Sych: Thanks, glad you like the title! Yeah, first person is relatively new to me, I don't write in it often. But the rest of my story is in my traditional third person! Hope you like what's to come!

Galadeidre: Hello! I'm glad you liked it, and it really was my first try! Here is the update!

Note: the mansion DOES have stables and horses. As shown in X1!

(By the way, the story currently stands just before X1)

Chapter 2

There was a dull mist that hung low over the lawns of Xavier's grounds that morning. It nestled silently over the tops of dew tipped flowers, and spiralled slowly over the shallow ponds. A small side door around the back of the mansion was opened quietly, and a figure stepped out into the dim light. The sun had only just peeked out above the horizon and the earth before it still held a grey tone. The whole ground looked generally colourless and faded, the curtains of fog blurring the visions for miles. The autumn air was sharp and bitter; it stung at the throat of Francessa as she hurried on down the path behind the mansion. She clutched her arms to herself, pulling her coat over her maid uniform.

Her breath exhaled shaky mists of condensation as she gasped in the cold air, shivering beneath her black coat. She proceeded to hurry away from the dark wooden door; footsteps light as she gracefully ran across the gravel, crunching loudly as she passed across the surface. Around the back of the mansion were Xavier's stables. Francessa gently trod over the spillage of straw over the gravel as she came upon the small archway of the entrance. The straw continued over the gritty stone floor, scattered idly. She gently walked deeper inside, her shoes making a dull thud as they hit the stone. Horses within snorted and tossed their heads at the new entry, turning their eyes upon her and scrutinising with interest. As Francessa passed, she smiled faintly, looking at all the horses with an admirable glint in her eyes. She often came in here to visit the horses, she was finding herself becoming a fan of them.

"Stanley?" she called through the dim stables. She quietly turned into a small square portion of the stables where crates and boxes sat and various horse riding equipment.

She heard a shuffle of noise sound before she saw Stanley walk out from behind the stonewall divider that hid the stable entry to the mansion from view. He was a small man, but slim. His body definition was moulded by his profession as a stable boy, and the pale cream shirt he wore revealed portions of his upper chest from the unbuttoned neck, The man turned his head to Francessa as he came around the wall. He gave her a friendly grin, a hand rising and lifting his brown cap off his head as he ran a hair through he short blonde hair before replacing the cap and greeting his visitor, "Mornin' Frankie." He pulled his dirty black trousers up a little before rolling up the sleeves of his shirt, "Only jus' started working."

Francessa was called Frankie the majority of the time. Only Charles, the teaching staff, and Mrs. Chadwick referred to her by the full 'Francessa.' It was probably to remain formal and not too chatty. Though Charles was more likely to do it just to be polite. "I don't start for another ten minutes," informed Frankie as she idly looked down at her watch.

"Lucky," grunted Stanley as he heaved a bale off hay from the floor, "So, why are you in here?" he proceeded to walk through the stables and entered one of the horse's pen.

Frankie let out a faint sigh as she leant back upon one rectangular pole supporting the wooden roof; it went right into filled floor securely. She leant upon it, idly bridling her back as she studied her clean nails, "Just came to say hello.."

Stanley came back out of the horse's stable and peered over to her. He readjusted his cap with a grunt before folding his tanned arms over his chest, "You've not actually said 'hello' yet," he replied with a wily smirk. Unlike the majority of the staff at Xavier's School, Stanley was American; Mr. Patterson employed him about a good few months before Frankie arrived.

Frankie gave Stanley a mischievous smirk in response, whilst there was a suddenly air of coyness over her, "Fine," she said dramatically with a heavy sigh. She looked pointedly at him, tossing her head of glossed fiery hair whilst fingertips still twirled atop her long nails, "Hello."

"That's better," decided Stanley with a smile as he turned away to pick a grooming brush off the shelf and he proceeded to the nearest stable where a honey coloured mare stood blinking peacefully at the conversing humans. Stanley clicked his tongue affectionately as he opened the door off the stable and entered in with the mare, "Good mornin' sugar," he greeted to the horse, rubbing a large but gentle hand down the front of the horse's snout, "How are you this mornin', eh?" he proceeded to brush along the horse's mane, all the while watching her fondly.

Frankie rolled her eyes lightly as she studied the nail on one of her index fingers, "Wow, you have a better conversation with the horses than you do me."

Stanley didn't reply, but Frankie saw an amused grin take his lips out of the corner of her eye. He blissfully continued to run the brush down across the horse's large shiny coat, grooming it to a full gloss.

Just then, a creaking door sounded, followed by footsteps placed hardly upon stone slabs. Frankie was just about to say something before she spun her eyes upon the stone divider and saw a figure walk in from the mansion and into the stables. The click of shoes to stone changed to the hollow thrum of wooden floorboards. One of the teachers, Scott Summers, had entered the stables, coming around the corner with a mild brush of his hands across the front of his relatively smart teacher wear. At his approach, Frankie sharply straightened off the wooden column, removed the lazy-eyed morning look upon her face and stood neatly by the cobwebbed column which had recently been a replacement bed for the time being for her to rest, "Good morning Mr. Summers," she greeted politely.

Scott swivelled his eyes around the stables, flashing his gaze upon Frankie through his glasses before giving her a gentle smile and nodding, "Good morning, Francessa."

"How are you this morning, Mr Summers?" continued Frankie, her face seeming to keep the sly smile as she studied Scott with the same feminine coyness.

"I'm fine, thank you," replied Scott, still giving the woman a friendly grin, "Yourself?"

Frankie bowed her head gently, "I'm well too, Mr. Summers."

Scott nodded his head once, giving her a smile, "Good," he replied gently. His eyes then trailed upon Stanley who had remained silent as he groomed one of the horses, not interrupting the conversation. "Good morning Stanley," he greeted to the other man.

At the greeted, Stanley peered around the head of the horse and gave Scott a thumbs up, "Mornin' Mr. Summers! How can I help you?"

Frankie obediently moved back a few steps as Scott walked by, and he proceeded towards Stanley, "Er, it's not for me, it's St – Ororo." He looked a little put off for a moment by the slip of his tongue. That was one of the rules here; never use the X-Men or student's codenames in front of the human staff.

"Yeah?" asked Stanley, idly stroking the neck of the horse he was stood beside. He didn't seem to notice the correction Scott made.

"Well, she's busy sorting out her lesson notes, so sent me down instead," Scott gave them both an idle grin before he continued, "She just wanted me to ask if she could have Bella ready for 10am?"

"She's riding a little earlier today, Mr. Summers." Stanley commented quietly as he looked to the horse he was stood beside, "No problem, sir, she will be ready for Miss. Munroe."

At this, Scott made a grin, nodded his head in thanks before he turned to walk back into the mansion, on passing Frankie, he gave her a wave before disappearing behind the wall. Footsteps sounded, before the door clunked shut.

"Stopped drooling yet?" asked Stanley calmly as he swept the brush down along the spine of the horse.

Frankie sharply snapped her eyes off the wall Scott had just disappeared around and latched them displeasingly on Stanley, "Is that directed to me or the horse?" she asked in a bitter tone.

"You," said Stanley simply, "You never stopped gawking at Mr Summers when he was in here."

"I'm only looking!" replied Frankie defensively, folding her arms over her chest.

Stanley sounded a wry laugh, but he had disappeared into the stable and Frankie could only hear his voice echo from behind the horse, "As long as that's all you're doin'."

"It's a shame really," admitted Frankie with a sigh, unfolding her arms and placing them on her hips, "I just want to go up to him and grab that tight little – "

"Er," quickly interrupted Stanley, as he came back into view, peering at Frankie over the top of the horse's back, "You don't want to let Mrs. Chadwick hear you sayin' things like that."

Frankie let out a pretend huff as she span from the stables, shoes clicking upon the floor as she haughtily exited, "Mrs. Chadwick has never yet explored the advantages of staff and superior relations." She quickly turned to exit the stables and back into the bitter morning air, only returning into view to look back at Stanley and bid him farewell with an immature jut of her tongue before she let out a laugh and disappeared once more.

Only one word uttered from Stanley's lips into the cold autumn air as the maid exited, "Mad.."

Yay, back in third person. More comfy, lol. Please review,I know these chapters are only introducing people, but I still hope they are interesting!