn your gift into what it truly is."

"Mutant..." She thought the word over, "Seems so harsh..."

"Something that is turned into something different from others... a mutant."

"Was it, I mean, was the blue beast a mutant?"

"Mr. McCoy?"

"A name?"

"Yes, his mutant ability is controlled in him emotionally and physically." He sighed, he was hoping to do this in the morning but it couldn't wait, "Just like Kurt, they're human, only they've been changed inside and out from other humans."

"Oh they must think I'm horrid..."

"Yes, you gave them quite a start. But I'm sure they'd be more then happy to hear you out, after all, your not the first to have done that you know."

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

"Thank you Xavier-sensei, I'll try to fit in here." She gave him a hug and left with a small wave and a smile, "Bai!"

"Bye."

He looked at his hands, he just hugged a student, he never really had that close of a relationship with the students. One never got so close to him, or anyone, in the fact to hug. Maybe it was sheer respect, he thought. Or maybe it's was just a thing children do.

Scott and Kurt were right outside the door to the Professor's room, they herd the whole conversation even though they didn't know a word of Japanese, so they were left confused. When they herd Yoshiko get up and leave Kurt teleported the two to the library before Yoshiko would know that they were there.

"What do you think they were talking about?" Kurt asked, "It sure would have been helpful if we had Jean with us."

"Na, she'd just go on about how it's wrong to ease drop on people," Scott said, he looked about and closed the door to the library making sure no one was ease dropping on them, "How is she going to school?"

"Yoshiko? Well, she'll be going to the elementary school obviously. She's too young to go to the High School," Kurt said, he grabbed a banana from the bowl of fruit on the coffee table, "But not anytime soon, she'll have to get her powers under control and not go berserk when ever she gets scared."

"You can't blame her, she's only a kid," Scott grabbed the banana from Kurt before he could open it and placed back in the bowl, "They're fake Kurt..."

"Really!?" He looked to the bowl of fruit and then back up at Scott, "They look so real!"

"Can you give me a lift to my room?" Scott asked, "It's Sunday, we have school tomorrow."

"Sure,"

He placed a hand on Scott's shoulder and with the puff of blue smoke they were out of there.

"Hey pass the eggs!" Kitty waved to Kurt, "We're all going to be late if we don't eat something quick!"

"I got the eggs," Rogue slid the eggs across the table to Kitty, "No, your going to be late if you don't eat something. We've been up for a while now Kitty."

"Ohh! Stupid alarm clock!" Kitty growled as she piled some eggs onto her plate.

Yoshiko walked threw the door, she was still wearing her normal burgundy over coat, she hadn't taken it off since she got to the Institute. She walked in and took a seat between Kitty and Jean.

"Ohayoo Yoshiko-chan," Jean said and smiled down at Yoshiko, "Hazimemasite?"

"Ohayoo Jean-oneesan," Yoshiko smiled too up at her, "Watashi yorosi, arigato."

"Ohayoo?" Rogue asked, "Didn't just yesterday you say that kun-ban-what-ever means hello? What'd you say to her?"

"Ohayoo (OH-AW-HOE) means, good morning" Jean said, "Konban wa(CON-BEN-WAH) means, Good evening. Konnichiwa (CON-KNEE-SHE-WA) means, hello."

"Oh this is going to take a while to learn," Kitty sighed as she put in another spoon full of eggs into her mouth.

"Can't we just make her learn English instead of us learning Japanese?" Kurt asked, "I don't need to know another language as it is."

"No, we're going to have to make her feel welcomed for the time being," Charles wheeled into the dinning room where everyone was seated and already eating, "When she's feeling more welcomed, we'll try to teach her English."

"Ohayoo Xavier-sensei!" Yoshiko smiled and waved at him.

"Why does she keep calling him sensei?" Kitty asked, "It's like a title for him, and why'd she call Jean one sand or what ever she said."

"Sensei (SEN-SAY) means respectable teacher, and Oneesan (OWE-EH-SAN) means respectable older sister," She ruffled Yoshiko's hair, "Yoshiko-imooto."

"Younger sister?" Kitty asked.

"Yes, very good Kitty," The Professor smiled at the group of people at the table, "I have to go talk to Mr. McCoy about Yoshiko's education, when Ororo comes in will someone please tell her to watch Yoshiko for me?"

Just then Ororo came walking in, she was still in her robe, she walked over to the counter and grabbed a cup and filled in to the brim with dark coffee.

"I'd be more then happy to Charles, I'm sure me and Yoshiko will get along fine," Ororo smiled and sat across from Yoshiko at the table, "Am I right little one?"

"Hai!" Yoshiko giggled.

"Bye Auntie O!" Evan grabbed an apple and his skate board and headed out the door.

"Come straight home after school!" Ororo yelled after him, the others started to get up and leave also.

"The lot of you!" Logan yelled also as he walked into the kitchen as well, "We have a training session today and you better hope you aren't late!"

"Bye Mr. Logan!" Kitty yelled back, "Bye Ororo!"

"Bye Professor!" Jean yelled as she went out the door with Scott, Kurt, and Rouge, "I'll make sure they won't be late Logan!"

With the slam of the door the whole mansion was quiet again, Xavier gave a small wave and he left the dinning room. Ororo looked up at Logan who had switched on the TV to the news.

"Any plans today Logan?" Ororo asked getting up, she grabbed a plate and set it in front of Yoshiko, "Go ahead and eat something hun."

"Mm-kay!" Yoshiko completely disregarded the plate and grabbed an pear, she got up and left the room and started to hum a song neither Ororo or Logan could recognize.

"What a personality," Ororo said as she watched Yoshiko leave, "I'm not sure, but I don't think that pear is going to sustain her till lunch."

"Anything is possible." Logan mumbled, he flipped threw a red book with weird designs on it.

"What's that?"

"A book."

"About..."

"Japanese, the Professor suggested it." Logan mumbled as he took a sip of the coffee he made, "Not like the kid will ever talk to me any way's."

"Oh dear!"

"What?"

"I forgot! I'm suppose to be watching her!"

"What a great baby sitter..."

"Oh hush!" Ororo put down her cup and raced out of the kitchen, "Yoshiko!"

Ororo searched threw out all of the mansion, she was about to give up and get a search party when she saw Yoshiko sitting up in a tree across the garden eating her pear she had got from the kitchen. Ororo raced outside and threw the garden, when she got there Yoshiko wasn't. She looked about but still no Yoshiko.

"Yoshiko!"

She herd a small giggle come from behind her, she whirled around to find Yoshiko with sticky hands and a sticky face giggling. She smiled up at Ororo, who was frowning.

"Don't ever run off like that!" Ororo said, she picked Yoshiko up and starred into her multi colored eyes.

Yoshiko looked down ashamed, she didn't need to know the language in order to know she was being scolded at, she gave a small whimper and peered back up at Ororo.

"Sore-me," Yoshiko whispered.

"Oh Yoshiko," Ororo said, she wiped Yoshiko's face off of the pear juice with the edge of her robe, "You don't have to be sorry, just try to stay close all right hun?"

"Okie" Yoshiko said, her smile had returned magically.

Ororo put Yoshiko down on the ground and took her tiny sticky hand and led her back to the mansion, she led Yoshiko back to her bedroom and told her to change into some different clothes.

Yoshiko closed the door behind her and locked it, she went to her dresser, she pulled out a white under shirt and put it on. She grabbed her bright orange sari and put it on over it, the sari went above her ankles by two inches and her bare feet felt good on the soft carpet beneath them. She had a small jade beaded anklet on with a jade pendent of a fox running, she fingered it fondly and then put her over coat away that she'd been wearing. She opened up the big window to the balcony, she peered over the ledge and stopped. She froze dead in her tracks, a small whimper came out from her as she fell to her knees and hugged them tightly.

Ororo changed into a royal purple wrap skirt with a white tube top, she put her hair up into a purple wrap and let a bead necklace dangled on her long neck. When she came back to Yoshiko's room she waited, Yoshiko still wasn't done changing? She rapped on the door, and said her name but Yoshiko would not answer.

"Yoshiko?" She rapped on the door again, "Are you in there?"

Something was wrong, she tried to open the door but it was locked. She sent a surge of lightning into the lock blasting it open. She barged in and looked about, she found Yoshiko huddled in the corner of the open balcony, Ororo ran over to her and picked her up and walked into the hall trying to comfort the small child.

"Yoshiko! What's wrong!?"

"What's going on Ororo?" Charles wheeled into the hall with Hank right behind him, "Is something wrong?"

"It's Yoshiko, she's prettified!" Ororo said, "I left her in her bedroom to change and when I came back she was huddled at the window!"

Charles wheeled over and put a hand on Yoshiko's cheek, a memory of looking out the window surged threw him. Normally he wouldn't have been scared of looking out a window, but the memory nearly scared him to death. He gasped and pulled away from the shivering child.

"Oh, it's nothing, she's just afraid of heights." Charles said, "When she looked out the window she got scared, get her some juice and she'll be fine."

"No, she can't be scared of heights, it's not possible," Ororo said, she brushed aside Yoshiko's bangs, "She was just outside climbing a tree!"

"Maybe she can only with stand so high," Hank said, "There are some cases like that, but they aren't very common."

"Is that true hun?" Ororo smiled at Yoshiko, "Let's go get you some juice all right?"

Yoshiko nodded and the two walked down the hall hand in hand out of sight, Hank looked down at Charles and sighed.

"I'm used to teaching teenagers of my language, but I guess I'll have to adjust," Hank said, he forced a smile, "She seems like a very happy child here, maybe we can start her on schooling sooner."

"It's all right Hank, I'll teach most of her other subjects." Charles said, "I have to give you PE for obvious reasons and I figured you'd enjoy teaching her Science."

"Enjoy I will, I always love a challenge," He chuckled, "I'll be ready whenever she is."