Hope Returns
Chapter Three
By: Lily Handle
------
Author's Note: Once again thanks to all those who reviewed, and I really have to thank one person in particular. Wolviesfan you are the best reviewer I have. Even though I have these little mistakes, which you never fail to miss, you still think my story is good and keep reading it. Thanks so much! All right, well, please enjoy this chapter, I tried to make it a little more interesting than the last. Also please read and review.
Lily
------
Hope woke the next morning groggy and a little disoriented. When she sat up the room spun for a second before settling. It was the first time the headaches had caused dizziness and disorientation, but Hope shook it off. Probably it was because she hadn't slept very well, she kept tossing and turning with half formed dreams dancing through her head. With little rest Hope started to repack, with more care than she had exercised last night. Just thinking about it made her embarrassed, she hadn't been thinking about what she said to the other instructors, especially Hank. She'd quickly apologize to him before they shipped her off to Washington. Hope sighed, carefully smoothing the wrinkles from a blouse, she should make the best of it. Adapt to change, it was the only thing she could do, which wasn't a major bother to her. She was use to change, she'd dealt with a lot of it in the past year. She just had to change her attitude towards this, and then ride it out. She'd call her sister, Thea, who ran the Baltimore office of Chandler Shipping. She would see if they could get together for a day. Thinking happily of her younger sister Hope finished packing with a smile, she tossed on her jacket, and picked up the most important piece of baggage, her briefcase with all her notes and her laptop. The Institute was quiet, the students still asleep, and probably most of the instructors still asleep also. Hope stepped into the elevator, rode down to the hanger level, and stepped off to see Hank waiting for her.
"I was just coming to get you," He said, smiling.
"Hank, I'm sorry for the way I acted last night," Hope started, but Hank just picked up her suitcase with one hand and wrapped an arm around her waist.
"It was hard night for you, Hope, it's perfectly alright," He said, leading her towards the Velocity, "I never took it personally."
Hope sighed in relief, she'd hate to have alienated Hank, "And we got in contact with the two FBI agents who will be escorting you. Agents Akelm and Wayne will be meeting you at the airport and take over your care."
"Two agents?"
"They work in six hour shifts, actually you'll have four teams of agents. It will be cut down to two when Ororo, Charles and I join you."
"Do they really think this is necessary?" Hope said, astonished.
"Originally you had around the clock protection of four agents, Charles talked them down after a few hours," Hank explained, stopping by the stairs, "Logan's piloting, so I suggest head phones and a good book."
"Hank!" Hope laughed, then bent down and hugged him, "I'll call you to check in so you don't harass the FBI."
"Be safe, Hope, be safe." Hank handed her suitcase over, and Hope started up the stairs. Logan was waiting just inside the jet, without a word he took the suitcase and went to go store it. Hope settled in a seat in the back of the helicopter, ready to catch up on the latest articles on X-gene research during the flight. She curled her legs underneath her, propped her head on her hand and started reading.
Outside in the hanger Hank watched as the Velocity prepared to take off, a frown tight on his face. Charles had appeared a few minutes after Hope had boarded, and now was next to Hank.
"Logan will be meeting with Fury after he's done at Baltimore airport?" Hank asked as the hanger doors opened and the Velocity's blades started to spin.
"He'll have to stay a day in Boston, actually, where Fury has agreed to meet with him."
"A day? Why won't Fury meet with him today?"
"Logan didn't say, but the police want to talk with Hope, they're at the front door."
"Do they know she's leaving?"
"Yes, they're trying to get a warrant to ground the flight," Charles sounded annoyed and a little frustrated.
"What? Why?"
"Apparently she didn't talk with a detective last night about the bombing."
"But then, who? Do you think it was Mystique? What could she care about a bombing?"
------
Turns out Mystique didn't care about the bombing, what she cared about was where the doctor was going in Washington and now that she knew the doctor's travel plans, she was waiting. The Baltimore airport was cold and standing out on the tarmac while waiting for the jet or whatever was flying the doctor to her was getting on her nerves. She would be keeping an eye on the doctor, every hour of the day, until someone found her out or the real target came into view. She didn't want the doctor, but who the doctor could get her close to. She'd played the roll of the friendly detective, easily keeping her thoughts tuned to what little she knew of police work to keep the red head psychic from getting suspicious and to keep the doctor talking. The PO box bomb, she didn't give a rat's ass about that, it was just a means to an end. She'd disguised herself as a mailman, gotten a set of keys and deposited the package. The doctor wasn't supposed to stop at the box that night, the timed bomb was suppose to go off, and then Mystique, playing the detective and asking questions. It shouldn't have happened, but it did, so she'd adjusted her disguise to go unnoticed in the police station. Surprisingly simple, really, the police should be more alert, she thought. Her new disguise was Margaret Wayne, a low level, but smart FBI agent who with her partner, Peter Akelm were the first team of agents to look out for the doctor's well being while she was in Washington. Apparently, her new skin was a nice pleasant individual who liked to drink herbal tea and was a vegetarian. She was also a mutant sympathizer, positively thrilled when she heard she was going to be able to talk with the Dr. Chandler. She disgusted Mystique, but she wasn't supposed to like her skin, just use it.
"Ah, that looks like them," Akelm said, crushing out his cigarette while Velocity descended towards them.
"Great," Mystique plastered a stupid grin on Wayne's face, "I can't wait!"
------
"We're landing in twenty, Doc," Logan called. Hope made a noise for an answer and finished the sentence she was reading. The article was fascinating, polypeptides and aminoacides all of it relating to how the DNA sequence may just be twisted wrong, but the effect wasn't a birth defect, but the infamous X-gene. Hope's chemistry and biology were in peak form due to the articles, but she doubted this one, a DNA stand that was twisted wrong seemed too unlikely and probably wouldn't be a mutant power. Hope slid the article back into her briefcase, uncurled her legs and stretched while the jet began to drop. It looked to be chilly in Baltimore, windy too by the looks of the snow blowing around. Hope was one for winter, but wind chill and chapped lips weren't her cup of tea. She'd have to stop somewhere for Chap Stick, more lotion too. Hope mentally started to make a shopping list while she watched the city through her window. Maybe she'd even cruise through some of Washington's high-end shops for clothes, she loved shopping for clothes. The Velocity was buffered by winds as it descended, making the landing rather rough. Hope held on to the arm rests while the helicopter carefully touched down.
"Right Doc, we're here," Logan said, standing up from the pilot's seat. "I'll get your bag."
"Thank you, Logan," Hope said, sliding out from her seat and waiting by the door. When Logan returned he handed over her bag, and then reached a hand out for the door latch, but he didn't open it. He stood there, which made Hope frown, what was going on? Logan let go of the latch, then cupped the back of her neck in his hands. Surprised, Hope let him pull her forward, and kiss her gently. It was a surprisingly tender kiss, but just as she started to enjoy it, Logan pulled away.
"Watch your back, Doc," He said quickly, opening the door, and stepping aside.
"Uh, I will," She said, blinking away the remaining fog in her brain and then started down the steps. Waiting at the bottom of them was a man and a woman, dressed in business suits and while the man looked grim, the woman was smiling cheerily.
"Dr. Chandler?" The woman asked, stepping forward when Hope dropped down from the last step.
"Yes, who are you?" She asked, letting the man take her bag.
"I'm Agent Wayne, this is my partner, Agent Akelm, we're the first team of FBI agents who's going to keep an eye on you while you're here," The woman explained, her accent slightly Texan.
"Oh, thank you," Hope said a little unsure of what to say to the perky agent.
"We've got our car waiting not far," Agent Wayne went on, "We'll talk more about what's to be expected once we're inside it and out of this cold. Amazing how bad it can get, even when it's not snowing, huh Doctor?"
"Yes, it's not this bad back in Bayville," Hope muttered, not really paying attention. Her mind was still back in the Velocity, wondering about the kiss. She wasn't use to Logan showing such tenderness to her. Those 'what the hell are we doing?' kisses that were all fire and power she could handle pretty well. She was use to those, but that tender hesitance, was…nice. Hope was surprised that a kiss like that one could make her blush and stammer, more than the rough ones. It was her romantic heart, she reasoned, a romantic kiss like that made her romantic heart sigh with happiness and feel things it shouldn't feel.
"Here you go Doctor," Agent Wayne said, holding open the door to a beat up, old, maroon Mercedes.
"Thank you," Hope said again, sliding inside the idling car. Agent Wayne closed the door, then walked around to the passenger side, and slid in. Agent Akelm tossed her suitcase into the trunk, then walked around to the driver's side and climbed in, all with out a word or second glance at Hope.
"Well, Dr. Chandler, I don't know if you've ever been under FBI watch before, but it's not really as bad as they make it out in the movies," Agent Wayne said, meeting Hope's eyes in the rear view mirror.
"If there's anything I can do to take your job easier, just tell me," Hope smiled back.
"Oh, great, last person Akelm and I had to watch hated being under constant supervision," Agent Wayne rolled her eyes, "Anyway, if you want to go anywhere, you tell me or Akelm, and we'll go with you. At the hotel, our room is right next to yours, so, we'll be in easy reach if you need us. At any events you have to go to, we'll be with you, or one of the other agent teams. Just depends on what shift it happens to fall at."
"Alright, I think I can handle that."
"Great, we're going to the hotel first, get you settled in, call the boss man and check in first. Then, whatever you want to do, within some limits, we'll do."
"I'd to call my sister and see if we can't get together while I'm here. Also there's just a few things I need to get from the super market."
"Make a list, Akelm will go get them while you put your stuff away and call you sister," Agent Wayne said, patting Agent Akelm on his shoulder, "He likes pretending that he's tough with his brooding, scowling silent treatment, but he's a softy on the inside. Aren't you Akelm?"
Hope laughed, "If there's one thing I know how to handle it's brooding silence."
------
He smiled, watching the helicopter and the doctor as she descended the stairs. It was nice to have her here early, that meant he could take the next step in his plan. He'd have to thank the bomber who scared her into coming early, if he ever found the bomber, but his men were looking and they were good, very good at finding people. The doctor smiled at his inside man while he took the bag, and it made him smile. Once this shift was over his man would bow out for a bit, claiming a date or important meeting. They'd meet somewhere where they wouldn't be noticed, then talk about the Doctor's plans for the weeks she was here. If he was lucky, he'd have his hands on her before she got to Congress. She was the biggest threat to everything he'd been working for, people actually respected the freak and her work. Even though they knew she was…unnatural. God didn't intend for woman to be doctors, much less a mutant woman. They'd all burn in hell when the time came, but it was his mission to stop them now, and protect humanity from their unnatural ways.
"I can't wait to meet you, Doctor," He said quietly under his breath, lowering the binoculars, "We'll have so much to talk about."
------
Author's Note: How many of you thought I forgot about our mysterious friend from chapter one? Well, I didn't, and he's back being terrifyingly creepy. I hope his character, and his little speech above doesn't offend anyone and if it does, I apologize. His character is one to be hated, and what he says I don't really mean. Please, don't get angry with me, get angry with him. Anyway, what can you expect in the next chapter? Well, we meet Thea, Hope's sister, there's the meeting with Fury, and more Mystique. Wonder who she could be after? Anyway, please read and review.