The evening was dark and chilly. Thunderclouds roiled overhead, rumbling restlessly as their bellies tore open and drenched everything outside within moments. Inside the Mansion that housed Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, the mood was just as dark. Gathered in Professor Xavier's office were some of the most powerful mutants on earth, and one not-so-normal young woman whom was the focus of their dark discussion.
"I can't stay here." Anna argued heatedly. "I won't put the children at risk like that. For crying out loud, he came right into the school!"
"I have to agree." Rumbled Hank McCoy. "The school obviously isn't safe for her anymore. Nor would it be a safe haven for the students with Sabretooth stopping by every afternoon."
"Where the hell is she supposed to go then?" demanded Logan. He turned to Anna. "You don't know anyone here, and you don't have any family to go to."
"Logan is right," said Storm. "Where else can she go?"
"She can stay at my apartment in the city." Offered Warren. "My father bought it for me a few years ago. I live out here now, so you'll have the place to yourself."
"Where is it, Warren?" Asked Storm.
"It's actually just a few blocks from Dad's D.C. lab, right in the middle of the city."
"You know, I think this is the way to go." Murmured Hank. "Sabretooth is not likely to venture into heavily populated areas, and her scent should be almost impossible to detect over the smells of the city."
"Are you sure you don't mind, Warren?" Anna asked.
"Not at all." He said shaking his head. "Mi casa es su casa."
She squeezed his hand warmly. Her face clouded. "What about my class?"
Storm thought for a minute. "For now, we'll have to suspend your classes. In a few weeks, if Sabretooth stays away, we can bring you back a couple times a week.
"We just started the garmagé section. They can work on practicing what we've learned in class, and they can experiment with the other methods in my textbook." She sighed sadly. "This really sucks."
"I don't like it." Muttered Logan "who's gonna keep an eye out for her in the city? Just because the bastard doesn't like the city, it doesn't mean he won't go in after her."
"I think the local Mutant community would be willing to keep their eyes open and contact us if there's any trouble." Said Hank. "They already have a neighborhood watch of sorts. And I work in the city as well. I would be happy to stop in and check on her now and then." He smiled over at Anna.
She smiled shyly at him and looked around at the group. "So it's settled then?"
Before she left, Anna stopped by the rooms of all her students and explained what was happening. There were a lot of tears and lots of hugs, and all too quickly she found herself in a big black car driving away from the school and the friends she's made there.
The drive into D.C. was a fairly long one, and before too long she was sound asleep. She came partly awake just as they hit the city streets. She'd always been able to tell when she was nearing the end of a journey. She sleepily remembered trips to her grandparents' house in Brooklyn. She'd always fall asleep on the trip from the airport, but she'd wake up just as they turned onto that last street. She smiled to herself as she remembered being carried in, barely awake and yet still excited to hear her aunt's familiar voice, and the quiet hugs and kisses from the grandparents as her father carried her into the house.
She sighed and cuddled closer into the cushions of the seat. The cushion shifted slightly and Hank cleared his throat right next to her ear. She came slowly more awake as the realization of where she was lying dawned on her. Her eyes opened wide and she slowly lifted her head in mortification.
Hank sat back against the corner between the seat back and the door with his chin resting on his chest. She had been leaning against him with her head on his shoulder. His arm was resting across her shoulders. He lifted his head sleepily and smiled.
"I didn't mean to wake you."
"Oh my goodness, I am so sorry Hank! If I'd known that I was laying on you, I would have moved!"
"It's quite alright my dear. I didn't mind at all."
"You are a sweetheart, you know that? I hope that we will come to be good friends."
He gently brushed the back of his fingers against her cheek and spoke softly. "I would like that."
Her eyes closed most of the way and she took a deep breath involuntarily. The sensation of his fingers on her cheek sent a tingling rush throughout her body. She opened her eyes slowly and realized that she was still leaning up against him.
Hank's eyes were hooded, and a small frown creased his forehead as he gazed intently into her eyes. His lips were so close, and she found herself longing to kiss them. She could feel a slight vibration under her hands, and hear a low rumble emanating from deep in his chest.
His free hand slid up to hold hers, and the other slid under her hair. His thumb rubbed the back of her hand in slow, sinuous, circles. She marveled at how quickly he seemed to have become attracted to her, though she wasn't complaining. If she could have picked anyone to become involved with, it would have been him.
Then she suddenly realized why. A pang of disappointment struck her hard, like a physical blow. Her pheromones. It wasn't her, it was her hormones. She let out a harsh breath of disappointment and turned her head away, sitting back against the opposite door.
"Anna," Hank said, his voice heavy with disappointment as well. "Why…"
"Open your window, Hank." She said softly, opening her own.
Puzzled, he did as she requested, his eyes still on her. She kept her face turned away and closed her eyes against the breeze that suddenly blew through, bringing the fresh, clean smell of the rain, and washing away the stink of her pheromones.
Hank inhaled deeply and shook himself. She could feel him shifting uncomfortably in the seat beside her. The rode in silence for several minutes, letting the breeze calm and soothe them.
"I'm so sorry Hank," she whispered.
He took her hand again and squeezed. "It's not your fault, Anna. It's not something you can control. Yet."
Still staring out the window, she squeezed his hand back.
"I really didn't mind, Anna." He said softly, rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb. "I haven't felt like that in a long time. I was enjoying it."
Wordlessly, she gently took her hand away and sighed. "I don't want it like that." She said, dispiritedly.
"What do you mean?"
She sighed again. "If I am to have a relationship with someone, I want it to be because they like who I am, not just because their body likes my stink." She turned to look firmly into his eyes. "I don't want a relationship based solely on physical attraction. That's what was wrong with my marriage. He didn't like me as a person, he just liked having a sexual 7-11." She clenched her teeth and looked away again. "I like you, Hank, and I'm very attracted to you. But if I can't have your heart and mind, as well as your body, I don't want any of it."
He sat silently for a long time, and she was sure she'd blown her chance with him. She flinched inwardly when he rested his hand on her shoulder. She glanced over at him, and all trace of his attraction was gone, replaced by gentle understanding and mild admiration.
"I can respect that."
He squeezed her shoulder kindly and then turned to the radio controls.
The car pulled up to the curb in front of a White, two-story four-plex with old-fashioned, black doors and a large balcony overhanging the street from the second floor. The place looked big, and she chewed her lip nervously. The realization that she was going to be utterly alone in this city full of strangers, terrified her, and the thought of going up into that empty apartment by herself made her want to faint.
"Hank," she said in a tremulous voice.
"Yes?"
"Will you go up with me? Just for a few minutes?" She asked plaintively.
He paused for a moment. She turned back to face him, to see a warm, sympathetic smile on his face. "Of course, my dear."
They clambered out of the car and Hank came round to stand next to her. She fumbled with the keys and stared nervously at the front door. Hank gently laid a hand on her back and gave her a slight nudge to get her moving. She was grateful when he didn't remove it once she started walking.
The front door led to a foyer with three doors. They moved to the one directly ahead, Warren having already told them that the one to the left led to a garage, and the one to the right led to the downstairs apartment that was now empty.
They climbed the flight of stairs that lay behind the third door and came to a landing with a single door. Anna took a deep breath and unlocked it.
The inside of the apartment was dark. Hank came up directly behind her, forcing her to take a few blind steps further into the apartment. She could hear him scrabbling along the wall for the light switch.
With a click that seemed very loud in the dark, silent apartment, light flooded blindingly throughout the room. Anna squeezed her eyes shut and lifted a hand to shield them. Blinking furiously, she forced her eyes open to adjust themselves to the light.
When she could finally see, She stared about in astonishment. Hank whistled low behind her.
They stood just inside the front door, in the center of an huge, open space. To the left of the door lay the living room. There were two full couches and three comfortable looking chairs arranged in a large open sided square on a beautifully woven carpet that lay over a dark-stained, hardwood floor. A huge television occupied most of the wall in front of the couches, and a large, blocky, low coffee table sat right in the center of that open-sided square. A sophisticated surround sound system encircled the living room. On the same wall as the entry door, lay a bank of large windows, covered with a layer of heavy curtains, and a layer of gauzy liners.
A large, double door in the opposite wall sat partway open to reveal a bedroom done in somber blues and light wood tones. Further inspection revealed a large, walk-in closet, a desk with a space for a computer, two night tables, a low dresser, a full-length mirror, and a large, inset window with a padded seat just below. A second door next to the closet, led to a simple bathroom with a toilet and sink.
They wandered back into the main room. Opposite the living room lay a dining area with room for a dozen people. A pair of tall, glass doors with the dual-layered curtains led out onto a huge balcony with stone benches all around, and a low table in the center of the semi-circle for plates and beverages served outside.
Beyond the dining area lay a kitchen that made Anna's heart flutter. She trailed her hands lovingly across black granite and stainless steel, almost purring. There was a large refrigerator/freezer with ice and water in the door, just inside the kitchen. A long counter, broken only by a large, two-sided sink with a hanging spray nozzle and industrial-strength garbage disposal, lay between the fridge and the gas oven, free of any appliances or jars of kitchen tools. Opposite the work triangle sat a breakfast bar, also topped with black granite. It hid the racks where the pots and pans were hung, as well as the most commonly used kitchen tools and utensils.
"Oh, yeah…" She purred
"I take it you enjoy cooking." Hank murmured through an amused smile.
"Oh, yes indeed." She sighed rolling her eyes dreamily.
Hank chuckled to himself and wandered back out.
She dragged herself almost regretfully out of the kitchen to explore what lay down a short hallway to the left of the kitchen. The wall there was angled peculiarly, which allowed for a wider hallway than usual, and it was only about 10 feet long. A pair of large double doors sat in the wall to the left, and a wide, single door was set into the wall at the end of the Hallway. They peeked into the doors to the left and found a room straight out of the movies. Everything was done in snowy white and deep, dark-varnished wood. The windows were framed in dark wood, and had a cushioned seat, just as the other room had. The bed had a dark wooden frame of simple, yet tasteful design, with snowy white linens. The floor was hardwood in here, with rugs of white and earth tones. The closet was not as big as the other room's, nor was the desk. The room in general was a lot smaller than the first, but this one had a computer sitting at the desk.
"I want this room," Anna breathed. "It's just like something out of a movie!"
"Anna," Hank called from behind her. "Come and see."
She turned to see him standing just inside another door, next to the one to the hallway.
"A bathroom?" She asked, squeezing in next to him.
"That is quite an understatement," He said in an awed voice.
Anna stared, astounded. The bathroom was bigger than the bedroom. Done in river rock and cream-colored porcelain, it quite took the breath away. It had a separate bathtub and shower, both done in multi-colored river rock. The faucets weren't the standard pipe that water came shooting out of, but were wide-mouthed troughs that the water would flow from in glistening sheets to cascade waterfall-like into the tub, sink, or shower. The toilet was fairly standard, but matched the cream of the bathtub and sink. There were large mirrors over the sink, and a large standing mirror sat opposite the tub in an open corner with an Asian-style dressing shield, and an inset cabinet that held towels.
"I could live in this bathroom!" Anna squealed with delight, spinning in place in the center of the room.
After the tour, Anna walked her weary escort to the door.
"Are you sure you can't stay a little longer?" she asked hopefully.
"No, I'm afraid I have to get back soon. I have to be up very early in the morning, and I'll only get just enough sleep as it is."
Anna swallowed her disappointment and nervousness at being alone and smiled. "Well then get you home and to bed. Thank you so much for coming up with me. It means the world."
Hank smiled down at her. "Anytime." He opened the door and stepped outside.
"You're more than welcome to visit any time. My door is always open to you, Hank."
"Well thank you. I'll take you up on that offer. I'm eager to see what wonders will come out of that kitchen you love so much!" He said with a merry twinkle in his eye. He patted himself. "Oh! I'd almost forgotten." He pulled a wallet out of his breast pocket. "You will need to get yourself some groceries, I'd imagine." He pulled out two hundred-dollar bills and handed them to her.
"Hank," she said, frowning. "You don't have to give me your money!"
He grinned at her. "Consider it a down payment for all the food you'll be feeding me!" He pulled the door shut before she could object further.
She hurried over to the balcony and waited for him to emerge.
"I'll pay you back as soon as I can!" she called down to him.
He gave her a placating smile. "Goodnight, Anna."
"Goodnight Hank. Travel safely."