Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men. Ilehana Xavier belongs to Corrinth. All
other characters belong to me.
A/N: Thank you to all my reviewers out there; you really are all stars.
Scene 03
"The test schedule is complete?"
"Yes Ma'am." The shadowy man nodded as he spoke, wondering whom exactly it was he was speaking to. Even via the wonders of videophone, he couldn't make out the features of the woman at the other end of the line.
"Any problems I should know about?" She asked, her voice mature and dignified, her accent English.
"None." He confirmed gladly, hiding his sweaty hands beneath the table. This was not a woman to be crossed, even more so than he was not a man to be interfered with.
"Very well, proceed as planned." The voice answered cold as frost. "Begin the demonstration, and contact the potential buyers. I will expect an update in two days."
The link went dead, his screen flashing back to his bland desktop. Sighing, relieved, he closed the laptop up and looked out of the private jet's window. A new day, a new beginning, and one without mutants was just over the horizon...
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A soft summer's night surrounded the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters. The sky above was violet, decorated with bright twinkling stars like diamonds. It echoed expansively over the fresh-smelling breeze, laden sweet with golden pollen and honey from the many-blooming plants. The trees whispered softly amongst themselves, the grass grew rich and full underfoot. It was one of those nights when everything was right with the world. Even the insects in the foliage were chirping in a self-satisfied way. And, on the sloping roof of the gazebo, in front of the small, circular lawn hidden from the mansion itself by a protective circle of tall ageless trees, a young woman lay alone.
"What the hell you doin' up there, Chere?"
"Nothing." She breathed, softer than the night, more relaxed than the gentle breeze. "And it's wonderful. Come on up."
Gambit accepted Blaze's hand easily, hoping that the gazebo roof would hold both of them. A foot on the railing and then he was sat besides his friend, not quite touching but close enough to feel her own body heat.
"You bin hangin' about with Ilehana too much." Gambit grumbled. "You turnin' into a nature girl or somethin'?"
"I could do nature girl." Blaze offered hopefully.
"Non." Gambit grinned at her amicably. "You a city girl through an' through. Don't go changin' Petite."
"Okay." Blaze agreed easily, just happy to have her friend sat with her. She'd come so close to losing him, to dismissing him, even hating him so recently. She didn't want that to happen. "But it is impressive, isn't it?"
"What?"
"Nature. No, don't laugh Rem! I'm serious, look at that!" She waved her hand around vaguely in the direction of the sky. "Out here everything's so quiet. No noisy teenagers, lesson planning, or marking. No X-Men, no missions. Just little me and a huge great big sky..."
"Sound like the elf bin getting' to you too, little one." He moaned, referring to the spiritual Nightcrawler. "Besides, this whole t'ing needs beer..."
"Can't help you there." Blaze consoled him, being pretty much teetotal herself. "But there's some sodas and snacks in the bag behind you."
"You plannin' on stayin' out here all night Chere?" Gambit wondered aloud, marvelling at her wealth of supplies.
"Maybe. I hadn't decided. Its warm enough." Blaze's reply was stilted, and Gambit was forced to wonder how many nights she'd spent out here all ready? All those since she'd moved back into her own room once it was put back together after she'd trashed it? He shuddered, how much was Blaze trying to bear alone right now? Couldn't she trust him? Well, he'd never know if he didn't ask.
"You done dis before." He stated it as a fact, knowing she wouldn't argue if he were right. "You not spent a single night in your room since that night."
"No." An agreement, with no argument; Blaze was too ashamed to argue. With a sigh of sorrow and pain she brushed her long red curls back from her forehead. Her long eyelashes were suddenly coated in moisture she hoped he wouldn't notice, but already knew he had.
"Laura..." Remy didn't really know what to say, his red-on-black eyes narrowing in concern as she avoided his grasp on her shoulder. Sighing he abandoned the topic, feeling if he didn't he'd be walking on broken glass. She'd talk when she was good and ready. "I'se hear Bobby plannin' a big night out. Even Havoc's comin' down, for that an' to see his brother. You wanna go along? Might even be fun, non?"
"Sure." Blaze answered, not really listening. "I'm sorry Rem..." She muttered, finally meeting his eyes and wincing inside under his powerful gaze.
"Don't do this to me Laura." He whispered, pulling her close and wrapping strong arms around her. "Don't push me away, okay? We bin through too much."
"I'm so sorry..." She muttered, hiding her tearful face in the shoulder of her best friend. Gently he kissed her so-soft hair, and then held her, letting her sob her fear out as the elegant night whirled on around them.
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Day 02, Tuesday.........
"I'm sorry sir," The check-in woman was obviously not sorry, with her face plastered in make-up and her too-tight suit bulging across her stomach. "Your carry-on luggage is too large for the overhead compartments, so you're going to have to check it into the hold."
"But you already told me," Hank McCoy argued patiently, "That I'm on my luggage limit for the flight. Will there be a supplement for checking this bag in with you on top of that?"
"I'm afraid so." The woman's smile was forced.
"Can you tell me how much exactly?" Still patient, though breathing deeply. The beast stalked just behind his consciousness.
"I'll just have to work that out." That same forced smile, that 'how ignorant can one guy get' smug glance to her colleague at the next desk, and Hank was ready to roar at them that he was not ignorant, he'd just not been on vacation in a long while!
Another long while later and he was finally in the boarding queue, paperwork on hand, for the flight. Almost as soon as he'd negotiated the frantic queue and militia-like guards and found his place, a young child perched on his mother's knee had started to kick the back of Hank's too small seat. This was going to be a very long flight. And when the woman next to him asked him if she'd seen him on TV, maybe Jerry Springer, he thought he might just tear the place apart.
A/N: Thank you to all my reviewers out there; you really are all stars.
Scene 03
"The test schedule is complete?"
"Yes Ma'am." The shadowy man nodded as he spoke, wondering whom exactly it was he was speaking to. Even via the wonders of videophone, he couldn't make out the features of the woman at the other end of the line.
"Any problems I should know about?" She asked, her voice mature and dignified, her accent English.
"None." He confirmed gladly, hiding his sweaty hands beneath the table. This was not a woman to be crossed, even more so than he was not a man to be interfered with.
"Very well, proceed as planned." The voice answered cold as frost. "Begin the demonstration, and contact the potential buyers. I will expect an update in two days."
The link went dead, his screen flashing back to his bland desktop. Sighing, relieved, he closed the laptop up and looked out of the private jet's window. A new day, a new beginning, and one without mutants was just over the horizon...
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
A soft summer's night surrounded the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters. The sky above was violet, decorated with bright twinkling stars like diamonds. It echoed expansively over the fresh-smelling breeze, laden sweet with golden pollen and honey from the many-blooming plants. The trees whispered softly amongst themselves, the grass grew rich and full underfoot. It was one of those nights when everything was right with the world. Even the insects in the foliage were chirping in a self-satisfied way. And, on the sloping roof of the gazebo, in front of the small, circular lawn hidden from the mansion itself by a protective circle of tall ageless trees, a young woman lay alone.
"What the hell you doin' up there, Chere?"
"Nothing." She breathed, softer than the night, more relaxed than the gentle breeze. "And it's wonderful. Come on up."
Gambit accepted Blaze's hand easily, hoping that the gazebo roof would hold both of them. A foot on the railing and then he was sat besides his friend, not quite touching but close enough to feel her own body heat.
"You bin hangin' about with Ilehana too much." Gambit grumbled. "You turnin' into a nature girl or somethin'?"
"I could do nature girl." Blaze offered hopefully.
"Non." Gambit grinned at her amicably. "You a city girl through an' through. Don't go changin' Petite."
"Okay." Blaze agreed easily, just happy to have her friend sat with her. She'd come so close to losing him, to dismissing him, even hating him so recently. She didn't want that to happen. "But it is impressive, isn't it?"
"What?"
"Nature. No, don't laugh Rem! I'm serious, look at that!" She waved her hand around vaguely in the direction of the sky. "Out here everything's so quiet. No noisy teenagers, lesson planning, or marking. No X-Men, no missions. Just little me and a huge great big sky..."
"Sound like the elf bin getting' to you too, little one." He moaned, referring to the spiritual Nightcrawler. "Besides, this whole t'ing needs beer..."
"Can't help you there." Blaze consoled him, being pretty much teetotal herself. "But there's some sodas and snacks in the bag behind you."
"You plannin' on stayin' out here all night Chere?" Gambit wondered aloud, marvelling at her wealth of supplies.
"Maybe. I hadn't decided. Its warm enough." Blaze's reply was stilted, and Gambit was forced to wonder how many nights she'd spent out here all ready? All those since she'd moved back into her own room once it was put back together after she'd trashed it? He shuddered, how much was Blaze trying to bear alone right now? Couldn't she trust him? Well, he'd never know if he didn't ask.
"You done dis before." He stated it as a fact, knowing she wouldn't argue if he were right. "You not spent a single night in your room since that night."
"No." An agreement, with no argument; Blaze was too ashamed to argue. With a sigh of sorrow and pain she brushed her long red curls back from her forehead. Her long eyelashes were suddenly coated in moisture she hoped he wouldn't notice, but already knew he had.
"Laura..." Remy didn't really know what to say, his red-on-black eyes narrowing in concern as she avoided his grasp on her shoulder. Sighing he abandoned the topic, feeling if he didn't he'd be walking on broken glass. She'd talk when she was good and ready. "I'se hear Bobby plannin' a big night out. Even Havoc's comin' down, for that an' to see his brother. You wanna go along? Might even be fun, non?"
"Sure." Blaze answered, not really listening. "I'm sorry Rem..." She muttered, finally meeting his eyes and wincing inside under his powerful gaze.
"Don't do this to me Laura." He whispered, pulling her close and wrapping strong arms around her. "Don't push me away, okay? We bin through too much."
"I'm so sorry..." She muttered, hiding her tearful face in the shoulder of her best friend. Gently he kissed her so-soft hair, and then held her, letting her sob her fear out as the elegant night whirled on around them.
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Day 02, Tuesday.........
"I'm sorry sir," The check-in woman was obviously not sorry, with her face plastered in make-up and her too-tight suit bulging across her stomach. "Your carry-on luggage is too large for the overhead compartments, so you're going to have to check it into the hold."
"But you already told me," Hank McCoy argued patiently, "That I'm on my luggage limit for the flight. Will there be a supplement for checking this bag in with you on top of that?"
"I'm afraid so." The woman's smile was forced.
"Can you tell me how much exactly?" Still patient, though breathing deeply. The beast stalked just behind his consciousness.
"I'll just have to work that out." That same forced smile, that 'how ignorant can one guy get' smug glance to her colleague at the next desk, and Hank was ready to roar at them that he was not ignorant, he'd just not been on vacation in a long while!
Another long while later and he was finally in the boarding queue, paperwork on hand, for the flight. Almost as soon as he'd negotiated the frantic queue and militia-like guards and found his place, a young child perched on his mother's knee had started to kick the back of Hank's too small seat. This was going to be a very long flight. And when the woman next to him asked him if she'd seen him on TV, maybe Jerry Springer, he thought he might just tear the place apart.