2
Logan pushed the large oak door open, letting her walk through first.
"You can meet the Professor first thing tomorrow morning." Logan said as he walked down the hall, AJ following his path, her eyes scanning the mansion walls.
"Holy… you seriously live here?"
"Hurry up." He waved her along. "Ain't got all night kid."
He stopped in front of a door motioning for her to go in.
"This my room?" She asked with a grin as she pushed the door open. She tossed her duffle bag on the ground, looking around. "It'll do."
"Y'damn right it'll do. This ain't a hotel."
"Of course tough guy." She grinned, her eyes meeting his again.
"Yeah. Anyways… rise and shine by 8:00 a.m." He took his hat off. "Get some sleep."
He closed the door behind him as he turned to walk away. Normally he wouldn't bring strangers in off the street just because they said they were headed to the mansion, but Xavier had been expecting her. That's why he'd been sent to the bar to wait.
First thing in the morning, just as promised, Logan was there to bring her to meet the Professor. He let her go in alone.
"Please… come in." The bald man said with a grin, motioning for her to enter.
She stepped forward, shutting the door behind her.
"AJ I presume." He smiled, extending a hand for her to shake. She took it firmly with a nod.
"Yes sir."
"Please, have a seat."
She sat down. She was nervous, and she had a right to be. This was her last chance.
"I understand you have quite the gift."
AJ smiled "If that's what you'd like to call it."
Xavier grinned as he studied her.
She looked away awkwardly. "Please don't look at me like that." She looked at her hands, folded neatly in her lap "You're making me nervous."
"There's no need to be nervous AJ." Professor Xavier said with an easy smile "No one here is out to judge you."
She let out a short laugh "Look Professor, I don't expect anyone's sympathy… or even anyone's help. And I certainly don't expect anyone to not judge me. But I want you to know that I'm not a free loader."
He gave her a knowing nod. "I understand. However, we are here to help. And as for free loading, trust me; you'll be put to work." He winked.
She smiled.
After a short conversation about his expectations, he let her go. After all, she still had to meet everyone.
After meeting Professor Xavier she'd been offered the grand tour by Logan. He showed her around before bringing her to the rec. room. Gambit was by her side in a heart beat.
"Did it jus' get hot in here… or was dat jus' you chère?"
She looked at Logan who rolled his eyes.
"Sit down Gumbo."
"D'name's Remy… friends call me Gambit." He winked.
"AJ." She looked up at Logan again.
Kitty hopped up introducing herself and rattling off everyone's names in the room.
"And my name's Kitty!" She grinned from ear to ear.
"Wow." AJ smiled "You're a little… ball of energy."
"Energy chère? Non… Remy's d'one wit' all de... energy." Gambit kissed the back of her hand.
She cleared her throat, picking up on the sudden tension she felt in the room. It came from the one Kitty had introduced as Rogue. She raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah?" She gave him a smooth smile. "We'll see about that."
Logan growled, taking a seat across the room.
Kitty waved AJ over, patting the couch beside her. "Come tell us about yourself!"
"Yes. Please do." Rogue rolled her eyes.
She sat down, resting a foot on the coffee table causing her knee, laced in fishnets, to pop out of the hole in her jeans. Her shirt fell off one shoulder, exposing her bare skin. Her hair was pulled up in a messy bun, revealing the back of her neck to Gambit perfectly.
He ran a finger along the nape of her neck, kneeling behind her with a grin.
"Remy see a tattoo here?"
She touched the back of her neck with a smile before giving him a nod. "Yeah. It's the Chinese symbol for fox."
"Fox?" Scott furrowed his brow "Why that?"
"Well, foxes are cunning, intense, focused… that's kind of my thing." She waved her hand "You guys call it a gift I guess. I focus." She said with a shrug.
Jean smiled "I don't understand."
AJ's eyes scanned the room. She hopped up and pulled a dart out of the dart board before heading back to her seat, closing her eyes and chucking it across the room, sticking in the wall.
"Well… y'missed." Rogue crossed her arms, giving her head a shake.
Kitty furrowed her brow. "I… don't…"
"Holy crap!" Bobby pulled the dart out of the wall, scrunching his nose up. "It's a fly!"
He moved towards Kitty who jumped up and moved away.
"That's sick!" Bobby hooted. "Do something else."
AJ shrugged "Sorry dude, only when the moment strikes me."
AJ sat outside. It had been a fairly good day. Even though she was rubbing shoulders with everyone today, she hadn't minded. Everyone had been pretty nice.
She lay on her back on the large cement wall on the patio, a sheer ten foot drop on one side. Something like that didn't faze her at all. She stared at the starry sky, taking a puff of her cigarette and watching as the smoke drifted through the cool night air.
"Little bit dangerous non?" Gambit leaned on the wall, next to her head.
"I'll be fine." She smiled. He'd tried to startle her. Wouldn't work.
"Y'spare one o'dem cigarettes?"
She handed him the pack. He took two, tucking one behind his ear and slipping one in his lips. He charged up a card, lighting his cigarette before tossing it into the lawn. It popped up in smoke. AJ sat up, swinging her feet over the edge.
"Fancy."
"Been workin' on dat fo'months." He winked. "So how y'likin' it here?"
"It's… different." She smiled, taking another puff. "I'm not used to people. I don't think your girlfriend likes me."
He smiled "Girlfriend chère? Gambit ain' d'girlfriend type…"
She gave him a knowing grin. "You're torturing her on purpose."
He chuckled "Nah… ain' nothin' dere."
"Nothing there?" She smiled. "Has nothing to do with the fact that she can't touch?"
He furrowed his brow at her, obviously shocked that she knew about Rogue's… gift.
"Kitty told me." She said with a nod.
He grinned "Remy don' need t'touch chère."
"It could serve to be quite the problem though." She grinned back. She enjoyed flirting with men. It was what she was used to. It was her comfort zone.
"Well..." He took another puff before exhaling and turning to face her "maybe y'could help Remy solve dat problem…"
She leaned in, inches from his face "I don't think you could handle me."
"Non?"
She shook her head with a smile "Nope. Besides, you're hopelessly devoted to her anyways. I can tell."
He jerked his head back "What's t'say Remy ain' hopelessly devoted t'you chère?"
With a smile she just shook her head. "Because if you were, you'd have made a move by now."
She hopped off the wall, flicking her cigarette over the edge with a wink. "G'night."
Alright folks... there's yer first two chapters. Gosh.
:) And please Jess... no spell check k? Or I should say, O:)
PLEASE REVIEW ME! How ever will I know if I suck if no one tells me...:)