OF Hearth and Home

Chapter Fourteen: Time Is On My Side

Storm sat quietly in her attic grow room. Row after row of seedlings stared back at her from the many tables. "I know young ones." She cooed lovingly to the plants. "I have not been myself." She smiled sweetly and slyly.

Three soft raps came at the heavy wooden door.

"Yes?" She asked hesitantly – as most people respected her boundaries and let her tend to her gardening in peace.

The doorknob turned and the door opened to reveal Xavier.

"Charles, come in. How did you …?" She cast her eyes to the narrow wooden stairway behind him.

Xavier, chair and all, glided in to the room. The wheels on his chair never moved. Behind him, Storm could make out the deep red of Jean's hair at the bottom of the stairs.

"Thank you Jean." The Professor thought – loudly enough to include both Storm and Jean in the conversation. "I won't be long." He assured her. "I will call for you shortly."

"Yes Professor." Storm could hear her reply softly – as though from a great distance.

Xavier smiled and pushed the door closed behind him.

"Forgive the intrusion." He smiled warmly as he cast his eyes around the room before returning his focus to her. "But I wanted to ask a very delicate question."

Storm eased down on to a small wooden stool. "What is it?" She asked, giving him her undivided attention.

"It's about Calvin." He said plainly; still using the more familiar name rather than the more controversial one Beast had provided him with. "I've heard you've … met?"

Xavier smiled knowingly and sympathetically as Storm sighed and cast her eyes to the floor.

"I'm not trying to pry Ororo. I want that understood. But, I have decided to take a slightly more personal interest in Calvin, and I am currently 'investigating' his actions rather thoroughly." He explained. "My question is this: Has he overstepped himself?"

Storm smiled slightly. "No." She decided at last. "He has … not." She looked deep in thought.

"Then, if I may ask, what exactly happened this afternoon?" (Authors Note: These actions occurred between Rogue's attack and Derek's danger Room exercise.)

Storm pursed her lips. "I overstepped myself." She admitted at last.

"You?" Xavier looked curiously shocked.

Storm only nodded, keeping her eyes on the floor, but slowly a smile came to her lips and she brightened considerably.

"He's a terrible flirt." She explained. "It started the first day we met. I almost ran him over in the upstairs hall."

"And?" Xavier prompted.

"And he purred at me." She admitted, slightly embarrassed.

Xavier raised his eyebrows slightly.

"It was quite good natured. And not entirely … discouraged." She seemed to have chosen her words very carefully. "In fact, we've …"

"Flirted?" Xavier supplied.

"Yes." She agreed. "On several occasions since. Three, I think." She seemed to be counting them again in her mind to be sure.

"And yesterday?" Xavier prompted her again.

Storm smiled. "And yesterday, " She sighed. "We ... exchanged compliments. And he said something … Suggestive." And I found myself considering it seriously … "And, partially because it was such a blunt proposition, and maybe, partially because of my interest … I …I slapped him."

Xavier nodded, digesting this information.

"If you don't mind my asking, how did this come to your attention?" Storm queried.

"I'm afraid that the young Mr. Drake was passing by, in the hall, and saw the whole incident."

Storm recoiled slightly. The last thing she wanted was to be the source of mansion gossip.

"I wouldn't worry." Xavier told her. "Bobby mentioned it to me because I asked the students to report anything that might be out of the ordinary when it came to Calvin. He told me the story, rather abashedly, as Derek had 'requested' that he keep it to himself."

"Derek?" Storm asked. "Who is …?"

Xavier shook his head. "Calvin, sorry. I was reviewing possible new recruits – the name just stuck with me." He lied. "Why do you think that Calvin might request that Bobby remain quiet?"

Storm looked undecided and shrugged slightly. "He doesn't strike me as the shy type." She announced.

"No." Xavier agreed. "He isn't. My thoughts, at the moment, are that he 'silenced' Bobby out of a sense of decorum."

"Respect." Storm agreed. "It's obvious, even when he's being … suggestive." She cast a glance away and then back to Xavier. "I should say that, I do believe – That if I had discouraged him – he would have respected that and acted accordingly."

Xavier's expression suddenly appeared more calm and peaceful than it had been during his entire visit. Storm could see by the sheer amount of his obvious relief that he had been quite concerned.

"May I ask, how did you leave things?" Xavier felt as though he was prying but it also felt necessary; he was walking a fine line.

Storm dropped her head. "I was shocked." She admitted. "Shocked that I had hit him for something so …" Enticing? Alluring? Agreeable? " … trivial." She finished. "I made some apologetic remark and slipped away."

"What did he do?" Xavier asked.

"He just smiled. Smiled the whole time." She shrugged at the memory.

Derek's smile had been suggestive and intimate, right up until her hand crossed his face. Then he did look shocked, but shocked in the sense of someone who had just walked in to a surprise party or won the lottery but couldn't believe his luck. He was amused. And when she back-pedaled and retreated, he had reached out towards her – smiling and shaking his head as though he understood – but he had let her go. She had glanced back, to see him standing with is eyes on the floor, a small smile – both amused and rueful – framed by his soft square beard.

"I think he regretted the … boldness of the statement." She decided out loud before quickly adding "Not that he has a lot of choices when it comes to dialog. I understand that."

Xavier smiled. "I don't see any conflict or distress in this situation. If that's all there was to it than I am sure it's something you can work out for yourselves – if you haven't already, on your own."

"Please," Storm stopped him from turning towards the door. "You said you've been investigating him. Have you found anything … detrimental?"

Xavier seemed to consider this. "No, not really." He admitted. "As Hank observed – He's given up on explaining things until it's absolutely necessary. So while he seems to have a lot of explaining to do in some cases … " He shrugged. "No. I still have a mystery or two, but nothing that would indicate that he is anything more than he lets on."

Storm nodded. Xavier noticed that she seemed relieved by his assessment.

"What kind of mysteries?" She asked. "If I'm not intruding by asking."

Xavier sighed. "No. But I have found that the 'mystery' is often more suggestive than the situation warrants." He cautioned. "It has come to my attention through more than one source that Calvin doesn't spend all night at the mansion."

Storm looked confused. "He doesn't?" She asked, shaking her head.

"No. Apparently, he slips out after most everyone is in bed and then back in again before anyone gets up."

"But, how?" Storm asked. "Mansion security …"

Xavier grimaced beneath his grin. "Is based on a search pattern controlled by a computer." He explained. "And his ability is pattern recognition. I feel it's pretty obvious that he evades our security on purpose, but that may be for no other reason than he's avoiding the explanation of where he goes and what he does. Or, it could be more."

"Are you going to ask him about it?" Storm wondered.

Xavier looked chagrined. "I was going to. I favor the direct approach."

"But?"

"Logan was present when I got one of the reports of Der … Calvin's unusual absences. Later, I informed him that this is an ongoing condition and he has volunteered to follow him on his next excursion."

"What aren't you saying Charles?" Storm had known Xavier long enough to see when he was holding his tongue.

"We realized this yesterday. And it was confirmed today. Logan was going to follow him last night … but it didn't work." He shrugged slightly. "He slipped away before we had a chance to notice."

"So, tonight then?" Storm asked knowingly.

"I don't think I could stop Logan if I wanted to." He chuckled. "He takes these things very personally."

Storm smirked and then fought the expression from her face. "I know he does." She said, her voice betraying her humor.

"But, before you leave," Storm stood up, in good humor now, and spread her arms to indicate the room. "What do you think of my nursery?"

Just down the road at Agatha's house, Wanda sat on her back porch staring in to the tree line. Agatha startled her as she came outside.

"I've just received word from a friend my dear. Your father has arrived, no less that an hour ago. He was met by almost all the Brotherhood although he has sent them back towards their own home. He is currently headed for the Xavier Estate in the company of Mystique."

Wanda's eyes smoldered like a chemical fire.

"Now, do you wish to attack and remove the Brotherhood first so that your father has no back-up, or are you going for the quick kill?" Agatha smiled and handed her a mug from a small round tray.

"I'll start with the Brotherhood." She smiled, thinking of her brother. "I need to warm up."

Wanda rose to her feet and Agatha turned on her, her eyes angry and menacing. "Please." Agatha began. "Finish your hot chocolate first. You have plenty of time."

Wanda eyed her and then the mug. She wasn't sure why, but she lowered herself back in to the chair. "I'm sorry. I was just excited." Wanda explained.

Agatha's sweet smile had returned. "Think nothing of it. But, really, we must mind our manners." She smiled. "It's just polite. Now finish your chocolate and then you can have all the fun you want while killing your father"

Agatha and Wanda shared a smile as they sat in the crisp air, sipping their hot-chocolate in peace.