Not Myself
By Princess Alexandria
The door slammed open, startling Shortpack. His wide eyes moved to the door to see something that had his own heart stopping for just a moment, before adrenaline raced through his blood. "What happened?" He called out loudly as Mystique left the door wide opened and carried Christy up the stairs. Christy looked dead and she had something draped over what he could still tell was her naked body.
"She got in the crossfire of a mutant bar brawl." Mystique's eyes were dangerous looking as she recalled that to him. He wondered if she took the time to kill the men, and hoped that she hadn't. "Shortie, this isn't good. She hasn't moved once, and she's lost a lot of weight."
He just stared down at his feet, trying to come up with something. Christy's mutation put him at a loss. They needed more information. "I'm gonna make a phone call." The Professor had to have something that could help them. He'd hate to lose her. Christy was… she was his operative damn it! His responsibility.
"No… wait." Mystique pulled Christy tighter to her body as she stood at the top of the stairs. "Call Emma Frost instead."
He stared into her eyes. "But…"
"The precog said we'd need Christy's love, and while she cares for you I don't think you'll get her undying love, do you? When Irene talked like that it usually was a person. She always was such a romantic. The Professor isn't going to want to get the Xmen involved in this." Mystique explained hurriedly. Shortpack just stared for a moment. The Professor was a good man. He couldn't believe he'd stall even a second in trying to help, but then again it was one of his main instructions that Shortpack was never to get involved with the Xmen, that the spying and the Xmen and school stayed separate. "She needs Emma Frost and we're gonna need records, medical records, some clue why she barely weighs more than you."
"I'll find her number." Christy's lover deserved to know regardless. He'd just make that call first. "Why didn't you tell me there was a prophecy?" He didn't like not knowing about danger, not when it affected his operatives.
"Because it never does any good." Mystique's voice was bitter as she moved down the hall to her bedroom with her partner. "Not when she writes it like that." Shortpack stared silently after Mystique for a moment before shaking his head in confusion and moving back to his computer. He had to find a direct line to Ms. Frost. "Christy's phone?" He yelled out.
"Melted." Well there goes the easy way, he sighed.
Emma stared up at her ceiling with a grimace on her face as the cell phone rang again. Who would call at this hour? She rolled over so she could reach her nightstand and opened the phone. A glance showed Christy's home number. "Hello?" She smiled just a little, expecting Christy to tell her how her first mission was.
"Ms. Emma Frost?" A young man's voice wasn't what she expected to hear. "Is this…"
"Yes, yes…" She interrupted him, while she sat up and switched on the light.
"There was an accident." His tension was easy to hear.
"Well what is it?" Her bed sheets were tossed away as she waited for words that she knew would hurt. Everyone she loved died on her. "Is Christy okay?"
"She was hurt and we don't know how to treat her." He spoke, and then another voice in the background demanded the phone.
"Emma, Christy was burned. She looks fine, but she's in a coma and she barely weighs more than a puppy." Mystique's voice, it had to be. Emma put a hand to her lips to keep her pained whimper from escaping her lips. "You know how hard it is to tell…"
"Yes."
"Destiny sent me a letter." The other woman's voice softened. "I was hoping it would mean something to you. She said that we have to appeal to her love to lower her shields. She talked about fighting fire with water, and I did that, but I just don't understand the rest."
Emma took a deep breath and clenched her jaw as she let her mind run with the prophecy and ignored the fact that it came so many years after Mystique's lover's death. She didn't like giving Mystique even more information about Christy, but she'd heard from Christy how much of the real story that woman already knew. Christy trusted her, foolishly, but she did. "When Henry examined her we found her body was entirely made of water. It would be my guess that the heat evaporated her." And she had never once considered how being made of water like that would affect her lover. Never once considered the dangers of evaporation. "She needs to get that water back."
"So I should force feed her water?" Mystique sounded doubtful. "And what about these shields? What are they?"
Emma walked toward her closet. "Leave those to me. I'm flying in."
"Well you better fly fast before this girl turns into a cloud and floats away." Mystique's sarcasm was far from welcome.After she hung up Emma leaned her head against the door of her closet and let a single tear fall. "Hold on Christy. Don't let me be too late for someone I love again. Please. You've fought worse than this." She whispered before taking a deep breath and grabbing some clothes.
Mentally she reached out. I'm taking the Blackbird. She told Charles, knowing she was waking him up. Christy's down.
What? He sounded surprised after a moment for him to wake up. How did…
Her mental voice became colder. You sent a teacher out to play spy Charles. How should I know what happened? All I know is she was burned and I almost lost her. I'm just informing you that I have to go and try and save her. Any chance I can bring Henry? His reluctant silence made her want to scream at him, but she just cut the connection and left her rooms with a determined march. She'd get his records before taking off. Your spy games won't kill my lover Charles. She sent before hitting the elevator floor for the medlab.
I'm sorry to hear about this. I'll get the information immediately.
Don't bother Mystique. I have her trying to keep Christy alive by force feeding her water. She lost most of her body mass.
We don't know nearly enough about her. He pointed out the obvious. They didn't know enough medically, but hopefully what they did know would be enough. The plane is ready to go. I'll deal with Scott and come up with something. Charles offered. It was the least he could do, the very least in Emma's opinion.
"Well, lovergirl is on her way to visit you. You'll like that I bet." Mystique spoke to the woman on her bed, but her words trailed off. The fake cheer didn't fit her mood. "You're a fighter. You better not let that stupid drunk man's mistake kill you. It would be a pathetic meaningless death, and you deserve more."
She ignored the sound of Shortpack making another call and walked past him to get a glass. She took the time to hunt down a jug for water as well. If water was all that kept Christy alive, she'd do her best to get more into her partner.
Her partner. Mystique finally took a deep breath and tried to relax her battle ready body. They'd save Christy. Emma seemed to understand Irene's message.
"Scott, what is it?" Jean's voice filled the darkened room as he got up and moved to stare out the window.
"Someone's taking the plane." He watched it rise out of the basketball court's hidden hanger. His jaw clenched at this breach of protocol. He was team leader, and the Blackbird wasn't a car that people could just borrow.
Scott, I sent Emma on a mission. The Professor's mental voice interrupted his angry thoughts. Why would he send her alone? It's a personal one for her and she didn't want backup.
His jaw clenched as he heard that explanation. He really didn't like not being in the loop. It was bad enough that Logan went out on personal missions regularly, he didn't need Emma to start doing that.
"Emma took the Blackbird." He told Jean. Hopefully they wouldn't need it. The Professor must have a reason for letting Emma have it, but now they didn't have a plane or one of their team if something happened.
Annie was walking with the others down the hall to their first class when she noticed how many people were standing outside of it. One grinning boy walked past them and filled them in. "Class is cancelled."
"Cancelled?" Erik asked, but Annie moved past the crowd carefully and looked at the message herself. They didn't even have an assignment to fill the time. All it said was Ms. Frost was out today. Out? What does that mean?
She didn't even leave instructions.
"Well, I wish I'd known before I woke up. I could have slept in." Erik walked up to her muttering.
"You get to miss two classes today." Annie glanced at him, not really envying him. He had to be with that woman two hours each day as well normally.
"I think maybe," Phoebe moved up to her, her voice less hesitant than it used to be. "we could work on our project in the library?" Annie gave her a small smile of agreement. Her partner at least tried to work on this with her as much as possible. She'd lucked out. Quite a few students in the class were complaining about their partners and Ms. Frost was far from sympathetic even though this was their final project. She said they chose poorly if their partners weren't working and they could deal with their own poor planning.
"I could tag along and do my own work." Sophie moved up behind her and Annie felt the light touch on her shoulder as the sisters talked out loud for her benefit.
"Well, I'm going to see if they still have breakfast." Erik glanced at them before heading in that direction. He'd slept later than normal and skipped it.
"Shall we." Sophie smiled at Annie and the three of them moved through the hall. It felt like the sisters were protecting her and Annie just shook her head. One painful collision with a boy the other day and the Stepford's were back to running interference for her. You'd think Annie was the President or something.
With the time difference it was still rather early in the morning when Emma landed the Blackbird at the small airport near Christy's home. She quickly went through her post flight while scanning the area for the taxi she'd called to meet her here.
Once it drove up she was out the hatch and locking up. She didn't bother with polite talk, she just gave him Christy's address and sat staring out the window while they drove. She wasn't looking forward to what she'd find. The only conciliation she allowed herself now was that if Christy was really dead her body would most likely disappear altogether. It was only her powers that allowed her to live.
It wasn't that comforting to think of it that way.
"This isn't working." Mystique muttered in frustration as she set the glass down and gently mopped Christy's face. The woman just wouldn't swallow, and methods to try and make her barely worked. She'd been working on this for hours and while some water got in, it wasn't nearly what covered the bed.
The fact that some water on the bed didn't come from spillage worried her. Christy was losing cohesion. It was most likely not a good thing that the woman seemed to sweat out the water that kept her alive.
We have company. Shortpack sent her and Mystique moved to gently crawl out from behind Christy. After several tries she'd found laying behind the woman so that she could rest Christy's body against her own and hold her up while trying to pour water down her throat worked best. It was probably a bit too intimate a pose for Christy's lover to find them in right away, and Mystique didn't want to waste time tormenting the woman, well she did actually, but she didn't think Christy had that time.
The knock on the locked door came as Mystique made her way down the hall. With a sigh she shifted her outfit to be less wrinkled and moved to get the door.
The White Queen moved past her with barely a glance, but that partial glance made Mystique glare. "I've been thinking about this." Emma was moving up the stairs before even asking where Christy was. She obviously knew. "I have an idea."
Well wasn't that great, Mystique thought with a bit of sarcasm. The White Queen to the rescue, after Mystique had stayed up all night keeping Christy alive. The woman was almost losing water faster than Mystique could replace it.
Emma turned the water off in the bathtub once it was full. She hated that this was only a guess, but it was somewhere to start. "I know you're her lover and all, but is now the time to try and get her all wet?" Mystique spoke from the open doorway, her tone making it clear what she was insinuating. Emma ignored her and brushed past the spy with barely a glance as she moved to the side of the bed.
Emma could feel Christy here, but it was weak. That scared her more than the lack of breathing or heartbeat. Christy's few solid thoughts were confused bits that made less sense than a drunken dream. Pieces of memories, flashes of her life, were all Christy seemed to have. No awareness of now.
She reached out and lifted her lover, hating how light, how fragile, Christy felt in her arms. "You can't tell me that you can shake off the end of your world and die in a bar brawl. It isn't going to happen Christy." She walked past Mystique and could see the other woman's agreement in those yellow eyes. It would be nice to be able to read that one's mind, but Mystique didn't come with a backdoor like Christy did, or if she did it would take more time than Emma wanted to invest. Her voice rose a little as she made sure Shortpack was still busy finishing the original mission. He was still ignorant of what they had here. That Christy was the last of her world. "I do hope you did… something… with the man that did this to her." Her eyes narrowed as she imagined bloody retribution.
"I can if she wants, but at the time I had to get her out of there before I had to explain to paramedics how she wasn't really dead." Mystique's answer didn't please Emma, who was angry enough to kill him herself at that point.
There was no reason for her to be in the room, but Mystique leaned against the doorway and watched anyhow. Christy was naked and in the bathtub while Emma was squatted by it holding Christy's head up even though the woman didn't need to breath. Still it was understandable. The tender touches and caresses Emma gave Christy kept Mystique silent. She didn't want to ruin this scene for Christy. At least she could see the ice queen did care. Christy deserved someone that could show her affection like this. Mystique couldn't help but remember Irene at a moment like this.
Emma's eyes focused on Christy and the telepath didn't move as she pushed herself into Christy's mind. Mystique waited for something, some sign it was working.
The scream was a shock. Christy convulsed as she screamed, but it didn't sound like terror. It didn't sound like pain, and Mystique would have recognized that because Christy's pained scream earlier last night still haunted her.
"Hold it open." Emma was telling Christy, but the chance she had of being heard were slim. "Hold it… you need more…"
Emma struggled to hold Christy's shield open, to keep her in that memory of her world dying, which was cruel to do, but all she could think of. She hated feeling Christy's pain over that event. Emma distanced herself as much as she could so she wouldn't be caught up in Christy's reaction to her powers, but it was clearly working. Christy was writhing in the bathtub, even only partially conscious she reacted.
Emma's concentration almost failed her as she noticed the tub water suddenly disappearing like the drain had been pulled, but it hadn't been touched. It was working. Emma's heart started to beat faster as she fought to hold open her lover's power just a little longer.
Emma's head hurt, it felt like it was being pressed in a vice, but she held on, pushed on, until there was no more water being absorbed. Once the level of the water stopped moving she released her hold and swayed backwards, almost falling before regaining her balance.
"Emma." The sound was so welcome, even if Christy sounded lost, frightened. Emma leaned on the arm resting on the side of the bathtub and reached out her other hand to caress Christy's hair, and move it out of her eyes. Christy's eyes were once again glowing, but Emma watched that reaction to absorbing death energy fade until she was staring into Christy's deep blue eyes again. "Emma… what?"
You were hurt. Emma sent telepathically, along with a wave of soothing reassurance. Mystique called me. She'd give Christy the details later. Christy's thoughts were still confused and jumbled, but at least they were much stronger than they'd been before.
"You went on the five second diet plan." Mystique interrupted the gentle stare Emma and Christy had going on and Emma watched Christy's eyes move to look over Emma's head. "And let me say feeding you water like you were a baby didn't fulfill any fantasy of mine. Why couldn't you have had an uncontrollable need for sex? That would have been more fun to work with."
Emma turned to glare at the blue spy. Just before she managed to say something and put that woman in her place Christy's spoke. "And me without my pack of gum to pay for your services." Christy's voice was weak and the grin Mystique gave Christy in response looked a little too relieved. Emma stared at Mystique for a moment and realized that the spy really did care about Christy.
This is what happens when your lover lives with someone else for months, Emma thought with irritation. Christy and Mystique clearly had some bond.
"You look all wet." Mystique was still talking. Emma moved to stand up and help Christy, who was unsteadily trying to get up herself. Christy's clothing appeared, but it fluctuated and flickered for a while before solidifying.
"Hope you got a good look. That was as close as you'll be getting." Christy's answer to Mystique's leering comment made Emma smile. Love you. Christy's mental voice managed to reach into Emma's heart and convey all her appreciation for the save.
Sophie looked up from her book to the conversation going on at her table again. She watched her sister Phoebe smile shyly when Annie told her she'd had a great idea and was surprised at the way it made her feel to see that. Sophie felt almost tearful seeing her shy sister's pride, and the way she was less hesitant to give other suggestions for their project. Annie was being so good and patient with Phoebe. It never was that Phoebe wasn't as smart as the others, but she wasn't the strongest one. She tended to let Sophie or Esme tell her what to do or looked to them for some idea of what she should do.
Sophie had always felt like she had to protect Phoebe. Her other sisters, Esme especially, were more confident, and Sophie never understood why Phoebe was so different, but she was. Phoebe was more fragile.
When Annie started to concentrate on her book again Sophie wasn't too surprised to feel Phoebe's mental touch. Sophie? It was far more hesitant than Phoebe's conversation with Annie had been.
Yes? She didn't send more than that, but she wondered at Phoebe's reluctance.
Are… Phoebe's mental voice trailed off, as if she wasn't going to finish the question, but then Sophie felt a wave of determination along with a bit of fear from her sister right before the question continued. Are you planning to ask Annie out sometime… or could I?
Sophie slammed her shields up higher as she sat stunned, but pretended to not be while she stared at her book. Phoebe was actually considering asking Annie out? It was a sick feeling in her stomach that answered the question for herself before Phoebe got her reply. She didn't want her sister to. At the same time Sophie's mind filled with the soft smiles and shy glances Phoebe had shared with Annie, and how just a moment before she'd been so happy her sister was feeling better about herself.
Wanting to date Annie certainly spoke volumes about Phoebe's improved self image.
I know she's your friend first. Phoebe's mental voice sounded a bit panicked. I would never… If you think you might want to ask her I wouldn't. I'd never hurt you like that. And Phoebe wouldn't. She'd never been selfish or spiteful. She'd always been the one that sacrificed and it was never right, but Sophie LIKED Annie. Sophie had just been waiting for Annie to get over Christy then she'd planned to ask her out.
I'd walk away. Phoebe was still mentally babbling, and Sophie could practically feel her shy sister retreating back into herself again. She could feel all the confidence her sister had been building shrinking, and it hurt. This whole conversation shouldn't have happened. It wasn't at all what she'd wanted.
She seems to like you. Sophie finally sent back, while doing her best to shield her true emotions. If it were any one of her other sisters this wouldn't even be an issue, she'd have put her foot down. But this was Phoebe. It couldn't hurt to try. Sophie's hidden hand clenched tightly to the chair arm, knuckles going white, as she struggled to keep her inner pain out of the mental conversation.
Mystique started to pull the sheets of her bed. She'd thought of this problem and the towels that she'd laid under Christy had absorbed most of the water, so the mattress underneath was just a little damp.
She could hear soft murmurs from the bathroom as Emma helped Christy dry her hair. Those two sounded like a couple, one that was closer than she'd expected given the amount of time they knew each other.
Her private door to the bathroom opened and Mystique glanced up to see Christy standing there staring at her. Christy's hair was still damp and combed back. Her clothes the ones that Christy learned first, the ratty almost military looking pants and jacket, with a tshirt underneath.
"Queenie leaving you alone already?" Mystique could hear her own irritation at how that woman came in and took over as she asked that.
"She needed to make a phone call to the mansion." Christy looked a bit weak and she seemed to wobble a little when she tried to take a step into the room. Mystique dropped the sheets she'd been pulling off the bed onto the floor and moved to Christy's side. "Thank you." Christy spoke softly and Mystique stared into her partner's eyes. Christy really meant it.
"I couldn't let you get fried, who else could I harass?"
"No." Christy reached out a hand and Mystique found herself helping to hold Christy up as the woman pulled her into a hug. "Seriously, thank you."
Mystique took a deep breath and hugged her back. Her voice was soft and she felt exposed as she spoke. "I didn't do anything you wouldn't do for me." And that was it wasn't it. No matter how inconvenient the night had been, and how worried she'd been, she knew that Christy would do that and more for her.
Mystique had a real friend, and she hadn't had that since she lost Irene. "Love you Smurfette."
"You too oh wet one." She smiled when she felt Christy pull away a little in irritation. Her smile faded when she thought of something else she should say. "Sorry our night out didn't go as planned."
"I should never have let my guard down." Christy pulled out of the hug and Mystique grabbed the woman's arm to help steady her. It wasn't a good feeling to see Christy still recovering, and she hoped that a good sleep would finish what Emma started. "The mission?"
"Shortpack called a friend and had them deliver the goods. It's over. Now he's just listening to hear when the police issue the warrants for the others and the house."
"We did it." Christy smiled at her and Mystique gave her a small smile back. Yes, they did.
"Now you can call your rug rats and tell them they can come home if they want to." Mystique was no longer surprised that Christy was willing to go through all this for those kids. It was just how Christy was. If she cared about you she'd do everything she could for you.
"You need some sleep." Emma's voice filled the room. Mystique turned to see the blonde leaning against her bedroom doorway looking at Christy.
"Okay." Christy started to move and Mystique let go, hoping that Christy wouldn't topple over as soon as she did. Mystique shared a concerned look with Emma as Christy used the wall to help her move to the doorway, but Emma changed hers to a small encouraging smile before Christy looked up at her.
Christy had to put her hand out to steady herself against the wall and stop walking for a moment. She felt weak and a little ill.
"You need a little help?" Emma asked softly while moving to her side. "I can carry you."
"I'm not that bad off." Yet, Christy finished in her mind.
"Girl." Mystique's voice traveled out of the woman's room, where she was changing the sheets. "You have a lover willing to carry you downstairs, and she might even give you a little something when she gets you there. Take the damned offer." Mystique's voice became a pretend mutter that was still clearly heard. "I can't believe how dense she can be, even is she is water. I don't know how that woman ever gets Christy to spread those legs if she can't take a hint like that."
"Thank you," Christy yelled back, a bit embarrassed at the slight smirk her lover was giving her as they listened to Mystique's faux tirade. "for shutting up now!"
"Hey, does this power of yours mean you're always wet?" Mystique horrified Christy with that question and her eyes widened, worried about how Emma would take the normal teasing. Emma seemed a bit more ladylike, and Christy didn't joke around with her like that. The snap of a sheet made it clear Mystique didn't even have to pause in her work to embarrass her.
"I've never found her to be anything but." Emma's wicked smile as she answered for Christy was sexy as hell. "However if you deem fit to check on that, I will find a way to give you a nice new sexual hangup, insuring you never achieve orgasm again without hearing the melodious sounds of pigs snorting and squealing."
"Interesting threats." Christy tilted her head just a little and stared into those pale blue eyes. "You ever do that to anyone?"
"Yes I did." Emma winked and then moved to sweep Christy off her feet. "And now to get you downstairs and in bed without watching you fall down the stairs."
"Keep your squealing like a pig down, I need some sleep if I'm going to go to your work and give the kids another assignment about porn." Mystique called after them and Christy heard Mystique's bedroom door close.
Christy finally gave up and put her arms around Emma's neck to steady herself as Emma actually carried her down the hall. "She's evil." She mock glared back where they'd come from. Mystique had really come through for her last night, and she was going to cover for her today.
"Yes, terrorists can be." Emma sounded unconcerned, so maybe it was okay that Mystique wasn't holding back on the teasing and sexuality. "I think you need some sleep, so we won't be squealing soon."
"You're evil too."
Emma rolled onto her side and stared at Christy, who seemed to be sleeping just fine. The woman almost died and she fell asleep as if it were a normal day. That was actually an advanced skill in their business, and Emma wasn't feeling all that ready for sleep herself.
She took the opportunity to look at Christy and make sure she didn't see any water leaking out. Christy seemed to be holding it together, even though she'd been pretty weak when they went to bed. Emma rolled back onto her back and stared at a ceiling that was much closer to the bed than her own had been. The bedroom was much smaller as well. It all served to make her feel a bit uncomfortable in the room.
She'd obviously slept all she could. Emma rolled out of bed quietly and moved out of the room. She kept her mental connection to Christy light, but strong, so that she'd know immediately if anything went wrong.
Emma slipped back into the clothes she'd worn here, since she couldn't find a thing in Christy's closet to borrow. Somehow even though Christy told her that Mystique had taken all her clothes away, Emma expected to find at something in there. She closed the bedroom door quietly behind her and went upstairs.
The place was very quiet, making her think she was the only one awake. Emma started some coffee, which must have been Mystique's because Christy didn't drink that. In a half hour she was sitting on the couch watching CNN very quietly while sipping at her coffee.
"You're the one that got the box aren't you?" The voice startled Emma, something rarely done, but she didn't let that show. She glanced up to see Mystique at the entry to the living room. "Shorty's still asleep." Mystique added when Emma didn't answer.
"Yes, and if it proves to be a mistake, I'll be the one to destroy it as well." Emma stared into Mystique's yellow eyes, her threat making her voice cold and stern.
"Christy promised me that I wouldn't owe her." Mystique stared still unblinking at her. "That this didn't come with conditions, that's the only reason I agreed."
"Of course. What self respecting murdering terrorist wouldn't like a get out of jail free card?"
"If we don't fight for our rights, no one will give them to us." Mystique started a tired tirade and Emma waved her off.
"Spare me the recruitment speech."
"I heard you were in Genosha when it was attacked." Mystique's words were thrown like an accusation. "I don't see how you can be so blind. The peaceful co-existence crap is pure garbage. Humans want us dead." Emma heard in her mind the shattering glass and saw her students cut down by it, but she didn't let her pain show.
"Shouldn't you be getting ready for work? I was under the impression Christy started earlier than this." She wasn't going to get into a debate about mutant rights with the spy, especially when she couldn't in all honesty disagree, not after Genosha. Charles may have the school to try and teach co-existence, but Emma taught there to give the students what they needed to survive in a world that would never love them.
"Christy," Mystique pointed to herself and shifted into a familiar brunette that had Emma's love. "Called in and told them she'd be in for classes and that's it. I had to cover for her during her trip to New York and I hate her job. I'll just take care of what she's worried about and give out the assignments."
"She loves it." Emma let her mind caress the real Christy's in her sleep.
"I know." Mystique shifted back to her true form. "Charlie won't like it." Emma found her head tilting just a little as she stared at Mystique, understanding what Mystique wasn't saying.
"Charles won't be forcing Christy to do anything. I have talked to him about her new position at the school, and I believe he will hire her once he sees how she is with the students."
"I hope your right, because this life would destroy her." So few words, but it made it clear. No matter what crimes this woman was guilty of, and no matter how much she'd most likely enjoy having Christy around, she cared about Christy's happiness.
"I know." Emma relaxed into the couch and her voice lost some of its coldness.
"I'm still going to train her."
"She told me." Emma found herself waiting while Mystique went to pour herself some of the coffee.
"She's old for a new metamorph." Mystique sat down and Emma sat up a little, realizing that they were going to be talking about Christy's training, something Emma took very seriously. "It isn't easy for her to pick up forms, and we haven't even tried voices yet."
"Any suggestions?"
"She needs to understand anatomy. If she does ever become a spy she needs to learn other languages. She needs skills in picking locks. The list could go on forever, and take forever for her to learn. I'm always in school, always picking up new skills and forms. My powers aren't like a telepath, where you figure out how to get in and how to get stuff out of someone's head, I need to know more." Mystique made her jab less than subtly. Emma decided to ignore the blue woman's jab and didn't enlighten her about how much a telepath really needed to know. "I have an idea."
"Christy," Shortpack's voice was a little hesitant so Christy stopped smiling gently at her lover and looked over at him. "The Professor has me and Mystique out on a flight tonight."
"But we just finished last night." Christy protested. She'd thought they'd get a little break.
"I know." He spoke gently. "We'll keep in touch. I'm sure even Mystique will."
Christy sighed. She knew this was how they worked. She hated it, but she'd known. "Okay."
"You know…" Shortpack spoke with a gentle quality to his voice. "I would have loved to have you as my operative, even with…" He glanced at Emma and went quiet.
Christy grinned. "Even when I flirt constantly over the comm?"
He gave her a small grin. "Yeah, even then."
"I'll stick around another day to make sure you're okay." Emma took her hand. "You seem okay, but I'd hate to be wrong."
"You just want to play doctor." Christy spoke, then realized that she was talking like Emma was Mystique. She'd been talking to women like that for almost two months. "Not that I'd mind if you did."
"I don't know what it is with you spies, but the James Bond stereotype is seeming like the truth." Shortpack shook his head and moved back to his computer. "At least you took it better than Mystique will. I'm sure I'll hear some yelling when she gets home."