Queen of Random: I've got reviews, I've got reviews, I've got reviews! And
Hank isn't even in the story yet! But I'm sure you guys have all figured
out what's going to happen, right? Well, if you haven't, I'm not going to
tell you! But, just so you know, here comes the Beast, as well as some
scheming from some teenage meddlers!
Beauty and the Beast
Chapter Two: Matchmaking Plans
"I appreciate your concern for Evan, Ms Reed," said Xavier, at the front door of the Institute. "And I'm sure the other students appreciate it as well."
"As I said earlier, Professor Xavier, they are still children." Ms Reed smiled. "Of course, I am sure that they do not like being referred to as children."
"That's true," interrupted a deep, male voice. "They are on the verge of adulthood, and so are not children."
Xavier looked at a point behind Ms Reed. "Ah, Hank. I would like you to meet Jennifer Reed, a teacher down at the school. Ms Reed, this is Hank McCoy. He used to teach at Bayville High. At least, until he came here."
Ms Reed turned around, but said nothing when she saw the man referred to as the Beast.
"I am sorry if my appearance disturbs you, Ms Reed," said Hank.
Ms Reed shook her head, blushing. "Oh, no, Mr McCoy. It is not that. I just had a flash-back to my university days, when I was studying Anthropology, as well as Chemistry. I couldn't help but think, 'Do his knees lock?' Referring to, of course, the trait which allowed humans to become bipedal," added Ms Reed.
Hank's large, beast-like, blue face split open in wide smile. "I never thought I would hear that, even here, Ms Reed."
Ms Reed smiled. "Call me Jennifer, Mr McCoy."
"Then I insist that you call me Hank, Ms Reed."
Ms Reed smiled again, lighting up her face. "Then I will, Hank," she said, extending a hand to Hank.
"And I, you, Jennifer," replied Hank, taking Ms Reed's hand, which was dwarfed in his massive blue one.
Xavier raised an eyebrow at this exchange, but said nothing.
"Professor!" called a voice, which sounded as though it was Amara.
"Excuse me," said Xavier. "I must attend to this small matter. Hank? Will you be so kind as to show Ms Reed the way out?"
Hank smiled. "It would be an honour."
*
"Hey, Kurt! Look at that!" Kitty nudged Kurt as they looked down from a balcony to the drive of the Institute.
"What?"
"Down there!" Kitty pointed out the large blue figure, and the smaller, female figure walking beside it.
"Is that Ms Reed and Mr McCoy?" asked Kurt.
"I'm not sure," replied Kitty. "Can you get us closer?"
"Sure." And with that, he grabbed her hand, and the next moment they were behind a tree, listening to what the two adults were talking about.
"Yes, A Midsummer Night's Dream is one of my favourite's, but my very favourite one would have to be The Winter's Tale," said Ms Reed.
"The story of Perdita, and the tragedy surrounding her birth," replied Hank.
"That's the one. Have you ever seen it performed live? It is amazing!"
"What are they talking about?" asked Kurt.
"Shakespeare, I think. Isn't this so cute!"
"Isn't what so cute?"
"Ms Reed and Mr McCoy seem to be getting on really well! Don't you think they are perfect for each other?" asked Kitty.
"They are both teachers," replied Kurt, "so I don't know what to think."
"Come on, Kurt! I thought you liked Ms Reed!"
"I do," answered Kurt. "But her and Mr McCoy. . . ugh." Then he saw the smile on Kitty's face. "Oh, no, Kitty! I'm not helping you get them together!"
"Oh, come on, Kurt! I won't make you do much! Just take me back to the building, and I'll tell you all about my plan."
Kurt shook his head. "I knew hanging out with you was going to get me in trouble one of these days."
*
Kitty approached Ms Reed the next day after Chemistry.
"Kitty. What can I do for you?" asked Ms Reed.
"I was wondering. . . what do you, like, think of Mr McCoy?"
Ms Reed's eyebrows shot up. "Well, Kitty, I can tell you right here and now that I was not expecting that question."
"Well, Kurt and I heard you talking-"
"Eavesdropping, you mean." Ms Reed smiled. "Teleporting and phasing must allow you to hear some very interesting things."
Kitty blushed. "Caught, huh?"
"Big time."
"Well, what do you think of Mr McCoy?"
Ms Reed began shuffling some papers on her desk, obviously uncomfortable with the way the subject was going. "To put it one way, he is unlike any man I have ever met before. How's that?"
Kitty smiled. "Perfect."
*
Kitty caught up with Kurt at lunch in the cafeteria, where he was devouring a burger. "Operation: Chemistry is good to go."
"I can't believe you named it that. All you are doing is playing matchmaker," said Kurt.
"No, we are playing matchmaker. You are helping me, remember?"
"How could I forget? But you should know, I don't like the idea of playing matchmaker."
"Who's playing matchmaker?" asked a voice. Amanda was standing behind Kurt.
"Amanda! No one's playing matchmaker. Kitty's just got this crazy idea in her head about two people she thinks are a good match."
Amanda sat down next to Kurt. "Who?"
"We're trying to set Ms Reed up with someone," answered Kitty.
"Can you try to explain to her that we should not be messing with a teacher's love-life?"
"With who?" asked Amanda, leaning forward with interest.
Kitty grinned. "Let's just say that you are not the only one who has a thing for blue."
Amanda's eyes widened. "Mr McCoy?"
Kitty nodded. "Yes! What do you think?"
Amanda looked at Kurt, who was busy shaking his head, then at Kitty. "I'm in."
Beauty and the Beast
Chapter Two: Matchmaking Plans
"I appreciate your concern for Evan, Ms Reed," said Xavier, at the front door of the Institute. "And I'm sure the other students appreciate it as well."
"As I said earlier, Professor Xavier, they are still children." Ms Reed smiled. "Of course, I am sure that they do not like being referred to as children."
"That's true," interrupted a deep, male voice. "They are on the verge of adulthood, and so are not children."
Xavier looked at a point behind Ms Reed. "Ah, Hank. I would like you to meet Jennifer Reed, a teacher down at the school. Ms Reed, this is Hank McCoy. He used to teach at Bayville High. At least, until he came here."
Ms Reed turned around, but said nothing when she saw the man referred to as the Beast.
"I am sorry if my appearance disturbs you, Ms Reed," said Hank.
Ms Reed shook her head, blushing. "Oh, no, Mr McCoy. It is not that. I just had a flash-back to my university days, when I was studying Anthropology, as well as Chemistry. I couldn't help but think, 'Do his knees lock?' Referring to, of course, the trait which allowed humans to become bipedal," added Ms Reed.
Hank's large, beast-like, blue face split open in wide smile. "I never thought I would hear that, even here, Ms Reed."
Ms Reed smiled. "Call me Jennifer, Mr McCoy."
"Then I insist that you call me Hank, Ms Reed."
Ms Reed smiled again, lighting up her face. "Then I will, Hank," she said, extending a hand to Hank.
"And I, you, Jennifer," replied Hank, taking Ms Reed's hand, which was dwarfed in his massive blue one.
Xavier raised an eyebrow at this exchange, but said nothing.
"Professor!" called a voice, which sounded as though it was Amara.
"Excuse me," said Xavier. "I must attend to this small matter. Hank? Will you be so kind as to show Ms Reed the way out?"
Hank smiled. "It would be an honour."
*
"Hey, Kurt! Look at that!" Kitty nudged Kurt as they looked down from a balcony to the drive of the Institute.
"What?"
"Down there!" Kitty pointed out the large blue figure, and the smaller, female figure walking beside it.
"Is that Ms Reed and Mr McCoy?" asked Kurt.
"I'm not sure," replied Kitty. "Can you get us closer?"
"Sure." And with that, he grabbed her hand, and the next moment they were behind a tree, listening to what the two adults were talking about.
"Yes, A Midsummer Night's Dream is one of my favourite's, but my very favourite one would have to be The Winter's Tale," said Ms Reed.
"The story of Perdita, and the tragedy surrounding her birth," replied Hank.
"That's the one. Have you ever seen it performed live? It is amazing!"
"What are they talking about?" asked Kurt.
"Shakespeare, I think. Isn't this so cute!"
"Isn't what so cute?"
"Ms Reed and Mr McCoy seem to be getting on really well! Don't you think they are perfect for each other?" asked Kitty.
"They are both teachers," replied Kurt, "so I don't know what to think."
"Come on, Kurt! I thought you liked Ms Reed!"
"I do," answered Kurt. "But her and Mr McCoy. . . ugh." Then he saw the smile on Kitty's face. "Oh, no, Kitty! I'm not helping you get them together!"
"Oh, come on, Kurt! I won't make you do much! Just take me back to the building, and I'll tell you all about my plan."
Kurt shook his head. "I knew hanging out with you was going to get me in trouble one of these days."
*
Kitty approached Ms Reed the next day after Chemistry.
"Kitty. What can I do for you?" asked Ms Reed.
"I was wondering. . . what do you, like, think of Mr McCoy?"
Ms Reed's eyebrows shot up. "Well, Kitty, I can tell you right here and now that I was not expecting that question."
"Well, Kurt and I heard you talking-"
"Eavesdropping, you mean." Ms Reed smiled. "Teleporting and phasing must allow you to hear some very interesting things."
Kitty blushed. "Caught, huh?"
"Big time."
"Well, what do you think of Mr McCoy?"
Ms Reed began shuffling some papers on her desk, obviously uncomfortable with the way the subject was going. "To put it one way, he is unlike any man I have ever met before. How's that?"
Kitty smiled. "Perfect."
*
Kitty caught up with Kurt at lunch in the cafeteria, where he was devouring a burger. "Operation: Chemistry is good to go."
"I can't believe you named it that. All you are doing is playing matchmaker," said Kurt.
"No, we are playing matchmaker. You are helping me, remember?"
"How could I forget? But you should know, I don't like the idea of playing matchmaker."
"Who's playing matchmaker?" asked a voice. Amanda was standing behind Kurt.
"Amanda! No one's playing matchmaker. Kitty's just got this crazy idea in her head about two people she thinks are a good match."
Amanda sat down next to Kurt. "Who?"
"We're trying to set Ms Reed up with someone," answered Kitty.
"Can you try to explain to her that we should not be messing with a teacher's love-life?"
"With who?" asked Amanda, leaning forward with interest.
Kitty grinned. "Let's just say that you are not the only one who has a thing for blue."
Amanda's eyes widened. "Mr McCoy?"
Kitty nodded. "Yes! What do you think?"
Amanda looked at Kurt, who was busy shaking his head, then at Kitty. "I'm in."