A/N: From now on out, the story gets a little more grown up. If you have any problems with the rating, please let me know – I'm not very familiar with this system and I'm most definitely not looking to offend anyone. Thank you very much, please Read and Review.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own X-men or anything relating to Marvel comics. All this is simply for the sake of entertainment.

CHAPTER FOUR: Preparation is key

When Storm had awoken, there had been so sign of Illyria, the bed had been un-slept in and nothing had changed since the night before. Strange… Downstairs, Storm set about exploring the flat while the kettle boiled.

The wall with the cubbyholes was a whole two stories tall (it even had its own ladder on wheels, like a library), but Storm decided to start simple. Beside the front door was a side table with a bowl that had several sets of keys in it, and two photographs. The first was of Felix; the second was of that man Storm had assumed was called 'Wade'. She couldn't help herself; she picked up the picture of Felix and took a closer look.

His hair was shorter then, cut just above his ears and he was standing on the edge of a mountain. That wasn't what caught her eye though, no. In this picture, Felix had wings – honest to God, wings. They were a beautiful brown-red that matched his skin perfectly and they were spread out, at least six foot long each, like an angel's. He wasn't smiling though, and looking closer she saw there was dirt on his cheeks and down his bare arms. His face was bruised and the glint in his eyes was one of pain, not pleasure. Maybe an angry avenging angel then?

"Like it?" She yelped and jumped a foot in the air, dropping the photograph. He caught it before it hit the ground and set it back where it belonged. When Storm's eyes met his, she shivered. They weren't brown, they were black and that frightened her.

"Why – why do you have wings?" His grin was a little too self-satisfied for her taste.

"I guess I'm just heaven sent." He prowled further into the house. That was the only word she could think to use: prowled. His shoulders rolled gracefully and he moved lightly, stepping on the balls of his feet, but there was no way she would ever mistake him for harmless, no, the strength she could see in his body betrayed him. He was vibrating with energy, as if he would implode should he stop moving. A restless animal… "Does Snowflake have any food in this place?" He started opening cupboards, drawers, the fridge.

"Yes, she said there was enough to make breakfast."

"You had breakfast?"

"I was planning on it." He just grunted and started cracking eggs into a bowl. "W-what are you doing?" She hated her voice for quivering, damn voice!

"There're kids in my apartment." As if that explained it all.

"But you have a daughter of your own!"

"Yeah, but Ash is nice, and she's mine, and I like her." He licked spilled milk off his fingers. "The others smell, talk too much, have no appreciation for fine art, posture more than I enjoy and don't understand a man's need for personal space." The pancake mix sizzled as it hit the pan. "So I'm here to find some peace and quiet, and cook us breakfast, unless you're vegan – in which case we're fucked."

"I'm not a vegan." In the end, the pancakes tasted almost as good as he looked.

"So you control the weather, huh?" He sat opposite her at Illyria's kitchen table.

"Yeah." She looked at her food then back at him. "Can I… Can I ask about the wings?"

"Sure, ask away." His grin was heart stopping. Everything about him was heart stopping.

"Why the wings?" He was mocking her, and she knew it.

"I'm a shapeshifter. I turn into a tiger, with wings. But like a lot of powerful shifters, I can choose to only change some part of me: hands, head, wings." He shrugged and somehow it was graceful. "I like my wings, they can be a great help." God, he even looked good when he chewed. She seriously had to stop appreciating him, or at least tone it down!

"So what do you look like… as a tiger?" He surveyed the room around them.

"Where did she put it?" He stood, "One sec." And went rooting around in a cupboard. "Ah, bingo." He pulled out a huge painting and carried it over effortlessly. When he turned it to face her, she caught her breath. It was an oil painting of a huge tiger, the size of a pony, with beautiful, elegant wings. Its stripes were black but its fur was the same rusty red shade as his wings had been in the picture. His eyes were big and golden brown and the fangs his mouth sported must have been as long as her forefinger.

"Wow…" Even though it was a painting, she was completely captivated by the way his fur caught the light and his paws rested on the... wait, was that the Chrysler Building? "When was that?"

"This, oh it hasn't happened yet." He put the painting back where he found it.

"What do you mean it hasn't happened yet?" he just shrugged.

"Sherrylin-Bliss painted it. She saw it in the future or something." He waved away her questions. "I don't know for sure how it works, you'd have to ask Haven." She could have continued to quiz him, but the computer screen in the wall spoke up, Victor's voice coming through clearly.

"Everyone report to the Bridge in five. Professor Xavier may take the elevator, Kinessa go show him the way, everyone else: take the stairs!"

"Looks like we're gonna have to cut our date short, Ms. Munroe." She blinked up at him.

"Date?"

"It's been a pleasure. I haven't courted a beautiful woman in a long time." He stood and helped her from her chair, but there was a playful shine to his eyes.

"I find that hard to believe, Reverend." She played along. "I'm sure beautiful women set eyes on you and never leave again!" If she hadn't been so focused, Storm might have missed the flash of sadness in his face. Sad, why would he be sad? Then it occurred to her, no one had mentioned Aisling's mother. "Felix, may I ask you a personal question?" Her hand was still in his and his hold tightened a fraction.

"Shoot."

"Where," She hesitated, maybe this wasn't the best idea… "Where is Aisling's mother?" His hold tightened again, as if he were hiding a flinch.

"Gone." Then he dropped her hand and turned away. "You might as well come with me, you don't know where the bridge is."

Storm's cheeks flamed. She knew that was a bad idea! Dammit! She was so caught up in her internal telling off that she didn't realise he'd stopped before opening the door.

"Aisling's mother…" His voice was tight, but other than that, toneless – the way people spoke when they related a traumatic event while trying not to think about it. "Died when Aisling was two." then he opened the door and walked out without another word.

Storm didn't know what to say. What do you say to an admission like that?

The Bridge turned out to be Larmes du Soleil's equivalent of the War Room, only bigger. There were high tech monitors, a round conference desk, plenty of space to pace like a crazy person and lots of glass and brushed steel. By the time Storm and Felix entered, everyone (except Aisling and the elusive Sherrylin-Bliss) was assembled and seated. He pulled out a chair for her and she thanked him with a smile. There were some raised eyebrows, namely Logan and the Professor, but otherwise it was accepted as perfectly normal. Victor began the meeting without any frill.

"Felix, list of stuff." He handed The Reverend two sheets of paper. Felix looked it over quickly. "Can you get it?" The Native American threw his head back and laughed.

"Can I get it? I'm hurt, boss man…" Victor just rolled his eyes. "Let me make a call." He pressed a button on one of the screens. "Caroline, baby, put me through to Rich, please, and email this to him?" A pause, then the rings on a phone, a few seconds passed and he call was picked up.

"Richmond."

"Its me, I got a list for you that's just been emailed." Another pause.

"Got it."

"Can you find all that?"

"Eight hours, tops."

"Thanks, Rich."

"Hold up, Rev. There was a problem down at Caliente this morning."

"What kinda problem?"

"Rachel's man's been beatin' on her again." Rich sighed and Felix swore a blue streak.

"Make sure his gives her enough cash to tide her over for the hours she'll miss with us, then have him dealt with."

"Yes, sir."

"And, Rich?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Make it messy, I want him to understand that no one touches my girls."

"A finger, sir?"

"Make it two, three if he complains."

"Yes, sir. Have a nice day, sir."

"Tell your daughter happy anniversary, Rich." Then he hung up. When he faced the room again, his eyes were full of fury. "Fucking bastard, son of a bitch!" He would have continued, but Illyria put a hand on his arm.

"Easy, big man. Think now, kill later." Felix nodded to Victor.

"My apologies. It seems abusive boyfriends have no respect for anyone else's schedule." It was Rogue who spoke next, because everyone else was too shocked to say a word.

"Hang on. A whore just got beat up bah her boyfriend, so you're gonna cut off two of his fingers – three if he complains – and no one's gonna say anythang?" He blinked at her in confusion.

"What's to say?"

"You can't just do that!" He looked her up and down quickly, sizing her up.

"Yeah, little girl, I can. Rachel's a good lady; she just made a few wrong choices. And her taste in men is fucking despicable. Just because she has sex for money doesn't mean she's any less that you are, or that it's okay for her lover to beat her. That's not okay for anyone!" He ran a hand over his face. "I'm not justifying my actions: maiming is wrong. But that's my job, for better or for worse. I'm her pimp – as long as she works for me, she's my responsibility. Get over it." Then he turned to Victor. "You heard Rich, eight hours."

"Good. Now, Professor, I took the liberty of coming up with a plan…" The rest of the meeting was spent discussing the details of the X-mansion's new security system. It was agreed that work would start after 1pm that afternoon, beginning with Haven putting up some kind of barrier, and ending two weeks from that day with Kinessa bringing all circuits online.

Storm volunteered to go and supervise that first day before she realised Felix would be coming too. She made her way to the garage with a knot on her stomach. The meeting had shown her a tiny glimpse of who Felix could be: cutting off people's fingers? And she wasn't sure she wanted to be in a car with him. When she arrived, he was nowhere to be seen, but Haven was leaning his massive body against a dark green Bentley Continental.

"We're going in a Bentley?" Haven just nodded.

"I've always had style, Ms. Munroe, just some days I'm more extravagant than others, please, take a seat." Felix had appeared behind her and opened the passenger door.

"Doesn't Haven want to…"

"A Lady always goes in the front if she wants to, Storm. Besides, you're supposed to be supervising. Supervisors ride shotgun." Was all Haven said before he hopped in the back.

By the time they reached the X-mansion, it was drizzling, and again she was surprised when Felix got out first, with an umbrella, opened her door and gave it to her. He didn't demand she change the weather, he didn't ask her to stop the course of nature, he just handed her an umbrella. Goddamn, she couldn't figure him out.

"You can do this in the rain, my man?" Again, Haven just gave a nod in return. "Are you afraid of lions Ms. Munroe?" She blinked at him.

"I – I don't know. Why?"

"No worries."

"Okay, well I brought my spare key, so…"

"We won't need it," Haven announced. Then right there, in the rain, he lifted his hands, closed his eyes and the very air began to shimmer.

"What's he doing?" She gaped. Without realising, she'd clung to Felix's arm.

"He's collecting energy: kinetic from the air, chemical from the plants, light from the sun, sound from the rain… To make it his own, then build a barrier around the whole mansion."

"What for?"

"Its way more effective than bullet proof glass…" He couldn't keep explaining, because right then Haven's body began to glow. Literally, he was pulsing with light. She noticed that Felix subtly put himself in front of her, and she would have been pissed, but she had no idea what she was dealing with.

Haven exploded. That was the only word she could use! It was as if he'd just flung himself out all over the mansion, covering it, blanketing it, protecting it. What was left in his place took her breath away.

A huge, golden lion stood before her. He was the size of a small horse (bigger than lions should be, she thought) and his mane was a magnificent, dark brown. Felix pushed in front of her again and began to speak to the lion.

"Haven, my man, can you hear me?" The lion tilted its head and she noticed he had wings too, like Felix, tucked close to his back. "Rex, buddy, come on…" The lion dipped its head, and Felix took that as an invitation. He approached, and put out a hand, which the lion – Haven – sniffed at. "Come closer, Ororo, so he knows who you are…"

"I'm not coming closer." Her heart was beating a mile a minute and she could feel her eyes being wider than they should be.

"He can smell your fear. Hell, I can smell your fear. You need to come closer, show him that you won't run."

"Why can't I – why can't I run?"

"Ever seen a kitten chase a yarn ball?"

"Is that Haven, in there?"

"Not exactly. It's a different side of Haven, one that thinks differently. Come on." He walked toward her, took her hand, put one arm around her waist, and slowly guided her to the huge animal. Haven, or not-so-Haven, was just watching. There was no expression in his eyes, no recognition. She was unimportant to him: how this played out was up to her, they could be friends or he could eat her, either way he didn't care.

"Oh my Goddess…" A tear fell down her cheek, but when Felix's hand reached under her shirt and rested warmly on the small of her back, she calmed. She could feel the power in his body, feel that he could (and would) protect her, and for just a moment she let herself believe this would all be all right.

When she got as close to Haven as she dare, Felix lifted her hand and put it palm up in front of those big amber eyes.

"Rex, my man, this is Ororo. She ain't gon' hurt ya, she ain't gon' hurt Sherrylin. We're good." Haven padded forward on paws as big as her face and sniffed at her hand. He chuffed and growled a little, but it wasn't threatening, so a tiny bit of tension left her body. "You gonna fly home, buddy?" Haven was already walking away, having lost interest in them both. She watched, transfixed, as his wings unfurled. He turned to face them and chuffed again before launching himself into the air and gliding away.

"Oh my Goddess…" The tears were falling for real now, and Storm didn't even care. That was hands down one the most frightening things she'd ever seen.

"It's okay, baby, it's okay." He wrapped his arms around her and she briefly registered that he was warmer than most people. The rain started pouring harder, but she was too out of sorts to care. The lighting came, then the thunder and Felix ushered her into the Bentley. The engine started with a purr and as soon as he had the wonderful car in gear, he took her hand.

The next trip to the X-mansion would involve more people. Illyria was coming to take a look at the roof, she would be setting up some fancy kind of camera. Storm volunteered to go again and so did Rogue and Bobby. Illyria let Strom ride shotgun for no particular reason and the two youngest mutants stayed very, very quiet next to the telepath in the back.

The sun was setting quickly, but Illyria was still working hard. Rogue and Bobby had already gotten the things from their room's that they'd actually come for (it wasn't like they wanted to help) and Felix was quietly assisting Blue. Storm just watched.

It was Illyria whose head snapped up first.

"You hear that?" she asked her partner. He looked up and scanned the sky.

"Chopper." H dropped what he was holding and gave orders. "Storm, give us some cloud cover. Kiddies, get under something, if they've got guns don't fight back, just hide! Storm, that means you as well, no fighting, just hiding." He looked at Illyria. "You packing?" She laughed.

"Am I ever not?" He nodded and pulled out his own weapon. They took up positions on the roof and waited.

"How many?" Storm heard him ask.

"Twenty-four. A whole goddamn platoon!" She cursed.

"How much ammo you got?"

"For my .45, I'm packing three clips, for my 9mm, three as well. I'm good. You?"

"I'll be fine."

"Felix! How many?"

"Three for a nine mil." She just nodded. The chopper was coming closer. They both screwed sound suppressors on. "Show time." Felix said, then they split up.

When the helicopter landed on the roof, and the soldiers quietly spilled out, Storm had trouble taking a full breath. She couldn't see Rogue, or Bobby. They had all hidden separately. She couldn't spot Felix, or Illyria. Breathe, Storm, breathe… The soldiers reached the door on the roof, and then the first one dropped, bleeding from his throat. The gunfire exploded, but the soldiers kept dropping. Storm half thought it would be okay, until she heard Rogue scream.