Chapter 2: The Grand Tour
Mackenzie walked along the slate path until she made her way to the front door of the mansion. Mackenzie had been told, before she had even arrived, that she would be able to access the grounds of the Xavier Estate and Mansion. Feeling a little uneasy on the front porch of the strange new place, Mackenzie opened the front door and slid inside.
"Um…Hello?" Mackenzie called out. Her voice echoed off of the walls. The entry way was huge. The mansion seemed rather empty. "Hello?" Mackenzie took in the room around her and moved closer to the stairs. "Kurt?"
Sounds of feet running came from somewhere on the first floor. Mackenzie moved to look at the hall that ran behind the stairs, but saw no one. The footsteps stopped behind her. Mackenzie turned around with a small gasp finding a group of four young teenagers.
"Who are you?" The red headed boy asked.
"Are you supposed to be here?" Twin girls asked in unison. Mackenzie smiled.
"I'm looking for Kurt" Mackenzie said. She held out her hand. "My name is Mackenzie. I'm Sean Cassidy's new assistant and translator."
The red headed boy shook her hand. "My name is Kyle. This is Ida and Viola." He put his arm over a smaller boy with green hair. "And, this is my bud, Stanley."
"Pleased to meet you four" Mackenzie said. "Have you guys seen Kurt around here? He was supposed to give me a tour of the facilities."
"No problem. We can do that" Kyle said.
"The kitchen" Ida and Viola said. Kyle ran towards the kitchen, becoming a streak of colors until he stopped at the doorway. Stanley and the twins hurried to keep up with their friend and Mackenzie followed.
The four teenagers showed her everything in the kitchen, and then took her around to the downstairs lounge and the classrooms. They also showed her where the bathroom, the storage closets, and the conference rooms were. On they're way to the back porch, Kurt bampfed into an empty chair. The teens seemed unfazed by the sudden appearance, leaving Mackenzie to feel a little silly for being startled.
"Here you are, frauline" Kurt said with a smile. It looked as if he had just gotten out of a shower. He wore jeans, a fresh t-shirt, and a pair of sunglasses. "I'm sorry for being late. I vas in ze shower."
"That's alright" Mackenzie said. "These four were just showing me around the first floor."
"Zank you, children" Kurt said. He stood up and smiled. "Mind if I take over from here?"
"No, it's okay" Stanley said. The teens talked quietly for a second before running towards the basketball court.
"I hope zat zey were not a bother" Kurt said. Mackenzie smiled and rubbed her neck.
"Oh, no. They were actually very nice" Mackenzie replied. "Though, I think at first they were about ready to kick me out of the house." Kurt's eyebrows rose up. "Until I introduced myself."
"Ah vell, allow me to finish your tour of ze facilities" Kurt said.
Kurt talked for almost two hours while showing Mackenzie around the mansion and the grounds. By the time they finished, Mackenzie knew the mansion nearly inside and out.
"Are you hungry?" Kurt asked as they made their way through the patio door into the kitchen. "I zink zat I will be going to ze Italian deli that is a few miles away. You're velcome to come along."
"The owners don't mind your appearance?" Mackenzie asked. Once she said it, she felt like hitting her forehead. "I'm sorry, Kurt. I mean, they don't mind mutants being there?"
"It's fine" Kurt said. He pulled out a device that looked like a watch. He strapped it on and pressed a button. His appearance changed from blue fur to pale skin and dark hair. "Vat do you zink?"
Mackenzie smiled. "Wow. I've never seen anything that could do that."
"It's an image inducer" Kurt said. "Ze professor had it made special for me."
Mackenzie was about to say something when her phone started to ring. She took it from her pocket and answered it. "Hello?" There was no answer. "Sean?"
Mackenzie let her power flare and confirmed that it was Sean.
/ Yes// Mackenzie asked. She hung up the phone.
/ I need ye t'make a phone call fer me. / Sean thought.
/ I'll be there in a minute. / Mackenzie replied. She cut the psychic link and turned back to Kurt.
"Kurt, I'm sorry, but Sean needs me to make a phone call for him" Mackenzie said.
"It is okay, liebchen" Kurt said. "Should I pick some-zing up for you?"
"Surprise me" Mackenzie said. Kurt's full smile stirred something in Mackenzie's stomach. He reached out and quickly bent to kiss Mackenzie's knuckles.
"I vill be back soon" Kurt said. Kurt escorted Mackenzie out of the mansion and watched as she headed for the small cottage that she shared with Sean Cassidy.
Mackenzie opened the front door of the cottage to find Sean sitting on the couch with a folder wide open and a thick stack of papers in his hand.
"Hi" Mackenzie said moving to sit on the end of the couch so she could face Sean. Sean looked up at her.
/ How was your 'grand tour'// Sean thought. He flipped through the stack and wrote something on the paper.
/ Good. Kurt showed me around and I met a few of the kids. / Mackenzie thought. / This place seems pretty empty. /
/ The school runs on trimesters. So the students are all on their month long break. / Sean replied. He handed Mackenzie a piece of ledger paper with a phone number and a name. / I need you to call that number. Thomas Baker is my stockbroker. I need to buy and sell some things. /
/ Sure. / Mackenzie said. She pulled the phone close to her and started to dial the number.
"Hello? Thomas Baker's office, this is Ginny" An Irish voice said when the line picked up.
"Hi. My name is Mackenzie Burns and I'm phoning in regards to Sean Cassidy" Mackenzie said. "May I speak with Mr. Baker?"
"Hold on, miss" Ginny said.
/ Ay faxed Tom after ye left. He knows tha' yuir speaking fer me. / Sean thought. The line clicked over and a loud Irish man answered the phone.
"Hello, Miss Burns" Tom said. "This is Mr. Baker. How can ay help ye?"
"Well, Mr. Baker, I'm sitting here with Mr. Cassidy and he's telling me that he wants to buy and sell some stocks" Mackenzie said.
/ Tell him that I want to sell all of my Hibernia stocks and that I want to buy 100 shares in Trinity Biotech. / Sean thought.
"What does Mr. Cassidy intend to do?" Tom asked.
"He says that he would like to sell all of his Hibernia stocks and buy 100 shares in Trinity Biotech" Mackenzie said.
"He what?" Tom said loudly. "Is he sure? Trinity Biotech has been goin' down fer t'last three months."
Mackenzie placed her hand over the mouthpiece of the phone. "Sean, he says that Trinity has been going down for the last three months."
/ Ay think it'll be going up in t'next few weeks. Tell him tha I've been doin' my homework. / Sean thought.
"Mr. Baker, he's saying that he's done his homework and he's confident that it's a good decision" Mackenzie said.
"Tell him tha ay need the stock release information papers" Mr. Baker said. "He has t'papers. I'll make the changes when he faxes the papers. He knows tha."
"Yes, sir" Mackenzie said. Mackenzie looked at Sean. / Anything else? He said you have to fax him some papers. /
/ Nae. Tha's it. / Sean replied.
"I'll be talkin' t'ye later lassie" Tom said. "Let Sean know tha he has a half hour t'fax me those papers before ay leave fer the day."
"I will" Mackenzie said. "Thank you, sir."
"Have a good night, Miss Burns" Tom said.
"You too, Mr. Baker" Mackenzie replied. She hung up the phone. "He said that he's leaving the office in a half hour."
Sean handed Mackenzie an inch-high stack of papers. / Fax those t'him. The number is on the first page. Make sure you re-staple the specific packets. /
"Sure" Mackenzie said. Mackenzie looked around the room and saw the ancient fax machine. Sean got up and went upstairs, leaving Mackenzie to fax the stack of papers.
Fifteen minutes later, Mackenzie was fighting with the fax machine as it threatened to eat one of the sheets of paper. She pressed the cancel button until the machine spat the paper out. Mack looked at the crinkled paper and flattened it out before running it through the machine again.
"Stupid machine" Mackenzie grumbled. She had managed to fax most of the papers and was getting frustrated. When the paper finally went through, Mackenzie put the rest of the last unstapled packet in the fax machine so it would fax.
The doorbell rang. Mackenzie smiled and went to answer the door.
"I come bearing food" Kurt said with a smile. He held up the bag of food. Mackenzie stepped aside and gestured for Kurt to come in. "Are you finished with Sean?"
"Almost. I'm just faxing some things" Mackenzie said.
"Vell I also brought some movies" Kurt said. He took the bag into the kitchen and pulled two movies, two sandwiches, and two bottles of iced tea out.
"Movies?" Mackenzie said returning to check on the fax machine. "It's kind of early for movies isn't it?"
"Ve can vatch one movie while ve eat and ze other ve can vatch later" Kurt said. Mackenzie took the papers as they came out of the fax machine and stapled the last pile.
"What movies did you get?" Mackenzie asked. She moved to the couch and picked up the other papers, placing them all into the folder. Kurt came out with the movies.
"'Ze Sea Hawk' and 'Ze Three Musketeers'" Kurt said.
"Good choices" Mackenzie said noting the old covers that displayed Errol Flynn and Gene Kelly. "Well you have good taste in movies, Kurt."
"Not everyone vould agree with you, Mackenzie" Kurt said placing the movies on the coffee table. Mackenzie pushed her hair out of her face.
"Well, lets see if your taste in food is as good as your taste in movies" Mackenzie replied.
"I vill get ze food. You put in a movie" Kurt said.
Mackenzie and Kurt spent the next two hours having a good time as they watched 'The Three Musketeers'. They shared their commentary and made jokes. Kurt had surprised Mackenzie by getting her a sub sandwich with spicy chicken, red bell peppers, olives, and tomatoes. Mackenzie had scarfed it down.
When the movie was over, Kurt was displaying a few fencing moves that he claimed to have learned back in Germany. Mackenzie was laughing hard enough that her sides were hurting.
The two hushed up when they heard Sean coming down the stairs.
"Good evening, Sean" Kurt said. "I hope ve veren't disturbing you."
/ I got your stuff faxed. / Mackenzie thought.
/ Ye two have fun. I'm just going t'make some dinner. / Sean said. He disappeared into the kitchen and the sound of clanking pans was heard.
"Is he okay?" Kurt asked in a whisper.
"Yeah, he's fine" Mackenzie replied. Kurt and Mackenzie stood in awkward silence for a minute.
"Vould you be up for an evening swim?" Kurt asked. "I'm sure some of ze others are back from where ever zey went."
"That sounds good" Mackenzie said. "I'll meet you out there in…ten minutes?"
"Sounds good, frauline" Kurt said with a smile. He stepped backwards and bampfed out of the room. Mackenzie smiled and picked up the garbage from dinner.
"Sean? I'm going out for a swim, would you like to go?" Mackenzie asked coming into the kitchen.
/ No. / Sean thought. Mackenzie shrugged and went upstairs to change and grab some things.
Outside, the sun had set and the lights around the mansion had turned on, illuminating the pathways and the pool area. There were several people in the pool and lounging by the pool. There was even a short, bulky guy sitting in the hot tub that faced the pool.
Mackenzie strolled to the pool area and set her stuff on one of the empty lounge chairs. The people in the pool quieted down and turned to look at the newcomer. Mackenzie took off her black robe and stepped out of her sandals.
"Hey Mackenzie! Watch this!" Kyle yelled from the opposite side of the pool. Mackenzie turned and watched as Kyle jumped and did a cannonball into the pool, splashing a blonde girl and a Japanese girl.
"Kyle!" The girls yelled. Mackenzie smiled and jumped into the pool. She swam along the side of the pool until she was somewhat close to the other people in the pool.
"Who are you, petite?" A brown haired man asked from behind Mackenzie. Mackenzie turned and grabbed the ledge of the pool. Looking up, she saw the handsome man with red eyes.
"Mackenzie Burns" Mackenzie said. She moved to tread water. "The Professor hired me to help out Mr. Cassidy."
"Well, petite, I'm Remy LeBeau" The man said with a smile.
"Pleased to meet---" Mackenzie said before being pulled underwater. Mackenzie came up sputtering water. Behind her, Kyle came up laughing. "Kyle!"
"I see you've already met our little troublemaker" Remy said squatting down.
"Yeah" Mackenzie said wiping water from her face.
"So where are you from, Mackenzie Burns?" Remy asked.
"Nowhere in particular" Mackenzie replied. "Have you seen Kurt?"
"Kurt?" Remy asked. His smile didn't fade, but his eyes gave away his disappointment. "Nah."
A bampfing sound gave away Kurt's entrance. "I'm right here."
"What took you so long?" Mackenzie asked with a smile.
"Kurt!" The blonde girl yelled. "Can I talk to you?"
"Of course, Paige" Kurt said. "Excuse me." Kurt got into the pool and swam over to Paige and her Japanese friend.
"Kurt's a popular guy around here, huh?" Mackenzie stated.
"Sure is" Remy replied. He slid into the pool and gave Mackenzie his best smile. "So you're livin' with Irish, huh? How's that treatin' you? Is he still bein' an ogre?"
"He was" Mackenzie said. "But, now he's just ignoring me pretty much." Mackenzie slicked her short hair back. "I think he just needs to get used to the idea of accepting help."
"Funny. He's usually the first person to help others, but now that its his turn" Remy said. "Well…he hasn't been too receptive lately."
"Well, maybe you can help me, Mr. LeBeau" Mackenzie said.
"Remy, please" Remy said.
"Remy. Perhaps you could introduce me to everyone" Mackenzie said. "I arrived when everyone was gone."
"Come wit me, petite" Remy said with a smile. Mackenzie was introduced to Paige Guthrie, Jubilee Lee, Emma Frost, Scott Summers, and Logan. Kurt had pulled Kyle and the other teenagers off to the side and was talking with them. "There are more of us. We come and go."
"Thanks, Remy" Mackenzie said. The people she had met returned to what they had been doing. Paige and Jubilee were chatting about something. Scott and Emma were lounging under UV lights. Logan never moved from the hot tub.
"I guess you know that we're all mutants" Remy said when they crossed the pool to where they started.
"Of course" Mackenzie said. "I was hired on as a translator."
/ How do you think Xavier found me// Mackenzie thought to Remy. Remy raised an eyebrow.
"What else can ya do, petite?" Remy asked. Mackenzie smiled.
"Nothing much" Mackenzie said. "I can project a force field."
"You don' know how many times I wished I could do dat, chere" Remy said.
"Right" Mackenzie said. The sound of water moving made Mackenzie turn her head. "Hey Kurt."
"I am very sorry, Mack" Kurt said. "I did not plan on having zem do zat."
"It's okay. I was just talking with Remy" Mackenzie said. Kurt moved so he was behind Mackenzie, gripping the side of the pool.
"Saying no-zing bad about me, I hope" Kurt said. Mackenzie just smiled.
"I was just introducing the petite to the others" Remy replied. Remy pulled himself out of the water. "If you two will excuse me, I think I'm going to go sit in the hot tub with Logan. Petite, it was a pleasure to meet you."
"See ya" Mackenzie said as Remy got up. She couldn't help but to catch a quick glance at his chest and butt. She maintained her expression the best she could. She turned to Kurt and smiled.
"I hope you vill still vant to vatch a movie with me after talking to Remy" Kurt said with a devilishly charming smile.
"Why would I not watch the movie with you?" Mackenzie asked.
"Vell, he is known to charm ze women" Kurt replied. Mackenzie felt her cheeks burn and tried to hide it by smiling.
"He's a nice guy, but I don't think I'd ever get too far with him" Mackenzie said. "But, if you're that concerned about it --."
"No, no. It's not my choice, liebchen" Kurt said with a smile.
'Good, I prefer blue anyway' Mackenzie thought to herself. Across the pool, Miss Frost started laughing and quickly stopped herself.
"Perhaps we should join zem in ze hot tub, ya?" Kurt suggested. Mackenzie nodded and pulled herself out of the pool. Kurt watched as he got the first glimpse of her entire suit. It was simple and black. Even though she wore a one-piece, the suit was as sexy as any of the skimpy bikinis that Emma wore.
Kurt turned away before Mackenzie caught his staring and climbed out of the pool. They walked over to the hot tub, which could have easily fit a dozen people, and got in.
"Hey Elf" Logan grumbled.
"Logan, Remy" Kurt said as he started to relax in the warm water. "You have met Mackenzie, ya?"
"Yep" Logan said. He brought his hand up to his mouth and placed a cigar in his mouth. "So what's Irish up to?"
"He didn't want to come out" Mackenzie said. "He seemed to be in a bad mood today."
"That's because" Logan said exhaling a puff of smoke. "He didn't want an assistant."
Mackenzie knew what Logan was trying to say and she also knew the tone that he had used.
"Well" Mackenzie said feeling uneasy around Logan. She glanced over to the pool where she received snide glances from Paige and Jubilee. She moved to sit on the ledge. "I guess that's my cue to leave."
"Vat? No" Kurt said. "Logan didn't mean anything by it."
"It's okay, Kurt" Mackenzie said. "I've had a long day. I think I'm just going to go have some down time." Mackenzie stood out of the hot tub. "Stop by when you want to watch that movie, okay?"
"I vill" Kurt said. Mackenzie smiled and went to collect her things.
"Dat be one fine girl" Remy said to Kurt and Logan as Mackenzie left the pool.