Morning came with a sudden dazzling brightness. Josh stretched and yawned, cast a glance at Sophie who was still fast asleep and got up to 'relieve' himself. By the time he got back Soph had pulled the towel all around her like a giant sausage and was still in dreamland. He contemplated waking her up but then remembered the other night when she had let him sleep and set about making breakfast for them both.

He was still wearing the black jumper when Sophie woke up. It was quite pleasant really, waking up to the crackling of the fire and seeing the forest canopy glinting overhead, light from the suns strong rays burning bright behind it. She lay there for a while, caught in that in-between state of waking and sleeping, cocooned in the warmth. Soon the urge to eat overcame the sleepy-wakey urge and Sophie climbed to her feet, groaning as her sore back muscles protested.

"Morning sunshine," Josh chirped, with unbecoming cheerfulness at that time in the day. Sophie just muttered something to herself and disappeared to get changed behind some trees.

"Don't be long, darling! Breakfast is almost ready!" Josh carolled as she walked briskly away.

Sophie, who had turned back to send him an incredulous and irritated stare, was surprised not to see him wearing a pick frilly pinny and waving a feather duster around the place in a house-wifey way. He just grinned back at her, as though he knew what was on her mind.

"Obviously not a morning person then," he commented as she slouched back into the clearing, wearing a fresh pair of clothes on and looking a little bit cleaner.

"I found a little stream," she began, ignoring him, "it's very clear. Perfect for having a wash in." And she stared at him meaningfully.

"You don't mean…?" he gasped, dropped the fork he was holding and leapt down the way she come.

"Huh?" Sophie asked herself, blinking slowly at the place where he had just disappeared. She then moved towards the fire, found a clean fork and prodded the mixture bubbling away inside the pot.

"Don't!" came a sharp voice from behind her. "Don't you know that will ruin the texture?" Josh cried, reproachfully staring at her.

He moved forwards and pulled the fork out from her unresisting hands, pushed her lightly over to one of the sitting logs and forced her onto it.

"You just sit there and look pretty. I'll do the cooking this morning."

"But-"Sophie started feebly.

"What part of sitting and looking pretty don't you understand?" Josh asked, actually simpering at her.

"Oh God," she muttered, grabbing her rucksack and pulling out her old hairbrush and dragging it through her wet hair. She'd just tried to wash it in the stream, but whether it had actually made a difference she didn't yet know.

"Why did you run off when I was talking about the stream?" she asked as Josh busied himself around the fire.

"Oh that," he said, looking at little sheepish as he paused and grinned at her. "I guess I just don't like being smelly and stuff. It just feels icky."

Sophie giggled, stuffing her hand into her mouth as Josh glared at her.

"What is it this time you find amusing about me?" Josh asked reprovingly.

"Icky!" she squeaked, giggling harder. "Icky!"

"Do you want breakfast or not?" Josh asked shortly, waving his fort threateningly in her direction. Sophie decided to shut up as, to her surprise, a nice smell was wafting from the cooking pot.

Soon Josh thrust a bowl into her hands and poured half the thick liquid into it, then he passed her a spoon and did the same for himself.

He then pulled out a loaf of bread from one of the bags, passed Sophie a few slices and helped himself to some too. As soon as he had put the bread back and settled down again he began wolfing down whatever it was he had made.

"What is it?" Sophie asked, gingerly stirring it with her spoon.

"What is it? What is it?" Josh sounded hurt. "It is obviously crème da la crème soup! Homemade I must say. Or is it forest made?" he asked himself, staring thoughtfully around the forest.

"Don't you mean crème da la crème soup from out of a tin?" Sophie asked, raising a challenging eyebrow.

"Well yeah, maybe. How did you realise?" he asked.

"Maybe because I brought all our food?"

"Oh, yeah." He paused for a second, staring down at the creamy red soup. "But I did cook it!"

"True," Sophie laughed, taking a sip. It was so nice in the fresh, cool morning air. She dunked her bread into it, carefully balancing the bowl so it didn't tip all over her lap. "Yum."

"So which direction are we off on now?" Josh asked, slurping slightly.

"I dunno, I'll have to do a fly by."

"What's a fly by?"

"Erm I'm not sure really. It just sounded cool."

"Cool."

"Yep."

"Well then…"

"Well than what?"

"I dunno."

"Helpful."

"Yep."

"Well er…"

"Well er what?"

"I don't know."

"This could go on for a long time."

"Yeah, it could," Sophie said, laughing. She put down her bowl and walked a little away from their campsite, spread her wings and gracefully leapt up into the sky. She looked beautiful and ethereal, that was until she flew into a branch.

"Ouch," winced Josh as Sophie untangled herself.

"Are you alright?" he called up.

"Yup, fine! Everything's fine!" Sophie called down in a high, quavering voice. God damn you stupid branch, why can't you look where you're going? she thought, cursing.

Josh watched her gently rise higher into the air, where she hung suspended, her right hand shading her eyes.

"I think…" she muttered.

"What?"

"I think I can see it! I think I can see the school!" she yelled down excitedly.

"Really? YES!" Josh jumped into the air, then came crashing down again.

"You ok down there?"

"I'm fine!" Josh replied in a high voice.

"You sure?" Sophie asked, laughing at him clutching his leg on the ground.

"Oh shut up, you flew into a tree!"

Sophie glared down at him, "actually the tree flew into me!"

"Oh, of course it did! Silly me, my mistake!" Josh cried sarcastically.

"Yeah, silly you!" Sophie said, at a loss for anything better to say.

They paused staring at each other for a second.

"Well?" Josh said, expectantly.

Sophie dived down to the earth just as Josh ran towards the bags. In seconds they had everything packed and ready.

They decided Josh should hold the bags so all Sophie had to concentrate on was not dropping him and flying towards the school. Shouldn't be that difficult, right?

Soon Josh was standing arms raised in the air, waiting for Sophie to swoop down and gather him up. As the ground dropped away from him he gulped, yelling up to Sophie, "are you sure you want to do this?"

"It's the quickest way," she replied shortly, saving her breath.

"Yep, well ok. If you're sure you're fine with it!"

She didn't bother answering him.

They were halfway there when Sophie began descending quite rapidly towards the road.

"Hey, Soph! Soph! We're going down! Don't you think we should slow down a little bit? Sophie?! OUCH!"

They landed with the usual grace, Josh pulling himself back off the floor and Sophie looking around the place they had landed.

"We've only been flying two hours!" Josh moaned, rubbing his shoulders, "you can't be tired already."

"I need a drink," Sophie said calmly, walking off towards the shop in the corner of a road.

"Money!" he yelled across to her.

"I've already got it!" she called back, waving his wallet at him.

"Hey," he muttered to himself, patting the pocket where it had been a few seconds ago.

Soon she reappeared, glugging from a clear bottle of what appeared to be water.

"That is water right?" Josh asked, uncertainly.

"Yep."

"Ok then."

"Ready to go?"

"Er, if you feel up to it…" he trailed off, watching her expression, "yep, ok defiantly ready!"

She tossed the bottle expertly into a nearby bin, grabbed Josh's arms and soon they were away, swooping low over the trees.

"Not that I'm moaning for anything," Josh called up to her, panic in his voice. "But could you please lift my legs above the trees? They're getting battered down there!"

Sophie suddenly flew up in an almost vertical lift, the G-force rippling her long hair down her back.

"Weeeeeeeeeee!" she yelled, racing up into the clouds. "Wahooooooo!"

"Sophie!" Josh squeaked, clutching onto her hand. "Go down!"

"Up, down, shake it all around!" she carolled loudly, weaving left and right dizzyingly fast.

"STOP IT, SOPHIE!" Josh roared, feeling light headed at the effort.

"If you insist," she sighed, bringing them hovering a little way above the trees.

"Well, go on then." Josh said, pointing forwards.

"Where to?"

"The school!"

"Which way?"

"Forwards!" he snapped, grounding his teeth.

"Ohhh I've got a great idea!" she yelled, giggling.

"That's nice, now can we please go forwards?"

"Yes, sir, whatever you say, sir!" Sophie cried, dropping one of Josh's shoulders, saluting and then leaping forwards in the air again.

"Sophie!" Josh moaned, hanging at a weird angle.

"Sorry, honey." She laughed, grabbing his other shoulder again.

"Right so this idea of mine…" she began with the air of Christmas coming early. "I close my eyes and you guide me to the school! Doesn't that sound like fun?" she gushed, giggling again.

"No way Soph!" Josh hissed, angrily but also slightly scared at the thought.

"Too late!" Sophie giggled, her eyes firmly closed.

"ARGGHHH! SOPHIE, OPEN YOU'RE GODDAMNED EYES!"

"Sorry, no can do," Sophie sang in a little girls voice down to him.

"OUCH! SOPHIE FLY UP! UP!"

"Okey dokey Joshie Washie!" Sophie said, grinning insanely.

"Go left! Now, left! NO! That's right! The other way! GO LEFT!"

Finally after Josh had come close to crying, Sophie opened her eyes to land. The school was right below them and, circling once, Sophie began to dive towards the grass.

"Sophie, slow down!" Josh yelled but to no avail. She flew suddenly low, skimming the grass as she dropped Josh on the floor.

She curved back into the air, did an amazingly high backflip, came down in a huge circle and landed easily right next to the heap that was Josh.

"Couldn't have gone for a normal landing? Just this once?" he grumbled, picking himself up.

"No," Sophie said brightly, fidgeting in the warm, spring sunlight.

Students were leaning out of windows, staring down at the two people that had come flying out of the sky.

"Look!" one of them yelled, "she's got wings."

Josh gave a grudging smile and grabbed Sophie's arm. "Look," he said pointing, "Charles Xavier."

Sophie turned her head towards the huge doorway to see and old bold man in a wheelchair slowly moving towards them.

"He looks like a giant egg!" she cried, in a carrying whisper.

"Sophie!" Josh yelped, shocked.

The man didn't seem to have heard anything though as he kept coming with the same expression on his face.

"Do you think you could shine his head?" she muttered, then proceeded to make "ek! Eeeekk!" noises.

"Shut up, Sophie!" Josh snapped, pressing his hand across her mouth.

"Ghet your mand out mi mouff," Sophie screeched, the sound muffled by Josh's hand.

Annoyed she bit down hand on a little bit of Josh's skin.

"Youch!" he yelled, jumping up and down and holding his hand in between his legs just as Xavier reached them.

Sophie gave Josh a reproving look before saying, "why hello there Mr.Xavier-"

"Call me Charles," he said, smiling patiently.

"Well, er ok then," Sophie began, put out of her stride, "Charles Xavier my names Sophie Claxton and his," here she indicated to jumping Josh, "is Joshua Watson. We were erm, hoping we might be able to join your school. We have er, what would you call them? Differences from your average human?" Sophie asked, trying to sound clever, polite and not offend him at the same time.

"Well, we call them 'powers' here," Charles said, helpfully.

"Ah, well then we have powers." Sophie said, nodding in what she hoped was a intelligent way.

"Yes, well I can see yours-"

"Really? Gosh, how can you?" Sophie asked, trying to act like the budding student already.

"Well, I can see your wings."

"Oh. Oh yeah, of course."

"Mr.Xavier," gasped Josh finally finding the words, "she's had a hard time lately, she's a little in shock I think. You know, thrown out of school, thrown out of her home, running away-"

"I was not thrown out of my home!" Sophie cried indignantly.

"Like I said before Soph, a matter of time."

"And like I said before, Josh, call me Sophie!" She snapped her voice rising dangerously.

"Children, children-" Charles began.

"Shut up!" Josh and Sophie yelled simultaneously, without looking round.

They stood face to face, Sophie standing a little shorter than Josh.

"Why can't I call you Soph?"

"Cos like I said, my friends call me Soph."

"We've been through all that and I'm still not your friend?" Josh asked, hurt etched on his face.

"I don't know Josh," Sophie said, sighing as she turned away from him.

"Why don't you know?"

"Stop pushing me!"

"I just want to know!"

"I'm really tired Josh, can't we just get back to talking to Charles-"

"No, we can't. Not until you answer my question." He snapped stubbornly.

"Josh, leave it! Ok?"

"No I won't leave it, Sophie." Empathising sharply on her name.

"Please Josh," Sophie whispered, biting her lip. She looked small somehow, tiny, vulnerable as though the next breeze would blow her away. Her eyes were over-bright as tears formed in them and for the first time Josh noticed the particular shade of grey with a deep green flecks.

"I'm sorry Sophie," he said, quietly.

"I'm sorry to, Josh."

"Ok now that's sorted out," Charles rumbled, raising an eyebrow.

"We're so sorry!" Sophie blurted out, blushing as she recalled their last words to him.

"It's not a problem. You both look very tired," he said kindly. "Come in right away."

"You mean we've got a place? For sure?"

"Everyone who comes here looking for sanctuary is never turned away, my dear boy," Charles replied, laughing.

Josh blushed a little, "thank you so much."

"Like I said, it is not a problem. Now, Miss. Claxton, Mr. Watson, if you would care to come this way?" They followed him into the huge castle-like building, the coolness of the air washing over them in contrast to the warmth outside.

Large deep brown wooded panels covered parts of the walls with old-fashioned decor along the corridors. A thick red carpet greeted their feet as soon as they walked past the large, stone entrance hall and a beautiful looking staircase wound around the walls in front of them.

Charles smiled at their wondering glances and guided them towards a smallish, wooden panel that stood out a little from the wall.

"I cannot, of course, take the stairs," he said, indicating to his modern looking wheelchair. "So we shall take the lift."

Sophie and Josh nodded mutely as at Charles touch the panel slid sideways, omitting them to a fairly sized metal lift.

Following Charles into the lift Sophie and Josh stood side by side, possibly wondering what they'd let themselves in for. Sophie found herself looking at Josh and saw that his normally tanned face had gone very pale as the lift had begun to move.

"Are you alright?" she whispered, anxiously.

"I'm ok, I just don't like lifts." He said tightly.

Without thinking about it Sophie caught his left hand and held it tightly in hers, before turning her attention to Charles again. As soon as the lift door opened Sophie was out and following Charles at a quick pace, Josh's hand forgotten. Josh stood there for a second, slightly bemused, until Sophie turned around and saw him there still and motioned for him to get a move on. He obeyed silently.

They reached another panel, this one circular and huge. It shined imposingly down at them but didn't seem any different form the rest lining the corridor. Charles touched it and it slid back just like the lift. Josh and Sophie stood there speechless as they saw another, bigger, corridor leading away form them.

"We have our enemy's to, my friends." Charles' voice sounded sad, almost wistful, before starting fast down the new corridor.

"Like who?" Josh asked, puffing as he caught up.

"The authorities mainly," Charles said briskly, taking a right down another corridor. "They believe several of our students are dangerous to the 'society'." Now he sounded angry, though it did not show on his face. "Also there is Magneto and his followers. As we do not support them, we are there enemy's. There is no middle ground." The anger had gone, replaced with a cold sort of factual voice.

"Magneto?" Sophie chipped in, half running. "Does he have a bucket on his head?"

Charles laughed hard and stopped suddenly before an unremarkable door, swivelling round to face them both. Josh had stopped himself just in time to avoid landing in Charles' lap.

"This is where you will stay for now. I'm sorry to say you will have to share until we can find a more suitable place. With the new identification law in place we have become fuller than ever before." He looked at them regretfully, "you don't mind?"

"Of course not!" Sophie cried, truthfully, "you have taken us in and given us rooms and all that. At least tonight we'll sleep with a roof over our heads, right Josh?"

"Oh, yeah. Defiantly."

"Well it's settled then," Charles said beaming, "I'd better be going. I have a few things to attend t before dinner. Dinner is at 6.30 by the way, in the main hall. I'll have someone take you there."

"Thanks!" Sophie called down the corridor as he sped off. Turning she saw Josh lay his hand on the soft wooded door handle, he slowly pushed open the door and they entered the room.

"Wow," muttered Sophie softly.

The room was well sized and two large single beds stood prominently in the middle of the room, hangings on one and the other made by black metal, a small table separating them. The room was a soft crème colour and a huge glass window stood at one end, domineering the far wall.

The thick carpet was a beautiful soft blue and a long mirror stood on one of the walls, a dark wood dressing table standing under it. Across the other side of the wall stood a wardrobe and next to that another door stood, waiting to be opened. Sophie moved forwards and expectantly pulled it open, revealing a small, white bathroom complete with toilet, sink, shower and bath.

Upon further investigation the bathroom was also filled with shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, moisturising crème, soap, towels, flannels, toothpaste and a special make-up/normal mirror.

"How the hell does he afford it all?" Sophie muttered to herself. She walked back into the bedroom to see Josh bouncing on the metal bed, laughing his head off.

"You big kid!" Sophie said giggling. The bed gave an almighty groan and Sophie and Josh's eyes widened.

"Best get off now," she said quickly and he agreed, leaping onto the carpet.

"Well," she said, jumping towards the dressing table. "This is mine!"

"You can have that," Josh said grinning, "this is mine." And he pointed at the wardrobe.

"That's fine," Sophie said shrugging, "this things got draws I can use."

"Hey, Sophie."

"Yeah?"

"It wasn't water you were drinking earlier, was it?"

Sophie gulped. "No, it wasn't. But I just wanted to try it," she confessed.

"And you had to try it just before we got here?"

"Last chance," Sophie said, shrugging.

Josh rolled his eyes. "Do you know what you put me through when you were flying after you'd had it?"

"Yeah," Sophie muttered, wincing as she recalled the perilous flight. "Sorry."

"Never again," Josh ordered.

"Never again," Sophie replied meekly.

"I'm gonna have a shower, what's the time?"

"3.30."

"Ok, that means you can have one too if you want, before we head to dinner."

"Good idea," Sophie said, running a hand through her messy hair. "I'm gonna unpack, it shouldn't take me long," she said mournfully gazing at the bag at her feet.

"Ok, cool." Josh disappeared into the bathroom, locking the door. Seconds later Sophie heard the hiss of the water coming out of the shower and someone clumsily getting under it. She yawned and moved the bag onto the lap as she pulled open one of its draws.

She emptied her clothes onto the floor, putting all her socks, kickers and bras into the top draw. Next she put all her tops in the second on down. Then she put her jumpers in the third, trousers in the fifth, dresses and skirts into the sixth and placed her shoes in a neat line alongside the dressing table.

Then she unzipped one of the bags' pockets and pulled out her make-up, hairbrush, face wash, toothbrush, spray, jewellery, deodorant, phone charger, phone, diary, pen her mum and dad had brought her last Christmas, a photo album and finally a single photo framed. It held quite a lot really, she thought surprised.

She carefully placed all her make-up across the top of the dressing table and left her jewellery beside it, kept in a little old bag of hers. She placed her hairbrush next to it and then her deodorant next to that. She shoved her phone charger into her top draw, with her pen and diary.

She dropped her face wash and toothbrush on the end of her bed, to wait for when the bathroom was free again. She dropped her phone, turned off, into her pocket, placed the photo album standing up next to her make-up and carefully positioned her framed photo on the bedside table towards, what she was presuming was, her bed.

She then kicked off her old trainers, lay down on the bed, the one with the hangings, and closed her eyes. Just for a second, she thought, just like Josh had the other night.

And she drifted off into dreamland.