A/N: Hi, everyone! I would like to start off by thanking my new Beta, Valkyrie-Pleasant for working her magic on this chapter. Also, thanks again to all that have read so far. I'm kind of dumbfounded with how many hits/alerts/favorites this story has got so far. :D
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Enjoy the chapter!
The trip back to the Coast Guard base was mostly silent. My boss, Mr. Garber stayed up on deck with the crew while Moira and I accompanied the boys in the lower cabin. The men kept quiet, no doubt using their energy to reheat their bodies. Moira had fetched more blankets for them so they were able to cover their whole bodies and dry off a bit quicker while I retrieved some hot beverages for them from the tiny kitchenette in the area.
Moira seemed to pay more attention to Charles, always shifting her eyes over to him and, in return he seemed to keep a lot of his focus on her. Undoubtedly they were communicating via Charles' telepathic powers. Not trying to seem snoopy, I let my eyes drift around the room. Every once in a while I would casually glance at the man we had rescued, Erik. His gaze never met mine, in fact his eyes never shifted at all; he barely even blinked. It wouldn't take a specialist to see that he was extremely concentrated on his thoughts.
I absentmindedly took the time to observe his features, initially captured by his icy blue eyes. His face was rather angular; a strong, square jaw along with high cheekbones. His hair was brown and a tad messy, but I was sure that the underwater adventure was to blame. There was visible stubble on his chin and cheeks, but it appeared more masculine than scruffy. His body was quite lean, but it didn't look scrawny or sickly. All in all, he was a rather attractive man.
I quickly looked away and bit my bottom lip, trying not to get too distracted by the man. I knew that forming any sort of attachment would only get in the way and cause problems in the long run. No, I mentally scolded myself; I mustn't let the heart complicate things.
We arrived back to the base, safe and sound. Raven was right at the docks, waiting for us as if she hadn't seen us in years. When she got a closer look at Charles, she frowned but rushed to hug him, despite the fact that he was still a bit damp. It was then, as the rest of us climbed off the boat, that she noticed the stranger we had picked up on our voyage. "Who's that?" She whispered, though quite audibly, to Charles.
Erik didn't even bother to look up; he just kept walking towards the building, head lowered and eyes watching his step. Moira and I grouped up with Charles and Raven, staring off in Erik's direction before he disappeared inside the facility.
"That's Erik," Charles explained to Raven, "He was after Shaw as well and he's a mutant."
"Awesome," was Raven's bubbly response.
We headed towards the base together and met up with Garber who had beaten us inside. "Alright, so how 'bout you get changed out of those wet clothes, Charles," Garber instructed, "And if you want, Mia and Moira, you can get dressed back into your regular clothes. After that we can get on our way back to Virginia."
"Is Erik coming with us?" Raven questioned.
Charles nodded, "I think he'll do whatever it takes to find Shaw. Right now I think we're his best chance." I nodded my head, knowing the feeling.
"Apparently he was staying at a small Inn about 5 miles west of here. One of the staff offered to go pick up his things while he cleaned himself up. I'm sure by the time the rest of you are ready to go, he will be too," Garber informed us.
With that, I broke off from the rest of the group, making my way to a tiny locker which my things had been secured in. Outfit and purse in tow, I headed to the women's change room and locked myself in a private stall, slipping off my spy-like, black ensemble and putting on my grey skirt suit that I had worn on arrival. I came out of the stall and stood before the large mirror by the sinks. I squinted and turned, scrutinizing my appearance, making sure my outfit was still clean and mostly wrinkle-free. I ran my fingers through my long locks, attempting to untangle what I could and putting any stray hairs back in their place. I gave myself one last quick once-over before exiting the change room and heading out into the foyer, which was unexpectedly empty.
Not wanting to just stand around idly, I wandered around the base. I didn't really have a direction in mind, I just made sure to keep an eye out for 'Employee Only" signs and what not. My feet took me down a white, sterile-looking hallway. On the walls were pictures of certain guards who, I would assume, were being honoured or commemorated for some brave and noble act. I allowed myself to skim over them, not recognizing any of them, before I continued on through the somewhat narrow hall.
Before long, the hall opened into a large room. It too had white walls, and while it didn't look too stale, it didn't appear that warm and cozy either. If it wasn't for the tell-tale kitchen appliances, I would wonder how much this time people actually spent in here.
"Are you looking for something in particular?" A slightly accented voice asked, startling me a bit. I looked over to see a man with bright blue eyes and a hint of a smirk on his face.
"I suppose that depends who wants to know," I turned my body to face the new addition to the mutant 'team'. He was standing next to a few cupboards, leaning coolly against one of the counters with a Styrofoam cup, steam billowing from the top, in one of his hands.
He let out a very small chuckle, "Well, judging by how you jumped when asked you, I would assume that you weren't expecting to run into me."
I shrugged, "I wasn't looking for anything or anyone in particular," I said, honestly, "But, now that I'm here I could use a cup of coffee."
Erik didn't reply to my remark, simply quirked up one of his eyebrows and slid out of the way enough so that I could reach the coffee without getting too close.
I let a small sigh escape my lips, "Normally, I don't but…. today has been a long day, and I have a feeling I won't be getting much sleep on the plane."
Erik didn't answer, just nodded his head briefly and stared out one of the windows in the room. I stirred a tiny amount of sugar into my caffeinated drink, not knowing how to carry on conversation, or even if I should.
Luckily, before the silence became too awkward, Charles poked his head through the doorway, "Erik, your belongings have been brought here, and the jet is ready to take off. Let's go."
Without needed any further instruction, Erik and I followed Charles out the building, both of us still holding onto our coffee cups. As I boarded the aircraft, I could see that the rest of our little group was already inside. I could see Garber and Moira up in the cockpit, sitting with the pilot. Raven was slumped in one of the chairs, head resting against the window. By the looks of it she was dozing off already. Charles took a seat next to her also getting comfortable, I could only imagine how exhausted he must be today; his energy no doubt zapped from using his power so much. I decided to place myself on the large sofa near the front of the cabin, while I noticed Erik took a spot by himself in the very back. I managed to fetch a blanket from the sofa opposite me, draping it over my legs. If I learned anything today, it was that it is extremely difficult to be comfortable and stay modest when wearing a tight skirt.
Lazily, I glanced over at the clock above the cockpit entrance. Only about an hour had passed since we took off. The lights were dimmed in the cabin; Raven and Charles were sound asleep. The coffee had managed to keep me awake, but I still felt weary and worn-out. Today had been an extremely eventful day. I met three new mutants, told my boss that I was one also and came within striking distance of the man that has haunted my dreams and memories for years. Definitely not your average day at the office.
Next to me, there was a wide arm console in the middle of the couch. A bit earlier I had curiously opened it to find a couple random fiction books, a pack of Twinkies and a travel chess board. I took the chess set out and, closing the console, I started fiddling with the pieces. I had the Queen in between my fingers, running them over the smooth surface, my mind flooded with old recollections. I saw movement out of the corner of my eye and spun my head in that direction.
"Do you play?" Erik spoke in a hushed voice.
I opened my mouth to speak, and then frowned, not entirely sure how to answer without giving too much away. Trust issues must have been hereditary. "No. Not anymore, really."
Erik raised his eyebrows inquiringly, but kept his mouth shut.
I bit my lip, deciding on whether or not I wanted to divulge any further information. They'll probably find out sooner or later, I realized to my dismay. "I used to play with my father."
The man beside me squinted a little, his icy orbs staring into mine. It was rather unsettling, actually. It was like he was trying to look right through me, into my past and memories.
"You're not a telepath, too are you?" I asked suspiciously.
He gave a half-grin, and shook his head, breaking the so-called staring contest we were having. "No, and that's probably for the best," he said cheekily.
I fought rolling my eyes. "Luckily for me, it wouldn't matter if you were or not." I countered.
"And why is that?"
It was my turn to play it smug, "I am invulnerable to telepaths."
He quirked his eyebrow momentarily once more before his face became blank, "Fair enough. Is that all you can do?" This time he sounded almost arrogant, challenging.
This time I actually did roll my eyes at him. I noticed he was wearing a metallic watch on his wrist and I figured it wouldn't hurt to do a little showing off to prove my point to him. I focused on his watch, drawing my eyebrows together in concentration; I hadn't used this type of power before and it took a minute to figure out how to channel the proper energy. But, sure enough, the watch lifted, Erik's arm floating up in the air with it. His mouth opened in astonishment. Presuming I had been effective, I dropped his watch and limb and decided to push a little further.
You were saying? I let the words flow to Erik's mind, smirk plastered on my face. But before he could retort telepathically, I left his mind. He glared at me for a second, no doubt angry I invaded his head; it wasn't exactly a comforting feeling.
"And I thought it would be bad having Charles inside my head," he grumbled.
I snickered quietly, remembering there were still sleeping people nearby. With a playful grin, I leaned towards him a touch, just enough to whisper, "Checkmate."