The Next Day

Kara awoke to bright sunlight peering through her window. She looked at the little digital clock on her dresser. It was one o'clock in the afternoon. She'd been sleeping since the morning before. She sat up in the bed and edged herself to the side. She carefully set her feet on the floor and slowly stood up. It took a minute for her to adjust her weight, but she was standing up without holding on to anything.

She slowly walked to the bathroom, and she looked at herself in the mirror. Dirt still streaked her face and her hair was a tangly mess. She needed to take a shower.

She took off her old dirty clothes, hung them on a hook, stepped inside the shower, and turned on the warm water. It was soothing to stand under the hot running water. She just stood there; her muscles relaxed and her skin started to soften. There was already shampoo and soap in the shower.

Imagine that.

She washed her hair several times over, and let the soap suds soak into her skin. After an hour she was finished and she turned off the water, she looked out side of the shower curtains and looked for towels to dry off with. There were none.

She reached for the communicator Ororo had given her. She pressed a button and talked into it, "Ms. Ororo?" she said.

The walkie-talkie answered, "Yes,"

She thought it sounded like her so she went on, "Ms. Ororo, I know this is a petty stupid thing to call you about, but could you send me a bath towel up?" Silence.

A couple seconds later, "Sure. I'll have someone bring you a few from the wash room," Ororo said.

Kara replied, "Thank you," she turned off the communicator, and turned the hot water back on.

Might as well enjoy it while I'm waiting.

Only two minutes later, she heard a noise. It sounded familiar to her. Then she heard a man with a slight German accent say, "I brought you tovels,"

Kara didn't know who the person was and then she heard the strange noise again. "Wait," she said. "I just what to talk with you."

A moment later, that noise came again. She assumed the person had returned. She said, "What is your name?"

The person replied, "Kurt Vagner, " he paused, "but in ze Munich circus I vas know as ze Incredible Nightcrawler," he finished.

Great. They house circus acts too.

"Nightcrawler, eh?" there was a silence.

"You are Kara, right?" Kurt said.

"Yeah," Kara replied and paused. "Are you the guy Ms. Ororo said saved me?"

He was quiet a moment. "Vell, yes,"

"Oh, well thank you,.. for saving my life," Kara said gratefully. Again there was a long silence, but appearently he didn't leave. Kara said, "Can I ask you something?"

He replied, "Ja."

Kara continued, "I know this may be a little personal, but do you ever feel as though you're more different than everyone else? Even mutants?"

What an ironic question. Kara didn't know this but Kurt did. "Yes,... I do. Sometimes I feel like everyone hates me because I look diferent; most of the time I... I scare people,..." he faded off.

"I don't think you'd look scary," Kara said, and she turned off the water.

"Not until vee meet face to face," he mumbled.

"Don't talk like that. I think you're beautiful., no matter what you thing of yourself," she paused, "No matter how you look on the outside, you will always be beautiful, if you have a kind heart," she said. "Could you please toss me over a towel?"

A towel was put on the shower curtain's rod; Kara grabbed it and started to dry herself off, with the curtain still closed. She wrapped herself with it, and opened the curtains. She looked around; he was gone. He really needs to stp doing this.

She walked out of the door, into her room. She walked over to her closet and saw a nice looking pair of jeans and a red spagetti strap top in her closet. She assumed it was from Dr. Grey. After she was dressed, she heard the noise, she figured it was Kurt's noise. She said, "Hey, I just wanted to kn,..." she turned around and froze. There before her was Kurt, but not near waht Kara was expecting.

Oh my god.

She took a small step toward him. He didn't budge. She took another step and her face was within 6 inches from his blue face. She slowly lifted her hand and softly touched his check. She smiled, and put her hand on his check. He slightly hung his head.

She put both her hands on either check, pulled his face in hers, and said, "I still think you're beautiful." She started to hang her head in embarassment and shame as well. "I'm the one who looks ugly, who scares people," she said as her wings grew out, her claws and her tail. She looked up at him. Her eyes glowed red. "No one ever'd love me. People treat worse than most. They're the ones that are scary," she droned off.

Kurt's tail grabbed Kara's as holding hands would. He looked at her and said, "As you say to me, you are beautiful, no matter vhat you think. I think you are very beautiful." She blushed and brought in her wings, and started to look her normal self. Kurt said, "Vill you meet me in ze front yard at nine o'clock at ze big tree?"

Kara was unsure of what to say. "Yes," she said, not sure of what would happen, but something inside her was deeply attached to him. "Nine o'clock," she mumbled. Kurt moved a bit closer to her, and then he vanished in a puff of smoke. Kara coughed at the smell.

What the hell was that! I don't know about this guy. He's really sweet, but I don't know. I like him, but truthfully I don't know if I could trust him, she thought as she brushed out her shoulder length, bright red hair.

I hope they got a kitchen. I'm hungry. She grabbed her old jacket and pulled it over the newer clothes she was wearing, and headed out the door.