Morgan waltzed into James' classroom, pulling a seat up to his desk and resting her feet on the table.
He ignored her.
She groaned loudly, resting the back of her hand against her face dramatically.
He ignored her still.
"James." she moaned.
"Oh hi Morgan," he said, looking up from his work, "I didn't see you there."
"You're a dick." she said.
"The biggest."
She chuckled, before sighing again. "I think I'm going crazy."
He looked at her seriously.
"I can't do it. This whole school teacher thing. I'm going to go mad. It's too much, all these kids."
"So what are you gonna do."
"I don't know that's why I came here!"
"Ask Chuck for an evening off, and do what you want with it. Go out."
"One night ain't gonna fix this Jimmy."
"Fine, ask for a night off each week. Get another job, go to bars, get out and have fun."
"Is that what you do?"
He looked down, "I would travel, everything was about getting my memory back… And now I've got as much of it as I think I'm gonna get, I don't know. I can normally get it out in a good Danger Room session."
She'd tried that, having spent the last few days visiting the danger room daily. But it did nothing to help her agitation. "That's really enough for you?"
"Everything I want and have is here."
"It's not enough for me. I need more. I can't stay cooped up here all the time."
"See what the Professor has to say." James suggested.
So she did, visiting Chuck later that day, and they had come to an agreement. Morgan would have one evening and one day away from the mansion each week. An arrangement Morgan planned to fill with travelling into the neighbouring cities to Westchester.
On one such afternoon she teleported herself into a poorer area of central New York, where she walked past a notice in a window, and found herself applying for a job in a dive bar.
It was dingy, dark and cheap, the opposite of Xavier's mansion. The kind of place that was known for it's acceptance of drunkards but also served greasy meals to patrons. She pushed the door inward, the bar quiet at the early time of 5pm, she walked up to the bar where a man was polishing the glasses and putting them on a shelf.
"Hey," she greeted, "Do you know who I can talk to about the job in the window?"
"That'd be me." The young man replied, "Name's Tom."
"Hi Tom, I'm Morgan."
He stuck out his hand, and she shook it quickly. "You ever worked in a bar before?" he asked.
"Here and there," she replied quickly.
"Well we're only looking for a part time staff, so can't offer you a job with regular hours like the guys down the road, it'll change week by week."
"That's perfect." Morgan replied, "I'm only looking for a couple of shifts per week."
Tom laughed gently, "Looks like you're hired then! When can you start?"
"How's next Friday?" she asked.
"Sounds good," he replied, "Here, let me take your number and I'll text you for upcoming shifts?"
Morgan lent across the bar, reaching the notepad, and scrawling her number and name. "Thank you, I'll see you Friday!"
She ambled around the town, she had found that since starting her job at the mansion, where her meals and accommodation were paid for, she had little to spend her salary on. So she decided to shop for some outfits she could wear to her new job.
She thought about what Tom was wearing, relaxed jeans and a flannel shirt. A dress code that she could easily copy herself, but these were her nights off, a place where she could let loose away from the kids, well almost- she'd still be working. And even if she wasn't, she wouldn't be able to get drunk anyway, here she could spend her nights off in a bar and still earn money.
So she decided she would dress more… provocatively. Dress more like she would on a night out at the bars she used to go to with her friends, sexily but without putting everything on show. Besides, the type of men that came to bars like this were known for ogling their bar staff, so why not give them a lil' something to look at, hell, it might even result in a few tips.
By the time she had 'ported herself back to the mansion, her hands were full of bags. She walked through the front door, having arrived outside on the drive, afraid of landing on someone were she to arrive inside, her aim not quite as good when she was distracted with her heavy load.
Rogue was still up, walking from the lounge up the stairs toward her room when she saw Morgan struggling with her bags.
"Yah alright there?" She asked the older mutant, "Can Ah give yah a hand?"
Morgan smiled, and dropped the bags, "When I left the shop they fit on my arm perfectly, and now I think I've moved one and disrupted the whole lot."
Rogue took some bags and the pair made their way up to Morgan's room. "What's all this for?" Rogue asked.
"I've got a job." Morgan replied, to which Rogue looked at her in shock, "No I'm not leaving, God no. I just, well this place is too squeaky clean, all you guys, you're all so perfect. And I'm not. It was driving me crazy. So I've got a job at this little shithole of a bar, just twice a week, where I can go, have fun and be 'not perfect'."
"Sounds nice." Rogue said, seeming to have struggled for the right word.
"It'll be interesting." Morgan said, "But don't go telling everybody."
"Wouldn't dream of it." Rogue replied.
By the time the pair got to Morgan's room it was reaching 11pm. "I'll see you tomorrow Marie," Morgan said, "Good night, and thanks for helping me with my bags."
"It's no problem." Rogue said as she made her way to turn back down the hall, "Night Morgan."
Friday came around quickly, and Morgan found herself getting more excited to start her job at the bar.
"What you so excited for kid?" James asked from beside her as they were eating dinner.
"I'm out tonight." she replied. "Remember I told you that I spoke to ol' Chuck like you said?"
James nodded. "Well I went out, and stumbled upon this job in a bar. Only looking for a couple of shifts a week. I don't know, it's like fate."
"You starting tonight?" She nodded.
"Dressed like that?" She looked down at herself. She was dressed in her 'teachers get up' she liked to call it. Opting to dress in black suit pants and a shirt or jumper each day she was teaching.
"God no." she said, "I'm gonna go shower after this, get ready an' all."
They finished their dinner chatting about unimportant stuff. "You say bye to me before you go." James said protectively. "And you better text me when you get back. But if you fucking wake me I'll-"
She put up her hand to silence him, "It's all good James. I'll be fine, and sure I'll let you know when I'm off."
She left for her bedroom, showering before she pulled on the first of her many new outfits, sleek black leather pants and a grey tank, the neckline dipping dangerously low. She paired her outfit with a loose green cardigan and red boots. She put on dark eye make up, and pulled her dark green hair into a fishtail plait falling over her shoulder, some of her loose curls falling out and framing her face.
She left her room, locking it, before stepping toward James' and knocking at the door. He opened it, the wooden panel swinging forward, and she stepped in quickly before he could stop her.
She watched as he eyed her up and down. "Sure you wanna be going out like that darlin'?" he asked.
She ignored his comment, "I'm off now, I should be back around 2."
It was almost 8pm, and this would be a relatively short shift, allowing her to familiarise herself to the new bar, and new customers.
"Alright," James said, "Be safe."
"Always Jimmy." And with that she left the room, leaving nothing behind her but a soft glow.
The bar was heaving when she arrived, and she quickly signed in to her shift. Tom was there behind the bar who handed her a apron to rap around her waist, where she quickly stuffed a couple of pens and a notebook.
"You're gonna be on the bar tonight," Tom said after greeting her, "Thought I'd ease you in before you work the tables." He laughed.
"Uh thanks." she replied, laughing with him.
And it was nice, a routine she settled into easily. Getting to know the people she was working for, learning that the usual patrons chose to sat at the bar and chat with her, and those just passing through tended to sit in the booths, either alone or with friends. Her shift ending as she stood with Tom, who locked the doors behind their exit.
She blew into her cold hands, "Come on Tom, don't wanna be all night, some of us have got homes to go back to."
He laughed as he finished locking the door. "You need a ride?" he asked seriously.
"Nah I'm good," she replied, motioning toward the town, "I'm not far from here."
"Alright," he conceded, "I'll see you Thursday?"
"Sounds good." she replied, "Bye Tom."
"Bye Morgan."
She watched as he began to walk away, and as he did so she started her own journey home, walking toward the center of town but ducking into an alley and teleporting herself back home to the mansion, this time choosing to land back in her room rather than outside.
As she took off her clothes and makeup to get ready for bed she texted James to let him know she was back. [First shift was great. Home now. -M x]
Coming back out of the bathroom and silently climbing into bed, her phone lit up. She lifted the phone to her face and looked at the simple text she had received in reply. [Good.] She smiled, James as to the point and blunt as ever.
Here in this strange place she'd made her own family and, as odd as it was, for the first time in a long time she was happy.
AN; I know this chapter was a little cliche... Sorry, it was more of a filler for the next chapters despite it being longer than the others. I think I'll stick to around this length, but it does mean I'll be posting more infrequently as chapters will take longer to write.
In reply to the reviews I have got recently, I have changed the summary of the story slightly. The main pairing will be between my OC and Sabretooth, as I have said before- this story is going to be long and he will be introduced later. There will also be a pairing between Logan and Marie but it will not be a main focus in the story, I'm just a Rogan fan!
I hope that clears things up a bit!
- N