Anna flopped onto the couch in the lounge down the hall from the Headmistress' office. The day's lessons had gone well, and she had a group of students who showed a lot of promise. They had made dinner that night as their first class project, and it had gone over very well. The kids were all extremely proud and eager to move on to the next stage of lessons. Storm had been especially pleased and grateful that Anna had volunteered to offer a few culinary classes in return for letting her stay at the mansion.

She was tired, but a shower had refreshed her, and she wanted to take advantage of the after-hours quiet to listen to some of the school's Opera recordings. She pulled out a collection of Arias and hurried over to the couch after she pressed play. She sat back and closed her eyes and let the music wash over her. She savored each song and hummed along, occasionally singing along as well.

The familiar strains of Lucia Di Lammermoor set her heart to racing and she sang. Without opening her eyes she stood and sang as if she were on stage. She could see the bright lights and the barely visible audience members as they sat listening in rapt silence. As the song ended in an achingly soft voice, her heart fluttered.

The sound of loud clapping scared the daylights out of her and she jumped nearly out of her skin. She whipped around to see Dr. Henry McCoy standing in the doorway with a broad smile.

"You scared the life out of me!" She scolded.

McCoy chuckled. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to break the mood." He smiled. "I heard you as I came out of Charles' office. You sing beautifully."

She blushed to the roots of her hair. "Thanks," She murmured modestly as she reached out to turn off the stereo. She held out her hand and introduced herself. "I'm Anna, Dr. McCoy. It's a real pleasure to finally meet you face-to-face."

He shook her hand. "Hank, please. And the pleasure is all mine."

She smiled and bit her lip shyly. "Ah, would you care to join me?" She asked, gesturing to the couch.

"Yes, thank you," He said. "I was just dropping off your applications for identification and a social security number in the headmistress' office. I hadn't expected to run into you. I was wondering if I might ask you a few questions."

"Sure," She said settling herself on the couch, facing him. "What can I do you for?" She joked.

Hank smiled "Ororo just filled me in on your story, but I'd like to hear it for myself, if you don't mind."

She nodded. "Of course. Where would you like me to begin?"

Hank sat with his hand over his mouth thoughtfully. Anna couldn't help but stare. He was so much more handsome in person, and he looked so much more real than he did in the movies. She thought he looked kind of cute with his brow furrowed so seriously. And his body! She sighed quietly. Even a suit couldn't hide that he was in excellent physical shape.

"Your story is so outrageous and improbable, but I can't help but to believe you." His eyes softened. "What about you? Do you have family? A significant other?"

She looked away and smiled sadly. "Yeah. 2 boys and 2 girls. I'm not married anymore."

"Being away from them must be terribly difficult for you."

Anna nodded. "Especially the baby, Hannah." She said softly. "She's almost one now." A tear glistened in the corner of her eye and she tried to wipe at it surreptitiously. "David too. He's my second youngest. He's a handful, but he's my sweet boy." She bit on her lip to keep from crying. "My seven year-old, Bella is the one I clash with the most, but there is nothing like sitting in my bedroom and listening to her laugh and sing while she's playing! She kills me every time." She chuckled through a sniff. "And Robert, my oldest. He's just at that age where the girls are starting to notice him, and he hates it when they flirt and tease him. He's a looker, so he gets it from the teachers too."

She felt a light touch on her shoulder and glanced over to see Hank holding a hankie out for her to use. She gave a half-laugh, half-sob and dabbed at her eyes. "Thanks," she sniffed loudly.

He laid a comforting hand on her shoulder and gave her time to compose herself. He gently turned the conversation away from those bittersweet memories. She seemed grateful, but now that he was paying attention, he could see the quiet sorrow in her eyes.

"So where you come from, there are no mutants?"

"No." She sniffed, dabbing at her eyes. "The X-Men are comic book characters that have been recently translated into movies. The comic has been around for decades though. It's a hugely popular and rather convoluted set of stories and has branched off into different comics featuring different mutants in other parts of the world. One I remember well features Excalibur. It takes place in Brittan, and the team consists of Shadow Cat, Night Crawler, Captain Brittan, Phoenix and Meggan."

Hank flinched at the name Phoenix, and she slid closer to him. She laid a reassuring hand on his. "Oh, no, no. Not Jean it's…wait. I'm not so sure I should tell you about that."

He relaxed a bit, but frowned. "Why shouldn't you tell me?"

"The stories I know all come from the Comic Books. You all are more like the movie versions of the comic characters, so your stories will be different. In fact, the movies have been very different so far from the comics, but they still carry basically the same theme and happenings.

"So, what I know from the comics could be very wrong, or could end up becoming very true, and telling everyone what the future could hold would be potentially disastrous. Worst of all, I could, based on the comics, foretell someone rising from the dead, and be completely wrong."

Hank frowned thoughtfully. "Unfortunately, I am forced to agree. It's a slippery slope that we'd best avoid at all costs. You haven't mentioned any of this to the students, have you?"

"Absolutely not! I get enough disbelief from Storm, Logan and Warren. No, They don't need to know anyway. It would only make most of them unhappy." She looked at him seriously then.

"There is one thing I cannot, in good conscience, keep from you."

Hank's brow drew together worriedly. "I don't think you should…"

She cut him off. "Eric Lenshire has already begun to regain his powers."

Hank paled and he stared at her incredulously.

"The 'Cure' was only temporary. The mutants who were inoculated will gradually regain his or her abilities. Magneto has already begun to do so. You all have to be prepared."

She could see that he was troubled, and she could see the conflicting emotions over his having used the "Cure" against Magneto. The way his features clouded over with regret gave her a twinge and she took his hand consolingly. She captured his eyes with hers.

"Magneto is a dangerous man. He has let the evil in the world turn him into a monster willing to sacrifice anyone and anything to reach a goal that he himself is unsure of. Using the "Cure" against him was no worse than tazing a man with a gun, or sedating and muzzling a wild animal in a residential neighborhood."

She squeezed his hand and stared earnestly into his eyes. "You are a good man, Hank McCoy. You did what was necessary, and you still suffer for it. You held no hate for the man and you did what you had to do for the greater good. You and the rest of the team are heroes."

He gazed lingeringly into her eyes. "Thank you."

She winked and gave his hands a steady squeeze. "Any time, handsome. Now how 'bout we talk about something less dreary?"

They chatted for a long time about music, books, and opera. She admired his knowledge and sighed wistfully when he spoke of some of the shows he'd seen. He liked the way her eyes sparkled when she spoke of the few things she'd seen. She had an easy, relaxed manner that made him feel good about himself. Her compliments were flattering but sincere.

As they chatted, she absently flipped her now-dry hair over her shoulder. A moment later, he was hit by a powerful wave of her scent. His body reacted instantly and automatically. He inhaled deeply and felt a sudden surge of longing for her.

"Are you okay over there?"

Hank blinked dazedly and shook himself. "What?"

"You suddenly went very quiet and growled."

Her scent seemed to tickle his nose tauntingly. He blinked several more times and shook his head. "I'm sorry…I was suddenly…um…" He took another deep breath through his nose and this time he heard the low growl in his throat.

She covered her mouth with her hands. "Omigosh! I forgot about my, uhm, I'd better go so you can catch your breath…or…something," She said, hopping up off the couch and retreated apologetically. "Thank you for talking to me, Hank. It means the world to me."

She smiled warmly at him. His heart leaped at her smile and it was all he could do not to go after her. He sat for a long time after she'd left, just trying to clear his head. He rubbed his face and pondered their conversation. Despite knowing about her "gift," he had enjoyed their time together, and looked forward to future conversations.

He shifted self-consciously and tried to calm down his body's…physical response to Anna's peculiar mutation. Now that the air was clear, he realized why she'd been so grateful for his company. With her mutation, she was physically unable to spend much time in the presence of any of the male students or staff members, and because the school was co-ed, that automatically precluded most contact with any of the students. Combine that with the loss of her children…

He frowned. Perhaps he would speak with Warren's father about some form of inhibitor. He had been studying Jamie's mutation for his own purposes, so perhaps he might be able to add something to the research. His…embarrassment…now faded, he stood and moved with purpose for the front door and the large black car waiting for him.