Bond Girls

A/N: I made a typo in my last authors note. I ment I'm diving into movie territory. Not moving territory. Also -I'm uploading a lot of chapters because if I get these out of the way maybe I'll stop procrastinating. Here's hoping...

The CIA base reminded Amelia of the college she left not too long ago. It wasn't that impressive. Seriously, she was expecting something out of a James Bond movie.

They were, however, met by a woman who could have been a Bond girl. She had perfect brown-auburn hair and she was wearing a blazer and a mini skirt. She was standing in front of the building as they parked.

Charles visibly lit up. "Ah –there's Moira."

Bless his little heart, he wanted her.

Charles got out of the car and Erik and Amelia followed. Though not as quickly –she guessed he really wanted to see this Moira chick.

Charles put his fingers to his temple and Erik gave a rueful smile.

Amelia didn't want to be left out. "What was that about?"

"Charles was just planning rematch of our last chess game."

"You play chess?"

"Is that so hard to believe?"

"I guess not. But you really don't seem the type to sit around playing a game –what with murder and revenge on your busy schedule."

Erik gave her a calculating look. He leaned in slightly to whisper. "I play lots of games."

It wasn't a pick up line and it wasn't exactly a threat. It was a test.

"If you played with me you'd lose. I'm not like Charles –I don't play fair."

His eyes seemed to have found what they were looking for in her. "Good."

Amelia wasn't quite sure what to make of what Erik wanted right now. It was like he was taking the information he was learning about her and storing it –saving it for later. Getting prepared in case he should ever have need of her.

"Amelia," Charles called out to her. She hurried to catch up. "This is Agent Moira MacTaggert. She's one of the agents responsible for bringing us all together."

"Moira MacTaggert, pleasure to meet you." Moira extended her hand for a handshake.

Surprise, surprise –Moira wanted Charles too.

"Amelia Hunter." She shook Moira's hand and asked no one in particular, "So, what's the plan now?"

Apparently the plan was meeting the other mutants. It was awkward –and it had nothing to do with her. Erik was right. They were a bunch of young and inexperienced group of kids (herself included).

After putting her stuff in a room with two bunk beds (for the first time in her life she would be sharing a room), she was led to a rec room that was surprisingly well decorated considering the room she would be sleeping in. And that was where she met them. Six of them to be exact.

Charles proudly made the introductions and Erik observed in a corner. Then the bastards left saying they had one more potential recruit.

Raven, Angel, Hank, Sean, Alex, and Darwin. These were the people she was supposed to be working and getting along with. And nobody was freaking talking. Well, they weren't talking of anything of importance at any rate. They were all beating around the bush and walking on eggshells.

There was some serious teenage drama going on. She could feel their wants and she could easily guess their characters.

Raven, Charles' sister (though how it was that he spoke with a British accent and she was all-American was beyond Amelia's comprehension), wanted Hank. She was having some type of existential crisis. Amelia could feel Raven's desire to fit-in and be normal wavering. She was also ridiculously pretty.

As was Angel. Seriously, these girls could have had careers in modeling. It was weird, Amelia had always prided the fact that she looked average and inconspicuous –no one would ever suspect her if she did decide to abuse her abilities– but now she was feeling like maybe being good looking was part of being a female mutant and Charles had made a mistake when he recruited her.

Digressing.

Where Raven was unsure about fitting in with society, Angel had made up her mind. Angel wanted an out. She was used to being treated poorly and she wanted to stand up and have the world treat her the way she thought she ought to be treated.

It really wasn't a surprise that Hank wanted Raven too. He was self-conscious and as equally awkward as the whole situation. He wanted to disappear –the exact opposite as Angel. He wanted not to standout –he wanted to be like everyone else. His ability must have done a number on his self esteem.

Sean was simple. He was a curly, red-haired mass of teenage hormones. He wanted answers but he also wanted fun. He also wanted to lose his virginity as quickly as possible.

Alex was the poor man's version of Erik. He was all tough-guy-mysterious-past on the outside but Amelia knew what he wanted. He was scared and he wanted help. He wanted to control and contain his power –it scared the shit out of him.

Darwin was the oldest and possibly the only one who took Charles' speech to heart. Darwin genuinely wanted to get to know the others and he wanted to help with the Shaw thing in whatever way he could. He was a nice guy.

A few hours later and none of Amelia's new acquaintances wanted to come out and talk about the reason they were there for. She was debating whether or not to use her powers to get one of them to talk when in walked Charles and Erik. By themselves. Hadn't they gone to get someone else?

Raven voiced everyone's curiosity. "What happened? I thought you bringing back someone."

"Yes, well… He wasn't as receptive to the idea as you all were." Charles was leaving something out but it was obvious he wasn't going to elaborate. "I'm sorry, I had planned on us being back sooner but traffic was murder. I'm afraid any questions you have and any really discussion about what's brought you here will have to wait until tomorrow. You should all get some rest."

Charles was right it was late. But that didn't mean they were happy to go. The seven of them marched off to their rooms like disappointed children (or reminiscent of the seven dwarves without the height or singing thing).

As they were leaving, Amelia noticed something. Erik gave Raven a look that ordinarily would have suggested romantic interest, but she knew. Erik didn't want Raven. He was saving her up too –for when he needed her.

Raven tried not to blush and looked away.

Erik caught her looking. She cocked her head –a signal that she was on to him. He smiled. She frowned.

Amelia was getting the top bunk. That sucked. She was a little paranoid she was going to fall out in the middle of the night.

"I'm going to use the restroom." Angel got her bag of toiletries and walked out of the room.

Amelia and Raven had already done their nightly, bathroom rituals so this gave Amelia the perfect opportunity to question Raven.

"So… How come you're not British?"

"What?"

"Charles is your brother, right? What's with the different accents?"

Raven struggled to describe her sibling. "Charles… is… he's kind of like my step-brother. He… saved me. We each thought we were alone but we found each other." There was a hint of a long dramatic story there.

Cryptic but she'd take it. "Hmm… What do you know about Erik?"

Raven tried not to seem ruffled. "Just what Charles told me. Survivor of a Nazi war-camp, controls metal, wants to kill Shaw."

Survivor of a Nazi war-camp? Shaw was involved somehow –she just knew it. "Intense… Listen, I'm not trying to be nosy or anything –and if you don't want to talk about it that's cool– but what's going on between you two? You and Erik?" She was so being nosy but Raven was ready to burst. Raven wanted to get all this out in the open.

"Honestly? I'm not sure. Sometimes he comes on to me but I don't know… we barely know each other. And then he says these things to me –about my power– and it makes me feel… like I might be wrong about world."

Amelia was about to prod Raven some more but Angel came back in. Perfect timing –not.

It was obvious she and Raven were in the middle of a conversation and not wanting Angel to feel left out, Amelia brought up a subject that had been bugging her.

"For someone who works in the CIA, Moira sure likes her mini skirts."

If there was one thing those catty, stuck up debutants and socialites taught her it was this: nothing brings out female bonding like talking behind people's backs. The conversation moved on and the three of them spent the night talking about the boys in the room down the hall. Poor Sean –he was such an easy target.

Charles managed to get the Q&A session he wanted after breakfast. There was obvious disconnect between all the recruits but it had gone pleasantly enough.

Erik had lingered in the background and Amelia's eyes drifted to him every so often. His eyes had met hers and she tried to communicate facially that she was trying to figure him out –the bastard was probably smug enough to think she would be interested in him.

Sometime after lunch Charles and Erik left again (possibly to have that chess match –Amelia had seen Erik tuck away the game in his briefcase) and Moira had to go to a meeting.

Amelia was worried everyone would lapse into that awkward let's-talk-but-not-really phase again –but Sean came to the rescue.

His freckled face broke into a grin. "I checked the kitchen –there's no alcohol but let's see how much soda it takes for everyone to feel drunk."