Charles rushed back and forth, trying to collect his things. Class started soon and he really should have left ten minutes ago but he couldn't find his notes. Still couldn't, as a matter of fact. "Where in the world did I put them?" he muttered to himself as he lifted books and flipped through piles of papers.

Then, of course, the phone rang. He ignored it; he'd just had a flash of where his notes might be and was rummaging through his bookcase. It kept ringing, finally switching to the answering machine after five rings.

Beep. "Dr. Xavier, this is Agent Lensherr, from the United States Secret Service here to..."

Charles dived for the phone, picking it up as the person on the other end continued talking. "Hello, I'm sorry, just let me buzz you up." He hit the button on the phone and hung up, going back to the bookcase to restack his books. He'd found his notes stuffed into an old organic chemistry textbook. Emma's visit the night before had thrown him slightly. She still didn't like that he refused to give up teaching, but honestly, if he lost the race what else was he going to do with his life? And he truly enjoyed teaching young people.

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts and he was seconds away from unlocking it when he remembered Raven's admonishment to check and winced when he realized he hadn't actually made sure that the agent on the phone was indeed an agent. The person knocked again and Charles looked through the peephole.

Five people stood in the hall; three men and two women. A young Latina woman who looked like she couldn't be much older than Raven; a young redheaded woman, possibly his age; a brown-haired man, also possibly his age; a younger-looking blond version of him, most likely a brother; and the final man, standing in front of the door so Charles couldn't see his face.

"Dr. Xavier!" This came from the as-yet-unidentified final member.

Charles called through the door, "How do I know you're actually who you say you are?"

A golden badge suddenly filled his field of vision then shrunk back so he could read that it did indeed say United States Secret Service Agent on it. It lowered and the holder barked, "Badges!"

The other four scrambled to pull them out and Charles nodded to himself, stepping back to unlock the door and pull it open. "Hi," he started to say but was shoved to the side as they filed past him into the apartment.

"Sorry," the blond mumbled as his bag bounced against Charles' leg.

Charles closed the door and locked it then stood there, feeling awkward as he watched them take in his home. They were all dressed in casual clothes, with several suitcases and bags now being set on his couch and coffee table. "Um," he tried again. "So, hi. Welcome."

The blond smiled at him and stepped forward to offer his hand to shake. "Hey, I'm Alex Summers. Good to meet ya."

Oh, thank god. Charles shook his hand in relief. "Charles Xavier," he winced, "but you already know that…"

Alex just grinned and said, "Let me introduce you to the team." He clapped a hand on the brunet's shoulder. "This here's my big bro, Scott." Scott shook his hand. Alex motioned to the redhead. "Scott's fiancé, Jean Grey."

She smiled as she shook Charles' hand. "Pleasure to meet you, Doctor."

"Likewise. And call me Charles, please," he replied with a returning smile.

"That's Angel Salvadore." A flirtatious smile accompanied this handshake and Charles wondered if he should inform her that he prefers men. Alex thumbed over his shoulder. "And that's the boss, Erik Lensherr."

So that's who was on the other end of the phone…Agent Lensherr grunted but didn't look at him. In fact he had his back to them, making it difficult to get a good look at him. Charles raised an eyebrow and Alex shrugged. "You'll get used to his grumpiness soon."

Okay…this was all well and good but he had somewhere to be. Hesitantly, he said, "It's wonderful to meet you all—and thank you for coming—but I had no idea when, exactly, you were coming and I'm actually running late for my first class."

"When?"

Startled, Charles glanced at Erik, who had turned to face him. He was tall, muscular underneath the black shirt, dark brown hair, ruggedly handsome and…My god his eyes are blue. "9:25. It usually takes me forty minutes or so to get to campus, especially with traffic in this part of town."

Erik glanced at his watch. "Get ready. We'll drive." Charles only paused a moment before moving to grab his things. "Gear up. Scott, Jean, pull one of the cars around front," he heard Erik order as he shoved papers into his bag.

After a couple minutes, he announced, "I'm ready."

"About time," Lensherr grumbled, pulling open the door. "Summers, Salvadore, take the rear. Come on, doc." Charles was herded out of his apartment, just barely managing to lock it behind him as he was escorted to the elevator then down to the lobby and outside where a red SUV was waiting. Erik—and what was Charles supposed to call him? Or any of them? Were they on a first name basis or was it to be Agent this and Agent that?—opened the rear door and, after a brief hesitation, Charles climbed inside, sitting in the back seat. Alex slid in on his right, Angel on his left, Jean took one of the middle chairs and Erik slid into the passenger seat. Scott pulled out a moment later and Charles silently hoped they knew where they were going.

Needless to say, it was an awkward ride. Charles remained quiet until he noticed they were about to turn onto Spice Street and had to speak up. "You don't want to go that way."

Scott glanced at him through the rearview mirror. "What? Why not?"

"It's a dead end; only thing down there is a roundabout."

"That's not on the GPS," Scott replied, changing lanes.

Charles explained, "It wouldn't be. Most GPS's don't understand roundabouts. Take the next right—that'll put us on Campus Parkway."

Scott followed his directions and the mood felt a little lighter. "Thanks. Would've made you even later if I'd gone that way."

"No problem. I know a lot of different ways to get to work." He shrugged. "Comes in handy after ten years of teaching and fifteen of living in the city."

Jean twisted in her seat to look at him. "Where did you live before, Doctor?"

"My family's from Westchester. And, please, call me Charles," he corrected her, which gave him an easy segue into his earlier issue. "And can I call you Jean?"

She nodded. "First name basis is perfectly fine."

"For all of you?" Charles clarified, certain that at least Agent Lensherr would refuse.

Jean shot a glance towards the passenger seat then replied, "Yeah. All of us." There was a sharpness to her tone that was no doubt meant for her boss.

They drove in silence until the college came into view and Scott asked, "Where am I parking, Doc?"

"I have an assigned spot in front of the science building, off of Mayflower." He leaned forward, trying to orient himself from the backseat. "Go straight across Turing, then, no wait…crap. Sorry, apparently I don't have to think about it. Um…oh, turn right!...Left at the stop sign…Then see over there? The sign for McCaffrey Hall? There's a parking lot on the far side."

Scott drove slowly as Xavier managed to fail at giving useful directions. Erik's fingers tapped against his thigh as he automatically scanned the area. Students were walking across campus, hurrying to get to class on time. He checked the time: 9:17. Why wasn't there a schedule in the folder? That would have been important information, Mason, Erik thought, frustrated. Scott pulled into the parking lot, headed for the first row of reserved spaces in which Xavier did indeed have his own parking space. Lucky him. Erik was out first, the others piling out a moment later. He did a circle, feeling a bit like he was babysitting.

Footsteps alerted him to the fact that Xavier had just walked right on by. Hell no, Erik thought and stepped forward quickly to catch up to him. Coming up even, he threw an arm out, catching the teacher across the chest and forcing him to stop. Erik then moved to stand in front of him, eyes narrowed as Xavier looked up at him questioningly. "You don't lead," he said in a flat tone.

Xavier replied reasonably, "Then how will you know where to go?"

Erik glared at him. "I lead. You give directions. And better ones than how to find your parking spot."

Xavier frowned slightly, tilting his head to the side. Erik folded his arms across his chest and subtly shifted his weight so that he was more comfortable standing, settling in. No way in hell was he looking away first. Best to settle right off the bat who was in charge here.

After a couple minutes of their staring contest, Xavier's frown slowly morphed into a wide grin and he said happily, "Oh, you're good. We should play chess sometime. Or perhaps cards; I'm sure your poker face is quite excellent."

Nonplussed, Erik could only stare at him for a second. Then the snickers of his team caught his attention and he looked over the teacher's shoulder at them, intensifying his glare. They stopped immediately and shifted uncomfortably. Serves 'em right.

Xavier said brightly, "We're headed to that building on the right. McCaffrey Hall is the science building on campus. I have to make a stop in my office for some things first; that's on the second floor. Then my first class is on the third floor, same building."

Erik nodded, once, taking in the information, regretting the lack of schedule again. Something he'll have to fix…and get the sister's, too. Resigned, he asked, "I suppose I shouldn't ask for room numbers?"

Xavier's tone remained cheerful as he replied, "I wouldn't. There's no number for my office and I honestly don't remember the classroom numbers. I just count doors."

Erik gritted his teeth, thoroughly irritated at the situation, spun on his heel and strode off, the team falling in behind and around Xavier. They took the stairs because elevators were an excellent place to be trapped. Exiting onto the second floor, he heard Xavier say from behind him, "Left. It's around the corner, at the end of the hall. I've got one of the bigger offices, what with my tenure and all." Erik ignored him in favor of moving, his training taking over as his eyes constantly scanned and noted potential issues. This whole damn place was an issue. Tight corners, thin hallways, one entrance in or out that he could see so far, and an office in a cul-de-sac… At least, being on the second floor, if they had to use a window for a quick exit, there would be few, if any, broken bones involved.

He took note of the nameplates on the doors, resigned to finding a faculty list to run background checks on. The nameplate on the door at the end of the hall forced him to stop. Dr. Charles Xavier was painted on the door. Xavier tried to edge past him to reach it and Erik took a step to the right, effectively blocking him. Erik said pointedly, "What did I say about leading?"

Xavier's tone was just as pointed as he replied, "It's my office and I need to get in there."

Erik took a breath. "Is it locked?"

"Well, of course it's locked. I keep answer keys in there."

He refrained from rolling his eyes and held out a hand. "Key." After a second, a key ring was dropped in his hand and he unlocked the door with a faint click. He returned the keys, grabbed the professor's arm and physically dragged him back down the hall until he was behind the brothers. With a quick, "Stay," Erik returned to the office door. He drew his gun and gently pushed the door open.

"I really don't think that's—" Xavier started but he was shushed. Clearly he hadn't thought about the fact that his office could be booby-trapped. Erik slipped inside, scanning the room for anything of concern. Bookcase, file cabinet, chair…He moved the door and checked the other side of the room. Desk, window, another bookcase, couple more chairs…He holstered his gun and did a quick check for bugs or cameras. Nothing. "All clear," he called, making a mental note to dig out the earwigs he'd packed when they got back to the apartment.

Xavier was first in, throwing him a faintly disapproving look as he moved to his desk. "I really don't think the gun was necessary."

Erik ignored him but Alex replied, "Better to be prepared and find nothing, then find trouble and be unprepared, Charles."

Xavier hummed thoughtfully. "I like that. Could I borrow it?"

"Sure."

Five minutes later—they were surely late, now—Xavier said, "Okay. I think I've got everything."

"Great." Erik led the way back down the hall to the stairs and up to the third floor where he was told to take a right and it's the fourth door on the left. And again, Xavier tried to go in first. This time Erik only had to treat him to a glare before he backed up, not without a glare of his own, though. Did the man not care that his life was being threatened by someone?

"Alex, Angel, stay out here. Scott, Jean, with me and the doc." Erik stepped in first and realized it was more of a lab than a classroom. And it was full of students who all stopped talking the moment he entered.

Xavier brushed past him, saying loudly, "Good morning, class. I do apologize for being late, but as you can see, I have a few guests. Don't mind them; they're here for me." He moved to the desk at the head of the room and Erik was grateful there were few windows in this room.

Scott said quietly, "Jean and I can work the room, if you want to stay close to Charles?"

"Works for me." They split up, Xavier unloading objects onto the desk, still talking. Er sprach die ganze zeit. (translation: He talked all the time.) Scott and Jean took up positions on the periphery of the class while Erik strode right across the room to the far corner; turned out to be a pretty good vantage point.

"Now, since I'm sure you've all done the readings, how about we start with a quick pop quiz. Oh, there's no need for groans. It's simple enough; even if you skimmed it you could pass." Xavier passed out papers and grinned. "And I have extra insurance against cheating, as you all can see." Scott and Jean had starting walking in opposite directions, crossing each other at the back. "You have five minutes, beginning…now." There was a flurry of paper as the students flipped their quizzes over.

Erik shifted, trying to get a little more comfortable against the wall. Xavier fired up his laptop in the meantime and used the remote to turn on the projection box on the ceiling. He fiddled with the computer for the next five minutes before calling, "Okay, time's up! Pass your papers to the front of the row, and please: don't compare your response to what your classmate wrote. For all you know, you were right and they were wrong." Erik rolled his eyes as Xavier collected the papers and proceeded to go over all ten questions, some of them in depth. Which class was this again?

Xavier said, "Good, you all seem to have grasped the intro concept well enough that I feel confident moving on today. We'll be learning about organic reactions in general. We'll get into more specifics during lab time." He pulled down the projector screen and gasped, stepping back quickly, a hand over his mouth in surprise.

That brought Erik instantly to his side. He looked at the screen and had to keep from recoiling himself. A picture of Xavier was taped to the screen with Die! spray-painted across it in red paint. Now, he encountered a lot during his work as a Secret Service agent but there was still something about seeing "die" written across your face that was profoundly disturbing. He moved so he was blocking Xavier's view of the screen and said quickly and quietly, "Who else has access to this room?"

Xavier blinked a few times, his face pale. "Um…the, uh, the other professors, of course. Cleaning staff. Students."

Okay. Long list to go through. "Who knows your schedule well enough to know you'd be the one to use the projector screen first thing in the morning?"

Xavier was starting to get his act together; something Erik appreciated. He licked his lips and Erik's gaze focused on them before he dragged them back up. "Again, the, uh, the other professors. Um, administration. Registration. My TA's, possibly."

"I want a list." Seine augen sind noch blauer als das foto führte mich zu glauben, Erik thought (translation: His eyes are even bluer than the photo led me to believe) before mentally forcing himself back to the task at hand.

Xavier nodded. "Of course." His gaze strayed over Erik's shoulder and he swallowed hard.

Erik asked quietly, "Can you run the PowerPoint without the screen down?"

"Yeah. Yeah, it can…it can be seen on the chalkboard."

"Okay." Erik turned around and tugged on the string that would roll it back up, hearing Xavier's faint "Thank you," as he did so. Verdammt, (translation: damn it)he shouldn't be feeling bad for him! "Continue," he said but did not return to his corner. Instead he leaned against the chalkboard, just to the side of the PowerPoint now displayed.

Xavier apologized for the interruption and started his lecture, a little weak at first but stronger as he went on. Erik studied him with a new light. Xavier had been startled, for sure, but he rallied much quicker than Erik had imagined he would. He glanced up at the now-hidden threat then over at Scott and tilted his head towards the door. Scott nodded and slipped out, Angel coming in to take his place. Scott would call Mason, have him call the policeman in charge of the investigation and let him know there had been another threat. This time a lot closer to home. Xavier shot him a quick smile, possibly knowing the reason for the switch and Erik's new, closer, position to him.

They were getting braver, Erik thought. To actually come into Xavier's workspace and do that. How could they not have been caught? Were there surveillance cameras anywhere? He'd have to check on that. No. No, the police would check on that; but he could suggest it. And add a few of his own, with permission.