Chapter 19: Newbies

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Andie stood in the living room surrounded by the students who could not go with them on the trip. They had gone to Washington for two months to discuss mutant rights with the government leaders. When she first got asked to go she had thought she would only go to watch, but on the plane Mr. McCoy had asked her to actually speak. He said it was because she had an incredible talent for speaking and persuasion, but Max said it was because she had a great body.

She slapped him after that but laughed nonetheless.


Just then, Kurt pushed through the crowd. He threw his arms around her and they hugged. Andie felt close and safe, just like she did when Asher hugged her, tight and strong.


"Hey fuzz ball, I missed you," she said drawing back and giving him a warm smile.


"I missed you to," Kurt said. "A lot's happened since you've been gone."


"Really? Like what?" Andie asked.


"I got a girlfriend," Kurt replied grinning widely.


"Go fuzz-man!" Andie said punching him in the shoulder. "What's her power?"


"No power, she's vhat you might call of the human persuasion," Kurt said sheepishly in his strong German accent.


Andie narrowed her eyes looking at his fuzzy skin. "Then how do you kiss or touch or . . . anything?"


"You assume she doesn't know about me," Kurt said arching an eyebrow.


"That's awesome Kurt," Andie said. But then her face changed. "But now I have to be jealous. She's stealing you from me. You're not going to love me anymore!" Andie faked a sniffle and wiped away a nonexistent tear.


Kurt laughed and motioned to the new recruits. "Andie, these are the newbies."


"Well, don't be rude, Wagner - introduce me," Andie said removing a strand of hair from her face.


"This is Christina, Anthony, Zeke, and Andrew."


Andie went down the line shaking hands. Christina had long black hair, and when Andie shook her hand she smiled.

"Firm grip."

Andrew had brown hair and eyes that did not quite meet with hers. Andie squeezed his hand tightly and gave him a broad smile.

Zeke also had brown hair and beautiful green eyes that looked strangely familiar. The warmth in his hand made her tingle.

Then, she came to Anthony. He had platinum blond hair and deep blue eyes. The term "boy band" came to mind when she approached him. Give him a microphone and the picture would be complete. He towered a foot taller than Andie and she literally had to lean back to meet his eyes.

Anthony smiled in a way that did not quite rub her correctly. He smiled a smile that Asher, had he been there, would have knocked right off his face.


"What are you so happy about?" Andie asked: her hands perched on her hips.


"Nothing, just admiring the new view."


"I know Kurt is sexy, but it's still rude to stare," Andie shot back. She put an arm around Kurt.


Anthony's blue eyes turned to slits and Andie could see his jaw tighten. She had to admit though: she found him very attractive. Another Gambit, she sighed. "What a cute baby," Andie said, pointing to the bubbly blond angel in his arms.


"You like?" Anthony asked. "Take." He shoved the child into her arms and walked over to Jubilee. Andie could have sworn she heard thunder rumble.


Andie adjusted the baby on her hip and smiled at it. "Your big brother doesn't want you."


"Actually, it's Anthony's," Kurt said quietly.


"Okay . . . "


Max, Ryan, Hope and Bobby joined the group. From the moment Zeke laid eyes on Hope he could not take them off of her. She had him under a spell at first glance. But Kurt broke his trance and introduced them all. However, Zeke's gaze never left Hope.


"So Andie, any luck finding your brother?" Kurt asked.


Andie sighed, disappointed. "No, if a Daugherty doesn't want to be found he won't be found. I've gone to all sorts of companies that search and find missing loved ones, but nothing has turned up - period. The professor said that if I wanted to, he would use Cerebro."


"Are you?" Kurt asked.


"I haven't decided yet, I mean . . . maybe he doesn't want to be found. Maybe he doesn't want anything to do with me or my family."

It was the saddest any of them had ever seen her before. Her eyes met only the ground, and even the corners of her usual smiling mouth sagged. Had she not been standing in the middle of a crowd, Ryan guessed that she would have cried right then and there. But she shook herself, shrugging off the pain, holding her mask up again. She would not let them see her cry.