Author's Note: So, um, yeah. Uber-short chapter with a lot of short scenes, because people didn't seem to want to come out of their boxes. And because I spent most of this week trying unsuccessfully to find a job. And, um, some of it playing Sims. Aheh. But, hey, at least the chapter's up! And apologies for any really bad mistakes…I was typing some of this with a weiner dog puppy sitting in my lap who kept resting her head on my laptop.
Chapter Twelve
The air that Saturday morning was crisp and clear, and it was too early for any heat to have developed. Which was a good thing, since the six female junior X-men had chosen that morning to go on a trail ride. They had spent most of the trail riding in various pairs, but now the path was wide enough that all six of them could ride more or less next to each other.
"I think this is the best trail ride I've ever been on." Rogue commented. "The horses are so much easier to ride when you're here, Sam."
Samantha grinned at her. "Eventually they'll all pick up English, so it'll be even easier. Apatche here's already got it down pretty good." She said, patting the black gelding she was riding. He tossed his head up and down in agreement and she laughed, shifting her weight slightly.
Samantha was riding with only a saddle blanket, as she didn't need a bridle to direct her horse. She could do so mentally. The others were using either Western or English tack, whichever they preferred. The tack room in the stables was well equipped with both styles.
"So, Zeph, have you and Warren started officially dating yet?" Cassandra questioned.
Zephyr blushed slightly. "We haven't talked about it."
"You haven't?" Rachel asked. "What have you been doing in all the time you've been spending with him?"
Anorra considered that. "Or do we really want to know?"
"It has been awhile since the first date." Rogue said.
"I think those two are just useless." Samantha agreed.
"I'm not useless." Zephyr protested. "You know what, you guys are useless. At least I've gone on a couple of dates. You're all too shy to even ask your guys out."
Samantha blinked at her. "Um, I don't have a guy."
"Me neither." Rogue said.
"Oh, you do so." Cassandra said, keeping silent about herself. "Sam, you're all obsessed with how pretty Kurt is and Rogue, you're totally gone for Gambit. Just admit it."
Rogue blushed darkly. "I am not! Y'all are crazy."
"And just because I think Kurt's pretty doesn't mean he's my guy." Samantha said.
"Protest all you want, but we know better." Anorra said.
"Hey, you're the most useless." Samantha said, pointing at Anorra. "Are you still refusing to talk to Piotr?"
Now it was Anorra's turn to blush. "No! I talked to him last night, remember?"
"She did more than that." Rachel commented with a grin.
"Oh, yeah. There was definite action there." Zephyr agreed.
"Have you talked to him today?" Cassandra asked.
"Remember, closet." Samantha said.
Rogue nodded. "We picked out the perfect one."
Anorra glared at them. "We didn't go to breakfast today, remember? I didn't have a chance to talk to him."
"Okay, but we'll be watching you." Cassandra said. "And if there's no talking, then bring on the closet."
"Hi, Kurt." Samantha greeted shyly, leaning against the doorway of the gym. "Do you, um, have a minute?" She wanted to talk with him about the, uhh…events that had happened last night. Nothing put a damper on a budding friendship more than someone blurting out the fact that they wanted to see the other party naked. Which Samantha didn't! She wouldn't mind, but it wasn't like she thought about it all the time or anything…And it was a really good thing that she had shut her mouth, since blabbing out those thoughts would really not help her situation.
"Ja." Kurt said, draping his towel over his neck and walking over to her. "I was just stretching." He wasn't entirely sure how to act around her. Because it really wasn't right to be pleased upon hearing that a younger woman wanted to see him naked. It had just been so surprising. No one had ever thought of him like that, at least not to his knowledge. "What did you need?"
"Listen, about last night…" She started, then chewed on her lower lip for a moment. "I wanted to apologize. I didn't mean to blurt that out. And I really don't want things to be uncomfortable between us."
"It's all right." He told her. "I wasn't offended. I understand the things that can sometimes slip out, especially that late in the night."
Samantha swallowed. She should probably just leave it at that. But, for some reason, her stupid little brain wouldn't let her. It seemed to think that it was important that she tell him the truth. "I, um. I sort of meant it when I said I wouldn't mind seeing you without your bathing suit. It's just, you're really attractive, and, um, yeah."
Kurt stared at her for a moment. "You do not have to lie to protect my feelings."
She blinked at him, puzzled. "I'm not. Lying. It's kind of embarrassing for me to tell someone that I find them attractive, so why would I just make it up?"
He knew she hadn't been lying. Her tone had been too genuine. But he was finding this whole situation rather impossible. "You are a very unique girl, Samantha."
"Um, thanks, I think." She said, still looking confused. She sensed the conversation was over, though, so she changed the subject to, "Do you mind if I go with you again to church tomorrow?"
"Not at all." Kurt said. "I would enjoy that very much."
It occurred to Zephyr that spending so much time in Warren's room probably wasn't putting the best thoughts in her friends' heads. She didn't care, though. She was having fun, sprawled across his bed with her feet kicked into the air as she idly flipped through a magazine. Her eyes were really on Warren, though, who was sitting at his desk doing his math homework.
It was hard to believe that it hadn't even quite been two weeks since he had arrived here. Zephyr didn't know everything about him, but she liked what she knew. She could tell he was keeping secrets from her. He didn't like to talk about his past much. But Zephyr didn't mind. He probably had a reason for not wanting to bring it up, and she wasn't going to push him. Warren would tell her when he was ready.
Her friends' comments earlier that day came to her mind, then, unbidden. She frowned slightly, wondering what to do with them. Zephyr wasn't entirely sure she would be content with casual dating for much longer, but she didn't want to pressure him into anything. After all, they really hadn't known each other that long. Even if it seemed like so much more time had passed. Zephyr was slightly surprised at how attached they had all gotten to each other in such a short amount of time. Of course, it wasn't the first time that had happened to her. When she first started hanging Samantha, Cassandra, Rachel, and Anorra, they had bonded incredibly quickly. So she probably shouldn't be too surprised that it was happening again.
"Hey Warren?" She asked, sitting up.
He turned to look at her. "Yeah?"
Zephyr shifted her weight slightly, debating. Then she asked, "Have you decided on a codename yet?"
Warren blinked at her, apparently sensing that she had wanted to ask him something else. He didn't comment, though he did get up and sit next to her on the bed before saying, "Um, well, you remember when we first met and you said my wings sort of looked like an angel's? Well, I was thinking of using that. Angel."
She smiled brightly. "That's perfect! And you really do look like an angel, you know. And I'm not just saying that because I like you."
He blushed. "Thanks. I, um, like you, too." There was a pause, then he asked, "So do you have a fieldname?"
"Zephyr is my fieldname." She said, then paused before adding, "My real name's Haley. Haley Bardlvick."
Warren looked at her for a moment, then nodded. "Zephyr suits you more. But both of them are wonderful, because they're yours."
She blushed, then swallowed and asked, "Um, Warren, can I ask you something?"
"Anything." He told her.
"Have you, you know, thought about this whole us thing at all?" She asked, not meeting his eyes.
"Is there an us?" Warren asked softly. "I'd sort of like there to be."
Zephyr glanced up at him, eyes bright. "Me, too."
He smiled at her, then bent over to catch her lips with his. She leaned against him, slipping one arm around his shoulder and resting it on his wing. Warren twitched slightly at the unfamiliar touch, but before Zephyr could pull away he shifted his wing a bit so that it was wrapped around her back.
They probably would have gone further if there hadn't been a sudden knock at the door, followed by Cassandra calling loudly, "Zeph! If you're in there, come out! Closet time?"
"Warren, you can come, too!" Samantha added.
Warren looked at Zephyr. "Closet time?"
Zephyr laughed slightly. "We, um, threatened to lock Anorra in a closet with Piotr if she didn't talk to him today."
Warren grinned. "Now this I have to see."
"My friends suck." Anorra said, blushing dark metallic pink. "I'm sorry."
True to their word, her friends had locked her and Piotr in a broom closet. Cassandra had asked Piotr to get something on the top shelf that she couldn't reach, and when he complied she had darted out and locked him in there. Then Zephyr, Rachel, and Anorra had come walking by on their way to the kitchen, and Samantha had yanked the door open while Rachel and Zephyr pushed Anorra in. And now Anorra and Piotr were locked in the closet.
"It is all right." Piotr said, blushing as well. "I, um, I would get us out, but I do not wish to cause damage to the door."
"It's okay." Anorra said. "Someone will walk by soon enough."
Really, they would. Really, really soon. Because being locked in a small space with Piotr was…Wait, why was Anorra complaining here? Oh, yeah, because she was incredibly shy around guys she liked…Not that she liked Piotr…She was just shy around him…Because of the kiss thing, that might ruin a perfectly good friendship…Yes, that's it…
Then, remembering that she had told Piotr she would try to be more comfortable around him, she added, "Not, that, you know, I don't want to spend time with you. It's just, um, small space and dark and stuff."
"I understand." Piotr told her. "I am not too fond of being in a broom closet, either. It makes it better, though, that you are the one I am stuck with. Do you know why our friends are keeping us in here?" He sounded amused.
"Yeah." Anorra muttered, blushing again. "I, um, didn't talk to you this morning. They, uh, they…They're stupid. They seem to think I'm five and can't handle myself."
Piotr considered that for a moment, then decided not to ask why their friends were upset that she wasn't speaking with him. Instead, he asked, "Would you like to have lunch with me tomorrow? There's a Russian restaurant in town that has a special on Sundays."
Her eyes widened for a moment as she debated whether the fact that she really, really wanted to go with him was worth more than the fact that she probably wouldn't say much to him during the whole meal. Finally, she nodded. "Okay. I'd, um, love to."
They spent nearly a half an hour in there after that, holding a more or less decent conversation, until a passing student finally heard them in there and let them out. Anorra promised to meet Piotr at his room the next afternoon, then took off, planning on killing her friends.
It was late. The only reason Samantha was up was because she was crazy and tended not to go to sleep before the sun rose. Well, that, and she wanted a glass of water. Which was the reason that she was downstairs, and thus able to hear it when someone began fumbling with the back door. Samantha froze instinctively, just listening. There was definitely someone trying to get in. Her nostrils re-worked themselves so she could sniff the air and get the person's scent. When she didn't recognize it, she let out a soft growl and padded over to it.
She yanked open the door, her entire body on guard and ready for anything. Except the handsome, and very drunk, man standing there, leaning against the doorknob for support as he inserted a key into it. He was wearing red sunglasses, so she couldn't see his eyes widen, but he seemed startled since he lost his balanced and pitched forward with the door. Samantha was startled herself, but she threw out her arms to catch him.
"Thanks." He said as she draped one of his arms over her shoulder so she could support him.
It didn't work too well, though, since she was about seven inches shorter than him. It was still better than him trying to stand himself, but she didn't think she could help him walk or anything.
"Who are you?" Samantha asked.
He tilted his head up to look at her face, then seemed to sober up a bit. "Who are you?"
"Um, no. You're the one trying to break in, you have to answer the question." She said.
"I live here." He said, then paused. "I think. Xavier's gifted for institute kids, right?"
She nodded. "Yeah. Still doesn't explain who are you."
He frowned at her. "What are you doing here?"
"I live here." She told him.
"Scott." He said finally. "Summers. Cyclops."
Samantha paused, trying to remember why that name was familiar. Then she remembered seeing it on the roster for the Auto Shop class. "Oh. You're Cyclops?"
"S'right. So you?" He asked.
"Samantha." She said. "You don't know me. I got here while you were gone."
"Sorry." Scot said. "Should've been here. Not leaving anymore."
She nodded. "Okay. Good for you." She began wondering how the heck she could close the door and get him inside when she spotted Anorra walking towards the kitchen. "Anorra! A little help, maybe?"
Anorra paused. She was still irritated with Samantha for locking her and Piotr in the closet. She shouldn't take it out on the drunk guy, though, so she headed over to them. "Who's this?"
"Scott Summers." Samantha said.
"Oh." Anorra looked at him for a moment, remembering what Hank had told her. Then she closed the back door and draped Scott's other arm over her shoulders. "Where're we taking him?"
"You students?" Scott asked.
"No." Samantha told him. "We're teachers."
"Okay." He said. "Shouldn't let the students see. Should have drank that much. Shouldn't have left. Shouldn't have stayed gone. Shouldn't have let her…"
"Hey." Anorra said. "Don't worry about it."
"It's okay." Samantha said. "You're back now, yeah? Just, um, we'll just get you sober and then everything'll be okay."
Anorra glanced at Samantha. "Xavier?"
"His room's on the students' floor. Scott's probably right about not letting them see." Samantha said.
I'll be down in a moment. Xavier said inside their minds. Thank you two for helping.
"No worries." Samantha said.
"We don't mind." Anorra agreed. "We'll take him to the teacher's lounge."
They did so, helping Scott lay down on one of the couches while they waited for Xavier. Before long, he wheeled in. Scott noticed this and sat up, shaking his head.
"I'm sorry, Charles." He said.
"Scott. It's all right." Xavier told him.
The fatherly tone in Xavier's voice made Samantha and Anorra look at each other, then Samantha said, "We'll, um, leave you two alone, then."
"Yeah." Anorra said. "See you tomorrow."
They left quickly, telling Scott to get better.
Scott shook his head again. "Should've been here. New people that I don't even know."
"Scott, I'll admit that you didn't handle things as well as you could have, but no one's faulting you." Xavier said.
Scott laughed, soft and bitter. "No one? Logan stayed here, didn't he? Logan stayed and I left. Let Logan become more dependable than me."
"Jean's death hit all of us hard, but nothing compared to what you must have experienced." Xavier said, choosing to ignore Scott's comment about Logan.
"I know. Know it." Scott said. "M'the only one that took off. I made things worse, didn't I? Everything…what I believed, who I was, all gone. Let myself die with her."
Xavier reached out and rested his hand on Scott's shoulder. "But you didn't, Scott. You're still alive, still here with people who care about you."
"I know." Scott repeated. "And I'm so sorry I let you down. I'm not going to. Not anymore." His voice hitched slightly. "Jean's dead. I can't change that. But I can…I can be here. And I will."
He didn't delude himself into thinking that it was impossible for him to lose. It had happened before, and it could very likely happen again. He didn't know how long it had been since the last time he had surfaced. Things were different now, so very different. But everything important, well, that was still the same. Humans didn't change. That was why he had never truly lost. And this time, they were perfect. He couldn't ask for any better. One was already his. It had been so easy. A little display of power, nothing more. The other three couldn't be much harder. He had found them already. They were all in the same town, city, whatever the humans were calling it these days.
He had to watch them. Learn about them. Find what they wanted, needed, and offer it to them. That would make it easier. He had ways of making them his, but it would be so much better if they were willing. Either way, though, they would be his. And then it would begin. This time, he would make sure it didn't end. Because he was starting to grow tired, impatient. Bad qualities, he knew, but it was happening. So this time, this time it would be the end.