Not Myself
By Princess Alexandria
Christy gave a shy smile to Emma as her boys were sitting down. "Does white leather get grass stains?" She teased softly. She didn't want to undermine the great Ms. Frost in front of her students, but couldn't help but want to tease, and touch, and just hold. The smirk Emma gave her at that made Christy unable not to reach out and just touch her briefly, caress her arm.
The boys didn't notice because they were waving Jessi over. Christy decided she didn't care if her kids knew and were uncomfortable. They'd get over it. That resolution made it easier for her to calm down and just take this as it came. She also didn't plan to be one of those overly cute couples. She doubted Emma was that way and normally Christy wasn't, but the urge to touch and be near Emma was strong. She could still see clearly in her mind the way Emma looked when they made love, and the tender way Emma held her afterwards.
"Annie's okay. She's awake, but tired from using her powers." Christy told them before they could ask. "She healed Sophie." And Christy was still waiting to be summoned about that one. "And is probably going to be in the medlab for a while." The children looked so concerned. "Her arms are wrapped up from elbow to hand and I don't know if she'll be able to do much."
"She most likely won't." Emma spoke, her voice a little more cool than Christy normally heard it when they were alone. "Things like zipping her pants will be problematic. If she does not have an adequate supply of pants that won't require something like that, let me know and I'll get her some. Also shirts that aren't button up will be necessary. We can arrange for someone to take notes for her in her classes, but for at while she will be on pain medication, and may have trouble studying."
"We can help her with that." Jessi spoke up. "And I can help you with the clothes thing too."
It felt like a different dynamic with her kids when she added Emma. They were all sitting straighter for one. Christy glanced at the blonde woman beside her and noticed the smile Emma sent her way. "I'm sure you all will. I've been impressed with how well you all work together." It was the start of a conversation that Christy stayed mostly quiet for. Emma was in counselor mode, and Christy was trying not to get angry at the pain and fear her students had felt over this mess when she heard it.
Once lunch was over Erik smiled at her. "So…" He tilted his head towards where Emma and Jessi were talking about new clothes for Annie.
"Yeah." Christy smiled back.
"Good. She seems cool." Erik said softly and Jon nodded. "Tough, but cool." And that was all they said about it. It seemed a bit anticlimactic to Christy, but the easy acceptance was nice. It was doubtful that it would go as smoothly with Annie.
Logan leaned against the pole and took a drag off his cigar as he watched the scene playing out on the hilltop. Christy's kids were playing basketball, and Christy and Emma were just taken a break to watch. Chuck wanted someone nearby so he could call Christy, and while Emma could do the job she would have to get back to work soon. When they stood up it was obvious that break time was over. He took a deep drag off his cigar and watched as Christy stood uncertainly in front of Emma, and he was thinking just kiss her already. It was obviously what Christy wanted to do.
Emma musta saw it too, because Logan watched as Emma pulled Christy into a tender kiss.
"I can't believe they do that here, around the children." A quiet angry hiss drew Logan's attention. A glance to the side showed a parent, some man in a suit, staring up at that same hill. Logan's eyes narrowed. The kiss wasn't anything big. He'd seen other Xmen give more passionate kisses in front of students. When the man looked around Logan made sure that man saw him and Logan glared at him.
"Don't you have somewhere to be bub?" He asked coldly, wanting that asshole out of there before Christy came down to see Logan. Girl had enough problems. She didn't need some asshole giving her shit about falling in love. It worked. He only had to look at the back of that man's balding head as he left the area.
"Logan." Christy's voice raised as she started down the hill. Her smile was a nice change from the gloom he'd sensed in her earlier.
"Darlin." He nodded hello before taking a last drag on his cigar. "Chuck wants to call a meeting with you in a few. Ya wanna shoot some hoops til he calls?" He didn't mind playing telephone for her, but Logan wished the man would hurry up and call already.
Christy just stared at him. The slow smile gave Logan the impression of a predator spotting prey. "Not really. Do you know anywhere around here I can pick flowers?" Aw hell. Logan sighed as he thought of a place. Hopefully no one saw him traipsing around picking flowers. "I think Annie could use some, and I really should get some for Emma… and Jean was so nice today…"
He sent out a thought Chuck, you ready for that meeting.
No, I still have parents to talk to. Chuck sent back. Logan grimaced as he walked alongside a truly cruel woman to go pick flowers.
Christy had a dozen of these things in her hand. She didn't know much about flowers, but she recognized tulips and daffodils from her mother's garden when she was younger. She felt a bit like a thief as she moved about the obviously sculpted arrangement, taking a flower here and there to keep from thinning out one area too much.
"Here, hold these." She handed over the first dozen to Logan and tried not to smirk at his obvious discomfort. "I need to try and get some further in or it'll be obvious what I've been doing."
"You a professional flower thief?" Logan asked as Christy was setting a foot carefully down between the first rows of flowers so she could reach the pretty red ones further in. Yellow for Annie and Jean, and Red for Emma. They may not be roses, but the message should be clear.
"Yep. Used to rob the neighbors when I was little." Christy smiled at that fun memory of her childhood. She reached out carefully to pull a few flowers out. "Here, take these." She handed her take back to him with a matter of fact motion and waited for him to take them before taking another careful step into the flowers.
"This is 'Ro's garden."
"What?" Christy turned to stare at him, and the smug expression didn't hold as much weight as if he wasn't holding over a dozen pretty flowers. "You let me rob Storm?"
"Wanted flowers, here's flowers." His smile was making it clear Christy's impression of Storm's love of nature was right. Storm wouldn't be happy to catch her. Thankfully she wasn't here. Christy gave him an evil smirk and leaned down to free another three flowers.
"When she comes to kick my ass, I'll point her in your direction as well." Christy took another step and liberated a few more flowers. Maybe she didn't need a dozen for each woman. Yeah, she didn't need to take as many as she originally thought. Christy didn't pretend to tell herself it was for any reason other than not liking the idea of facing Storm's wrath. Still, that one pretty blue flower would be perfect for Sophie. It would go with her hair. Just the one, or maybe two…
Christy was loving messing with Logan's perceptions of her, and picking flowers reminded her of a time before she grew up and life got complicated. When the biggest crime she could commit was stealing the neighbors flowers.
Jean stepped out of her office and glanced down the hall. She stopped dead in her tracks and started to smile as she watched Christy squatted down in front of Emma's office door while a flower laden Logan stood behind her. "I tell ya I can get that for ya." Logan muttered.
"You'll break it. I can figure this out. I saw someone do it once." Christy was pressing a finger into the lock, it was sharp and did go inside a little. "You just hold those flowers." Jean tilted her head just a bit and focused so she could unlock Emma's door for them. "Hey." Christy smiled, but it faded a bit when she turned and saw Jean. Jean just smirked at her.
"Breaking an entry. You are determined to break as many rules as possible today aren't you." She glanced at the flowers, it looked like over two dozen of them, "And are those Ororo's flowers?" Her voice rose just a bit and she tried not to laugh.
Christy didn't answer her, she just grabbed the four vases she'd set on the floor and stepped into the room. Jean leaned against the door as she watched Christy take the red flowers out of Logan's arms and put them in one vase. "Since you're here." Christy smiled at her and pulled a few yellow flowers out of the slowly shrinking pile in Logan's arms and put them in a vase. "These are for you."
"Well, thank you for giving me Ororo's flowers." Jean chuckled.
Christy's eyes became a bit more sincere, "Thank you." Her words took the humor out of the situation, as Jean realized what the thank you was for.
"Any time." She looked at the flowers and rearranged a few with her free hand. "I'll go put these on my desk. They are pretty."
"I picked the prettiest ones." The smirk on her face made it clear the seriousness was over.
"How did you talk Logan into this?" Jean smirked at him, enjoying talking about him like he wasn't there.
"I agreed to go fishing and I sparred. Thought it was time to remind him I was still a woman, before he suggested drinking beer and peeing out campfires." Christy chuckled at Logan's indignant face. "So." Christy faced Logan. "Let's drop the rest off in the med lab and then maybe I can paint your nails."
"I don't think so Darlin'." Logan pretended to growl, but Jean knew better. He didn't mind the flowers too much, not now that he knew Christy was doing it to tease him.
Jean smiled at them and pulled the office door closed behind her as she left last, before locking it with her mind. It was an interesting trick Christy was trying to do. Apparently she'd been learning about her powers. It would explain the fading clothes during the meeting earlier.
"You not gonna carry these flowers now?"
"No, I got the vases."
"But you could carry them in one hand."
"I like you with flowers. They make you look pretty." Jean chuckled when she heard Christy tell Logan that. Not many people would dare to.
Annie woke up to something, she wasn't sure what. As she opened her eyes she heard it again, glass being set on a table. A glance showed that Christy was there. "Christy." Annie's voice was rough from sleep.
Christy looked surprised to be caught. "Oh, I didn't mean to wake you." Annie glanced at the flowers that were now beside her bed. A small smile came to her lips as she realized that Christy had snuck in here to give those to her, even after Dr. McCoy had kicked her out.
Oh, yeah. Annie's smile faded as she remembered that. "Christy, why didn't you tell me?"
Christy stared at her a moment, "What would you have done if I told you they said no." Annie thought about it. She would have done it anyhow. She had a limit, she just felt she had a limit to how long she could help. Apparently her thoughts showed on her face because Christy nodded. "This way you didn't get in trouble. You were lied to. No one can blame you for that."
"So they'll blame you." Annie didn't like that. "Did you get in trouble?"
Christy gave her a small smile. "Not yet. The Professor does want to see me, but he's been busy." Christy's hand was warm as she reached out and moved some of Annie's hair out of her face. Annie was surprised at how motherly it felt. She wasn't sure she liked that feeling, having Christy acting like that with her was strange and the part of her that still loved the woman thought it was a bit creepy as well. "Don't worry. I'm not one of his students. There isn't really much he can do."
"Except not hire you." Annie saw Christy flinch just a bit at that and Annie felt guilty. Christy wanted to work here so bad. In the emails Christy was always talking about the work she was doing to try and get the job. Christy risked that so Annie could heal Sophie. "You could have just told me they said no and looked the other way."
"You were too weak to get across the room without hurting yourself." Annie didn't know what to say to that. Christy was right.
"It's not fair." Annie muttered without thinking.
"Life isn't fair." Christy said it more gently than that first time Annie had said that around her. "But it isn't like this place is the only place to work in the area, and maybe he won't be that petty. I'm gonna hope. Emma will help me if I need it."
Ms. Frost. There was another topic they hadn't discussed. Annie took a deep breath and glanced at the flowers. "Ms. Frost is… um…" God, how could she ask this? She'd written the question and erased it so many times. "You guys are close?"
"Annie." Christy's expression was concerned and nervous when Annie looked back at her. "Emma's my girlfriend."
Annie felt her heart breaking, even though she'd suspected. It wasn't like the whole school wasn't talking about it. She'd still hoped that Christy would say something like Emma was a friend and the rumors were crazy. "Don't you think that's a little fast?" Her voice was harsh as she snapped at Christy. "You barely know her."
Christy's mouth opened, obviously ready to deny that, but it closed again. Christy's voice was calm when she finally answered. "Doesn't matter." Annie felt so frustrated. How could Christy fall for a woman like Ms. Frost after barely knowing her, and not Annie? Annie did everything she could for the woman. Annie had loved her for months.
"Do you honestly love her?" Annie glared at Christy and when Christy looked hurt some of her anger faded.
"I do." Christy's vulnerable expression faded. "And I don't have to answer to you for it. You are my friend, not my mother, and not my lover. I'm sorry you're hurting, but you know I can't be… what you want. Find someone your own age. You are so worth loving, but I can't be the one to do it."
Annie felt her eyes fill with tears and wished that Christy would go away before she started to cry. "Fine. You go be happy with her, I need sleep." It was the closest she could get to being supportive. She wanted Christy happy, she had just wanted to be the one to make her happy.
"I…" Christy paused. Her voice was softer still, so loving it hurt. "Okay. I do care about you, and if you ever need me you know I'll be there."
"I know." Annie's voice cracked. She turned on the bed and waited to hear the door close before she started to cry.
Christy felt like she'd just lost a battle as she walked out of Annie's room. She could hear the crying but pretended she didn't. She couldn't be the one to comfort Annie right now.
Logan was still waiting for her, this time without flowers. They'd left a vase for Sophie on the table so the girl would get it when she came back. Christy didn't want to interrupt their family time.
"Thanks for your help." She gave Logan a weak smile. She wasn't really feeling up to visiting now. She hated hurting Annie, and she was worried she hadn't been sensitive enough when telling her, or that she should have waited. If she'd waited and somehow someone else told Annie about Emma, then it would have hurt the girl more. Sometimes there was no winning, just degrees of losing.
"Chuck called. He's ready." Logan told her gently and Christy glanced at him. It didn't escape her notice that he was sitting near the monitor for Annie's room. She also didn't miss that sympathetic look he gave her. She couldn't really complain about his spying when she'd been guilty of the same thing earlier.
Christy straightened up and pushed her concerns away. "Great. Well, I guess I better go." She started to walk towards the elevator. Logan went with her long enough to push the button so she could use it, and then let her go alone. "This'll be fun." Christy sarcastically muttered to herself as she waited for the main floor. She wondered if it was just going to be her and Xavier, or if this was going to be a circus.
The office door was closed, so she knocked. After a moment of silence he called her in. Christy glanced around the room and noticed it was just the two of them. "Christy, have a seat." His voice wasn't angry, he seemed calm. She kept her own expression under control and moved to sit. Christy felt a bit out of her element dealing with someone like the Professor. The only experience she could equate with this situation was when she was a hunting team leader and had to report to the tribe leaders after a poor hunt that some blamed her for. She decided to go with that scenario and sat stiffly while she waited for him to bring up the complaints. She'd defend herself afterwards if it seemed like it would do any good.
Christy waited in silence as he looked at her, just stared, with this expression on his face that said she was a troubling problem and he cared, wanted to help her. It was a new approach, but she just waited. "Christy, I realize that you may have felt you needed to take action. I'm sorry that I didn't realize you were thinking of Annie's wellbeing in that way. Jean told me about your conversation."
Christy just tilted her head a fraction. She wasn't thrilled that everyone shared information about her around here, but she knew it was likely. She wasn't going to blame Jean for it.
Charles was leaning forward just a fraction at his desk, obviously waiting for Christy to speak. She did. "I'm the one that brought them here, therefore I have more right than you. They are my kids, and if I had the power to enroll them, I have the power to unenroll them, and everything in between." She spoke slowly, clearly, and without anger. Anger clouded judgment and she suspected she'd need to be thinking clearly right now.
"I see." Charles looked a bit put off as he sat back in his chair. "Are you considering unenrolling them?"
Christy thought about the work she was doing at home, and how it wasn't done yet. She didn't really want to make the decisions for the kids, but she couldn't take them home now if they wanted it. Just a little longer and they'd have a choice again. "They'll finish off the semester, but then… it's up to them."
"Surely you see the value in the children understanding how to use their gifts."
Christy gave him a humorless smile. This is how he kept students here, and made them into warriors. "Not every mutant needs that type of control. My kids can make up their own minds. I can't see all of them in spandex, not even most of them."
"We aren't training them so that they can become part of the team." Charles started and Christy barely managed to not show her doubt on her face. "Mutants are feared and hated. The difference between survival and death is sometimes the ability to use one's powers to protect oneself, or the people one cares about." Christy knew he was right about that, but at what point did a person know enough to leave and lead a normal life? At what point were they so trained that a normal life wasn't possible anymore?
Christy couldn't have a normal life. Not as she was now. She'd been trained by life and if a battle broke out around her, she knew she couldn't just run and save herself. Scott couldn't, neither could Bobby. It was a question as to whether her kids could, but she wanted them too. She wanted them running away from the danger if they could and only fighting if they had to.
"There's a difference between learning self defense, and what you do." Christy spoke while staring him in the eyes. "You take kids and train them to be heroes. Yes the world needs heroes, but not every kid you see is one. It isn't a matter of whether their powers are good for combat or not, or good for being a handler," Her thoughts traveled to Shortpack, "It's a matter of what they want. You guide, you push, and eventually you brainwash if necessary to get your army, and you claim there is no war. That Magneto's idea of a war between humans and mutants is avoidable, so why are you stockpiling weapons?" Christy shook her head in disgust. "Are you running a school or a boot camp? At least the humans wait until their soldiers are adults before training them in war. They don't let fourteen year olds enroll, or was it thirteen. Kitty was pretty young. So was Jubilee."
The Professor seemed surprised for a moment and Christy felt a small measure of satisfaction at that. "This is a school. The situations with Kitty and Jubilee were unique…"
"Because they were useful?" Christy interrupted him. "Please it wasn't one mission. It wasn't accidentally being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Those children went into battles and you sent them there. Did they believe they owed you? You teach them about their powers and of course they have to pay by risking their lives? I read the enrollment papers, and it didn't mention that particular repayment plan." Her voice rose a little as she glared.
"You came to me. You brought your children to me so I could train them, so why are you now so suspicious?" The Professor spoke more quickly than when they'd started. "You knew all of this before, and you didn't think I'd use them then. What changed? Something Mystique tell you make you reconsider everything you knew about me, about this school? You obviously know a lot about us."
"I didn't know enough." Christy glared at him. "The man I read about wouldn't enslave another person like you did with her. You'll just keep sending her out until she gets kills, then find someone else. You won't even pick up her body will you?" Christy hated how that made her feel. The thought that Mystique would be left in a field to rot like Mark had been sickened her. Or she could be captured and no one would save her. "You're willing to do anything, and I thought you had limits. I'm not so sure anymore."
"Things with Mystique are complicated. Did she tell you I saved her life? She was about to be executed for her crimes, and she did deserve it, but I thought it would be more useful for her to use her skills to help instead." Charles' saved Mystique? Only to imprison her in this way. Christy was sure she was supposed to think he was a hero for that, but she couldn't. "I'm preventing the U.S. government from capturing and killing a known terrorist, one that has killed numerous people, tried to kill all humans, and killed my ex-wife." He seemed to slump and Christy struggled to remember when the Professor was married. She was drawing a blank. It must have been a while ago. "Moira MacTaggert was working on a cure for the Legacy virus… did you hear about that?"
"Yeah." Christy remembered that woman; she'd been in the comic. She seemed nice. That virus was mostly attacking mutants but Dr. MacTaggert caught it too.
"Mystique created a variation of it that killed humans, and because Moira was working on a cure, she attacked the facility. Moira died." Charles' voice was louder, more than a hint of anger at Mystique in it. "The fact that I saved THAT woman's life and am giving her a chance to work off the taint on her soul is enough, more than enough."
There was a time when those words would have stunned her. That the idea that a friend of hers had killed someone she knew of would have horrified her. She missed that time. "So the taint on my soul? Am I going to be forced to work it off how you want me to, or can I pick my own redemption?" He did honestly look surprised at her comment. At least there was a chance he hadn't thought about that yet. "I've might have killed more people that Mystique has, and I've killed innocent people too, probably more brutally." Painful honesty, gotta hate it, Christy thought to herself as she thought about Kevin. He was innocent and a kid. "War isn't personal Charles." His name felt foreign on her lips, but Emma called him that and it fit better for what she was saying. "but you've made it personal. No matter what she does, she'll never earn her freedom will she? You fully expect her death to end this obligation you created." Christy took a deep breath. "So since you can't threaten to turn me over to the government for your killing, how do you plan to enslave me? Will you threaten people I care about? My life? Don't you see what you've started? You've become the enemy, doing all the things that you fight against." When he didn't answer her she leaned forward and put her hand on his desk. "I don't know the details about Moira's death, and I'm sorry she's dead, I liked her. She seemed pretty cool." She stood up. "But I make my own choices, and I won't pay for my crimes the way you make Mystique… and if you get her killed… then you'll be killing someone I care about. Does that mean I'm allowed to take the same type of vengeance out on you that you did to her?"
"I wasn't planning of forcing you or your kids into anything." He spoke after a moment of silence. "And I won't. If you can't see how the world needs you, someone with your powers, I can't force you to see it. Just keep in mind that I've found a way to force Mystique to save lives, and she's good at it, but she'd never do it on her own."
"You'll never know, because you'll never give her the chance." Christy told him wearily.
"I want to start over with you Christy." Charles spoke soothingly. "Obviously there have been some misunderstandings, but I'm not your enemy. I do want the best for you and your children."
"Even if it doesn't include fighting for your dream?" Christy asked him, hoping he'd say yes. He wasn't a villain, she knew that, but he was dangerous. He was also going down a dangerous path, one Christy knew intimately.
"My dream is peaceful co-existence. Even the students that leave here to get regular jobs are working towards my dream. They don't all fight."
"Good." Christy would try again, but she was going to be watching him. If she didn't know him well enough to foresee how he'd treat Mystique, there would be other things she wouldn't have expected.
"She's not trustworthy." He spoke with a tone of confidentiality. "She'll betray you. She's a spy and she's used to pretending."
"Yes, she could betray me." Christy stopped at the door. "But you forget, I knew her before I met her. Have you ever read comic books?" His expression answered it. "Well, if you read a few consecutive ones you might understand better. Something like Batman or Superman in this world I guess. I haven't been in a store since I got here, but the kids recognize those people." She knew this threatened them. They didn't like what she might know, so she didn't flaunt it. "I saw her, knew her, before I met her and she isn't a monster. I watched her cry over Destiny's body. I saw her working to try and save Rogue behind the scenes. I saw her struggle with the fact that she may some day have to fight her own son in a battle. You wondered what sort of things I knew. Well, that is the sort of things."
"What do you know about me?" He asked after a stunned moment. "About my X-men?"
Christy gave him a small smile. "Plenty" She didn't elaborate. Whatever he was most worried she'd know would be forefront in his mind, and if he worried about her betraying him he might not betray her and piss her off. Trust was nice, but it was easier to do if you had a little power.
Charles sat at his desk trying to absorb the ramifications of that conversation. Scott's concern about how much Christy might know seemed a very valid point. He had been stunned to hear her arguments, stated as clearly as if she'd been living among them all this time. While Emma had assured them Christy wasn't a threat, Charles wasn't so sure now. The woman's loyalties were surprisingly complex, and her mannerism controlled and dangerous. Charles couldn't be sure, but she may have threatened him. With how she delivered the comment about Mystique's death he couldn't be sure if she was making a point or a promise.
He'd clearly made a mistake sending Mystique to Christy. He'd made a mistake assuming Christy would be eager for the life he was offering, for her part in protecting his dream. He'd lost his spy, he couldn't push that point now without alienating her further.
Still he didn't want to give up on her. Christy had potential. He'd have to go about this more slowly than he'd prefer, but he'd gain her trust again. After he had that he'd broach the topic of her place in this world and what she could do to help.
The soft knock on his door had him sitting up straighter. "Come in Scott." He could sense Scott and knew he'd been nearby out of some fear that Christy might become violent.
"How did it go?" He seemed to radiate curiousity and caution when it came to Christy.
"Fine." Scott looked puzzled at that answer, so Charles continued. "It's hardly like I can give her detention. She's a parent, and she exercised parental rights. I should have realized sooner that this wasn't a teacher student dynamic."
"But she can hardly make her own decisions like that if she wants to work here." Scott protested. "She needs to follow orders."
"If it weren't her child, she most likely would have." Charles sighed. "But if we had a teacher that was a mother or father to a student here, we wouldn't expect them to waive their parental rights. They'd still be able to do what any other parent could."
"She's not their mother."
"But we allowed her to enroll them, and it is her signature on all the paperwork." Charles' talk with Emma had enlightened him. "We can't say we accept her as their family for one purpose and not another." He looked at his first student. "This isn't about Annie is it?"
"How do we know we can trust her?" Scott sat down heavily in the chair Christy had so recently vacated. "We can't do a background check. All we have is Emma's word, and Emma's interest in Christy makes me wonder if she's being completely honest."
"You believe that Emma would hide something of Christy's past to make us accept her?" Charles didn't like the lack of trust among that team this reflected. "It hardly seems likely, since we heard some very unflattering things."
"And that's just it. How can someone that stooped so low, became such a monster, be someone we can trust now?"
"Everyone deserves a second chance." Charles spoke gently, "if they clearly express a desire to change, I'm willing to listen and help as much as I can." Christy's comments about Mystique ran through his mind, but he knew that woman didn't want a second chance, and her words couldn't be trusted. He was giving Mystique the best second chance that woman deserved. Maybe someday she'd see the error of her ways, and then he would have done the impossible by fixing her.
"Are you willing to hire her, have her around the students, when she could be…" Scott was searching for a polite way to say she could go insane again. Sadly Christy didn't have the excuse of insanity to hide from her crimes, but Scott couldn't accept any sane person would do those things.
"I don't know." Charles wasn't going to make a decision now. "Have you made arrangements to turn over the children." His stomach hurt just thinking about turning his students in to the police. It wasn't the decision he'd wanted to make.
"Yes, I managed to get in touch with the Avengers, and they agreed to take them in. They understand why we can't do that. We should be able to cover up the schools involvement." Charles sighed. Yes, they'd cover it up, but invading the children's minds to keep them from remembering how they got caught. They'd lie and claim they were caught attacking more humans, and the children would most likely get tried as adults. He'd failed them, and now he was tampering with their minds to protect the school from discovery.
Quentin had been such a promising student. They all had potential, but loosing Quentin's was a true crime.
Annie watched as Dr. McCoy moved about the room. "I know you are still weak, but you don't need the controlled environment that Sophie needed, and due to your intervention she doesn't require that any longer. So you can either stay in this room, which does offer some modicum of privacy or you could choose to utilize the medlab beds in the main room. You should be aware that I often forgo sleep in my efforts to research various important biological…" She sighed. He talked a lot, but he acted like he got money for using big words. "Sophie will be required to remain here for at least another day before I release her to her sisters care."
Annie felt a bit better about being here, knowing that Sophie was going to be okay. "You should also be released rather soon. I cannot stress enough that if you continue to…" And the lecture continued. Dr. McCoy didn't blame Annie for breaking the rules, but he did make it very clear that she shouldn't use her powers until he gave her clearance.
"Ah, and here is our wayward patient now." His words had Annie turning to see the doorway. Sophie was in a wheelchair, being pushed by Mrs. Summers.
"Hi." Sophie smiled at her and Annie took in the flawless skin with relief. "Annie." The one word held such a grateful tone. The redhead moved to push Sophie's chair beside Annie's bed.
Annie barely noticed the adults leaving the room. "Are you feeling alright?" She asked Sophie, hoping that she'd gotten enough healed.
"Yeah." Sophie moved her hand over Annie's. "Thank you. I heard what you did." When Sophie stood up Annie worried about her falling over, but she didn't seem that weak. Definitely not as weak as Annie felt. The soft kiss was a surprise and Annie's eyes widened in surprise. "You helped me, and you didn't even know if you'd get hurt doing it." Sophie spoke softly and smiled at her. She looked at the arms. "And you did get hurt doing it. You saved my life, not just my…" Sophie looked a bit scared at how close it came. Annie had been as well.
"I couldn't let you go." Annie smiled and tried to make it less serious. "Who else would take me to the mall?"
"My sisters and I are going to help you as you recover. We'll make sure you have whatever you need. Mother left money, which doesn't really mean much since Ms. Frost will make sure everything you need is paid for, but she just wanted you to know…" Sophie's words trailed off as Annie looked away. "Hey, are you okay?" Annie felt her eyes sting as she tried not to cry again. Ms. Frost, hero, beautiful, rich, smart… bitch… and showing off for Christy by taking care of Annie. Annie couldn't have handed the woman a better way to impress the woman.
"Nothing. I'm glad you're okay." Annie gave Sophie a weak smile, but the searching gaze her friend gave her showed she wasn't believable.
"You heard." Sophie's matter of fact tone made Annie wonder what she was talking about. "I saw them while on visiting Mother. I'm sorry. I know you loved her."
She felt stunned. She didn't know what to say. She'd never told anyone but Christy… but telepaths would know. Quentin surely knew, which was why he tormented her about it. "Its okay." She lied, to try and change the subject. It was too raw right now.
"Did you want me to see if my sisters can sneak some ice cream down here? On t.v. it seems to help." Sophie smiled at her and Annie didn't want to find it funny, but she found herself smiling back. It faded as she thought of the absurdity of ice cream helping heal this gaping hole in her heart. "That's it. I'm ordering ice cream. My sisters can get it past Dr. McCoy."
Mystique parked the car and went into the house before shifting from Christy's form to her true one. Brunch was… informative.
"Hey Blue, what took so long?" Shortpack asked as she got to the top of the stairs. He was still working on his computer. "Are you causing trouble, cause Christy seems nice and…"
"Relax, the men I did in the restroom won't recognize her." She gave him a wicked smile and watched his jaw drop. She had been with Christy's mother the entire time, listening to stories of the woman's childhood and anything else she could get out of the woman. Starting with the journals she was able to flesh out Christy's past with her mother's help.
"You didn't…" Shortpack sounded stunned.
"No, I didn't. Just some quality time with dear old mom." Mystique sighed as she past him on the way to the kitchen. She could use something stronger than juice.
She was leaning against the counter working on a wine cooler and thinking about what she'd learned when the phone rang. Shifting just her vocal cords she picked it up. "Hello." Christy's voice came from her lips.
"Hi." The same voice answered. "I'm sorry about how I left."
"It's no problem. Robbie can call into work tomorrow if you'd like for me to fill in at your work." Mystique smiled as she used her own voice. "Oh, and is she okay?" She asked politely. She wanted access to Christy's work.
"Annie's awake, a bit weak, but she should recover." Christy sighed. "You don't have to work if you don't want to. I wasn't really thinking clearly. I don't know how you could fake it when you don't even know where my office is."
"Oh you wound me." Mystique put a hand to her chest to illustrate her point even thought Christy couldn't see her. "Honey, I've walked into military bases like I knew my way around and I didn't even have someone I could call and ask. This should be a piece of cake. It'll be fun, I haven't pretended to be a teacher in a while."
"You're a good teacher." Christy tender sincerity wiped some of the teasing smile from Mystique's face. "I don't know how to make this up to you, but thanks."
"I have a few ideas." Mystique spoke seductively.
"I don't think my girlfriend will like that. Shame." Christy teased back. "Woulda been an interesting three minutes."
"Oh," Mystique grinned. "Below the belt. I assure you if we played it would take all night long."
"Good, I could use a good nights sleep. Make sure you don't wake me." Mystique had to chuckle. The woman was very good as sexual innuendo, but she turned them all into insults.
"So you're doing okay?"
"Yeah." Christy's voice softened. "I… Emma and I…" Mystique's eyebrow rose as she wondered if she was about to finally hear the confession about who the mystery lover was. "We were together."
"Well congratulations." Mystique teased, but wondered why this needed an announcement.
"I was just wondering… how do you keep a form during sex. I mean, how do you concentrate enough."
"You planning advanced shapeshifter sex? You aren't ready for that sugar." Mystique's smirked. "You need training. I can add that to the syllabus when you come back."
"I'm being serious here." Christy muttered a little irritated. Mystique didn't add that she'd been serious too. "My heart stops, and… what if she feels like she's making love to a corpse?"
"Are you just laying there?" Mystique asked, "Cause unless you just lie there, I'm pretty sure she knows you're alive."
"Well of course I move."
"Did she seem bothered by it?"
"Well, no…"
"So she likes your corpse like self. Don't worry." Mystique shifted her voice to Dr. Ruth's. "So as long as you both feel pleasure, there is no need to be concerned. Enjoy yourselves, and remember… sex is good, and if it isn't… you know my number." She shifted her voice back. "Seriously though, the only way to learn control is to practice. At least it'll be fun and your partner knows what you really are. No ugly surprises if you lose control." She remembered a few shocked faces when she shifted at the exact wrong time. It wasn't a pleasant feeling to see that revulsion on a lover's face. She didn't make those mistakes anymore.
"Thanks." A pause. "I should go. If you have trouble tomorrow, let me know. I'll email you my passwords and I'll find a number you can call."
"Alright." Mystique moved from her spot leaning on the counter. "You know when you're coming back?"
"Soon. Annie's going to be okay. I just have to… I'll be back soon." Christy didn't sound thrilled with that.
"Don't want to leave your lovergirl?"
"Yeah." Christy sighed. "It's just so new, and I hate being away."
"Even when it isn't new, it isn't easy to be away." She told Christy as she thought about all the time she could have had with Irene, years worth of time that she'd had to work instead. "You do what you have to do."
"I'm so sick of doing what I have to do." Christy grumbled. Mystique didn't bother commenting on that. Christy's voice softened. "But I'll be there to watch your back soon."
Mystique smiled at the woman thinking she needed the backup. This was so small potatoes; she could do this mission in her sleep. "K, see ya."
Once she hung up she thought about the conversation. It hadn't escaped her notice that Christy had cast her as the best girlfriend that one shared their relationship concerns with.