Not
Myself
By Princess
Alexandria
Princess_alex24@hotmail.com
Christy was shocked at how quickly her students fled the class once it was over. She checked and they'd even remembered to shut down the computers so she wouldn't have to waste time doing that. "They're finally learning. It must be the end of the quarter."
"Actually that was me." A familiar cool feminine voice spoke from the doorway. Christy glanced up to see Emma leaning against the doorway and it was a little strange to see her here.
"I thought we were meeting later."
"I wanted to talk with you." Emma glanced at Christy's binder. "Grab your stuff so we don't waste the effort I put in to get your students to behave for you." Christy didn't care for the superior attitude at that moment. Emma was acting like her students were wild and didn't do what she said. It wasn't like that.
"Fine." She followed the blonde telepath out the door and locked it. They were going to have to cross campus to get to Christy's office. "What's this about?"
"Scott and the others plan to take the children out to dinner. We thought it would be best to not have them around for this." Christy held the door open so that Emma could follow her outside.
********
Emma noticed the door being held open for her and nodded her appreciation. When they decided to talk about this with her Emma had been drafted for the job. Jean had been very adamant that Emma should be the one to do it, since Scott was getting the Blackbird ready to go. Emma glanced at the woman walking beside her briefly. Whenever given a choice of where to stand, Christy would stand near Emma. That was the reasoning Jean gave… that was her brilliant deduction, her method for getting around the fact that no one could read Christy's thoughts. What did Jean think Emma was supposed to seduce the woman into this?
"So what's this about?" Christy interrupted the silence while glancing around and seeing no one else on the path with them. If Emma didn't want people to hear what she was talking about, she could do that in the middle of a crowded room, and she'd done that many times, just by encouraging them not to pay attention.
"We've decided to incorporate you into our worldwide network of allies." Emma spoke clearly and noticed Christy's steps falter and the woman had to move faster to catch up, because Emma didn't slow down. "For you to be able to do that we're going to have to do something about your money problems."
"What are you talking about?" Christy sounded pretty baffled. Emma just smirked at her and stopped walking.
"You are getting off work early to set up a new bank account. One that will actually have money in it." Emma crossed her arms and sent out a message to keep the students starting out of another class nearby the message to walk the other way. "Money for training if your kids stay with you, or it will be money to establish your home as a safe house. We don't have one in this area." Emma had briefly considered a different way for Christy to help with Xavier's cause, but without knowing more about the woman, Emma didn't want her anywhere near her students. Christy must have all sorts of mental and emotional problems that she hadn't dealt with. Anyone living through the end of their world would, and while Emma could understand that, she wanted to know this woman was stable before trusting impressionable young people to her. "We need to hurry if we will have time to set this up. I'll answer questions afterwards." The banks wouldn't be opened much longer.
"Uh… okay." Christy started to walk again and Emma was a little impressed that she hadn't demanded all sorts of answers before agreeing to this.
********
Christy kept her expression as controlled as she could. She hadn't even realized that she had wanted New York until Emma had just basically told her she wasn't getting any invitations. It didn't make any sense to not invite her, to at least give her the option. She was… or must be a mutant. She had all the basic information. She didn't really belong where she was. She was so tired of acting like someone else all the time.
"I just need to trade this bag for my purse." Christy was going to just make the best of what she was given. She'd been doing that for years. At least they weren't completely abandoning her. What did she expect? For the heroes to want to rush to her aid, make her feel at home? She knew them, they didn't know her.
"You're driving. Scott dropped me off." Christy just nodded at that.
********
"So what do you mean when you say a safehouse?" Christy asked her as soon as they pulled out of the parking lot. She always tried to plan for the worst, and that would be coming home from New York alone.
"We have operatives all over the world. Sometimes they need a place to stay for a few days." Emma watched Christy miss an opening to turn left. The woman drives like they have all day. "Or if we find a mutant in the area that needs a safe place to stay until we can come and get them."
"And the money?"
"Food, supplies, rent in a way." Emma also thought that it would tie the woman to them more tightly. Christy needed money. They give her money and Christy will need them. It might not work to keep her quiet but it was worth trying.
"Okay." Christy was taking this all in easily. Adaptable. Good skill.
********
Annie heard Christy's car pull up and glanced out the living room window. The white clothes and blonde hair said it all. Emma was with her. Annie's fists clenched briefly before she turned to stare at the T.V. she wasn't actually watching now. She was listening for the door to the garage to open, and it was taking too long.
Annie just hated Emma… hated her being around Christy… hated her cold stare and superior attitude. Hated her stupid white clothes. Annie was having no problem listing all the things wrong with Emma Frost.
Christy was laughing. That was the first thing she heard once the door opened. Laughing and joking with that blonde bitch. "No… I told him that if he was only going to give me a half ass effort he could only have half the chair, that I'd find someone else not trying to do the work to fill up the other half." Annie turned to stare at the commercials running on the T.V. She remembered that day. Christy hadn't said it in a mean way, she was teasing but really not.
"Oh, Hey Annie." Christy smiled at her once she got to the top of the stares and Annie gave a tense smile back. Emma was right behind her. "Where's the gang?"
"Well, Erik's mom picked him up for a bit to buy clothes. He should be back soon." Annie glanced down the hallway. "And Jessi and Jon are in her room." Doing something most likely. They had to take advantage of when the Empath wasn't in the house.
"Oh." Christy's grin was so sexy when she glanced down the hall. "Well, wouldn't want to interrupt." She then looked right at Annie and Annie felt like her heart had stopped. Christy was so… there really weren't words for it. "Poor thing, trapped with the hormonals."
"I kept the T.V. on loud, just in case." Annie smiled, but that faltered when her eyes met Emma's. That knowing smirk on her lips really needed to be smacked off.
********
Jon could hear Christy's voice in the house and felt a flush of embarrassment. Jessi reached over and caressed his face. "We aren't doing anything wrong, and even if we were…" The teasing smirk on her lips was so cute he leaned closer to kiss her again. "Christy wouldn't mind."
"I love you, you know that?" Jon caressed his girlfriend's cheek. The smile and blush that got him made him smile. He'd loved Jessi long before they became a couple.
"Love you too." Jessi was almost shy about saying it. Jon's eyes traveled over her, taking in her open shirt as he trailed his finger along her collar. Maybe some day soon they'd go all the way.
********
Emma watched the complete lack of concern about the students. While Emma knew they hadn't had sex, Christy thought they might be doing just that. Emma shuffled through Jessi's thoughts quickly to see the conversation the girl had with Christy about having sex in the house. They actually did have a policy that Emma could appreciate. Not while the Empath was in the house, but since both Jon and Jessi were over 18, Christy just demanded birth control and they could do what they wanted. Too bad Xavier and Scott didn't have such an open mind about such things. That might be something they need to address if they want to keep Jon and Jessi once they decide to come to the school. Emma had been arguing that the older students needed more privacy and had suggested they get a room of their own, but Xavier hadn't listened to her at the time. She wondered if Xavier was aware of how many of the students were sneaking out at night without letting anyone know where they are so that they could be with their lovers. It was dangerous to have them do that, but the children didn't have other options because Xavier was such a puritan.
"When are your people coming?" Christy's voice pulled Emma out of her thoughts as they moved towards the kitchen. "Oh, want anything to drink?"
"No thank you." Emma watched Christy pull out a glass for herself. "Scott and the others will probably be here before six. There is a restaurant we wanted to try in town."
********
"Man that thing looks like it can kick serious ass." Erik murmured as they pulled into a spot near the black plane. He hadn't expected the X-men to have their own plane for some reason, but when they offered to let him see it during dinner he'd been ready to beg Christy to have them go.
He didn't know much about planes, but this was obviously a cool one. They got out and wandered towards the van. The X-men all got out.
"Well, lets show you what this machine is." Scott smirked at Erik and Erik just grinned. Erik was a little puzzled when Scott looked up and asked Christy. "Do you know what its called?"
Christy's eyes widened a little and she glanced around at all of them. Erik could tell something was going on. "Blackbird." She didn't look happy about having to say that, and Erik wanted to ask how she knew. It wasn't like any of the research they'd done on the X-men said what the name of the plane was.
"How'd you know?" Annie asked for him.
"Hank told me once."
"Oh, um.. Yes, we did talk about the Blackbird." Hank agreed almost too quickly. When could that have been? Erik never saw Christy really talking to either Hank or Logan.
Erik watched the stairs come down with eager eyes. When they said they had a plane Erik hadn't expected anything this cool.
This was a good end to what had been a crappy day. He told his mother about the new school today, which was why she'd dropped all her plans and come to spend time with him today, and why she spent money he knew she didn't have to get him some new clothes.
********
Annie noticed how quiet Christy was as they drove home after the X-men left. Christy looked troubled and Annie debated about what to do for a while, before giving in to her temptation and moving to rest her hand on Christy's knee for a moment while Christy drove. Christy just reached down one of her own hands and patted Annie's.
"You okay?" Annie forced herself to ignore that Erik was in the back seat. Jon and Jessi were in Jon's truck.
"I'm fine." Christy gave her that smile that Annie had learned a long time ago was fake. It was so frustrating. Christy didn't open up to Annie, not on anything really important. Annie took her hand away reluctantly. Any longer and it would be too obvious.
When they got home Christy went with Erik to talk alone and Annie felt even more out of place as she went upstairs. She might as well try and study for finals. Those were in a week and a half and she had a big paper due for one class.
********
Jessi hated visiting with her dad. She had to lie and she had to listen to his comments about mutants. She pulled up at the restaurant near school where they'd have lunch. Christy had been nervous about Jessi visiting her old house, Jessi could tell, so even though Christy never said anything Jessi usually had meals somewhere else with her dad.
"So you serious about this Jon guy?" Jessi's dad acted like he hadn't ever met Jon. She'd only known Jon years.
"Yeah." Jessi glanced at the waitress, willing the woman to bring their food faster. Once her dad had food in front of him, there was less talking.
"Get the boy tested before you get too serious." He sounded like Jon was a dog or something. "Make sure he isn't a mutie, you don't want him giving you mutie kids."
Jessi felt like her heart had dropped. Mutie kids, what dad… like you have? Her mind angrily retorted, but she just nodded a bit non-committally.
"I know a doctor that can do that. You can even tell him that its an AIDS test, so he isn't insulted." Great, this was going to go on. Jessi had hoped for a brief mention and then have it forgotten. Jessi was already insulted. Christy was right, now that she didn't live with the constant bigotry she could see how bad it had really been.
"I'll bring it up." Jessi lied.
"You make sure you do that before you do anything else." Her dad nodded and then sat back so that the waitress could put their plates down. "I don't want no muties touching my little girl." He smiled at her and the look of fondness and affection was so at odds with what he was saying it was just sad. Jessi noticed the waitress's hand shake a little when she put Jessi's plate down and Jessi was able to see the barely hidden pain in the woman's eyes. Great. Her dad managed to hurt someone without even realizing it. It always embarrassed her when he talked like this in public, but after her own powers manifested it got worse.
"My finals are in a couple days." She'd try to change the subject. "Then I'm going to New York for a week."
"New York?" He seemed surprised and Jessi just smiled. This was something she could talk with him about. Finally, something, even if it were peppered with lies.
"Yeah, a friend of my roommates works for an airline and got us tickets. We can stay at her place." That led to talking about what was good about New York. For a man that had never left the West Coast, her dad sure had a list of places Jessi should check out.
********
Christy couldn't help but stare at the boxes accumulating outside of Erik's room. He was packing up for his move. She closed the door to the garage and carefully walked past the pile so that she could go upstairs, where he must be since Christy didn't see him in his room. His rooms looked so empty now.
"I think I did okay on my History final." Jessi spoke before Christy was even to the top of the stairs. The girl was sitting at the dining room table with a pleased smile on her face. Christy was sure she was glad studying for that test was over, she'd been complaining about all the dates and names for a while.
"That's good." Christy glanced into the living room to see Erik and Annie watching T.V. "Annie, you done with all your finals?"
"Oh, yeah." Annie smiled at her and Christy just kept going. The kids were out of school now. Friday they'd be flying out.
"Good." Christy didn't really know what else to say. She felt a bit awkward this week. She could feel herself pulling away, trying to not care as much, and she didn't like that she was doing that… but she couldn't seem to stop. It had made talking in the house tense the entire week. Sure, no one but Erik had said they'd be staying, but Christy was pretty sure that number would be higher after the visit to New York.
"As soon as it's dark we're going out for training." Christy added and then moved to make dinner. One last time as a team.
********
Jon did a flip in the air and landed on the beach several feet below. "Hey." He smiled at his surprised girlfriend and got a rock in his chest from Annie's target practice using his girl. "Ugh… Hey watch it."
"Sorry." Annie didn't sound too sorry at all, and he rubbed his chest where he'd been hit acting like it hurt more than it did.
"Have her practice protecting Jon." Christy turned from where she was working with Erik to grin at Jon a bit evilly.
"Not the face though." Jon added quickly and then winced as that sounded like he didn't trust his girlfriend to protect him. He glanced over at her but she was thankfully not looking insulted. It was just that Jessi had trouble controlling her forcefields when they weren't up against her body.
********
Jessi felt a bead of sweat trickle down her face as she was forced to move her forcefields between herself and Jon at a face pace. Annie had started with just tossing small rocks at Jon, but then started alternating between Jessi and Jon with no real pattern. Jessi had to watch the rocks and move quickly to protect them. Sometimes she wasn't quick enough and she was sure she had some bruises. Jon probably had some too but he wasn't complaining.
"Hey, not fair!" Jessi yelled out when Erik used his telekinesis to move the path of one of Annie's rocks.
"All's fair in love and war." Christy smirked at her and patted Erik's back. She'd set her up. "Seriously though, fights aren't fair no matter how you look at it and people will fight dirty. You have to keep that in mind. Expect it."
Jessi just nodded and rubbed her thigh. Erik's rock had connected. Christy looked at her and Jon. "You two keep practicing. I'm gonna borrow the others and get our drinks."
They were saying their goodbyes here, with a small party. This is where they had wanted to do it. Jessi still couldn't believe that Erik wouldn't be coming home with them, but once he explained why he was doing this everyone could understand.
Once they were gone Jessi turned to Jon. He was a bit too strong, she didn't feel enough energy left to protect against his tosses. "Why don't you practice your agility Monkey Boy?" She smirked. "And get over here and kiss me."
********
Christy unlocked the trunk and held one side of the cooler while Erik grabbed the other. Annie was holding a bag with a gift they'd gotten the boy. No one knew that Christy had gotten them all gifts and was bringing them all with her on the trip just in case.
Her arm was jerked when Erik dropped his side suddenly and Christy looked over at him. Her heart started to beat faster when she noticed him going pale. "Jessi's scared. Jessi's really scared." Erik was bending over and panting like a terrified puppy.
Christy's eyes widened and she spun around towards the path. "Erik, shields up as high as you can get them. Stay here. Protect the car, and somebody get it running." Christy was terrified of what she'd find but tossed Annie the keys and ran back down the path as fast as she could. Leaping over roots that covered the path, moving with more grace than she normally showed, and ignoring the branches that hit her as she passed by. She unzipped her jacket as she ran so that her gun would be easily accessible. She had a horrible feeling she might need to use it. Dammit, she shouldn't have left them alone. She should have kept them all together.