They arrived to her abode, which was tucked away behind the clinic from their previous encounter, up a flight of stairs. Home above work, convenient.

"Here we are, safe and sound!" he motioned to the door with a bow and a theatrical flourish.

"Hmmm..." she returned the dramatics by striking a thoughtful pose and holding it a moment, Kurt humoring the behavior with interested waiting.

"I like you. I think I'll keep you around." she decided with a nod.

"Well then, I guess our little date was a success!" he laughed, realizing his slip of words too late.

"Is that what this was?" her head tilted, and for a moment he thought she might reject the idea, but she added with the ever calm voice,

"In that case, I suppose it will be your turn to plan the next one." she tried to make it casual by busying herself with smoothing down her skirt, as if wiping some stray dirt or grass from it, missing the way his smile widened.

"I don't know how I could possibly refuse. Until next time, auf widersehen!" he gave her hand a chaste kiss, spun to move around her and down a few steps, and then was gone in a puff of smoke. No need to over-stay his welcome, and she definitely struck him as the kind of girl to not rush things.

He would reappear below, glancing back as she unlocked the door and slipped inside. Already his head was turning over ideas for their next outing. She didn't tend to like crowds for obvious reasons, and well the whole point of such dates was to get to know someone better. A location popped into his head, spinning on a heel so that he nearly ran right into the broad shoulders of William.

"Pardon," after a moment both men recognized one another, "Kurt, right? What brings you back around? Not needing a doctor's visit already I hope?" William did a glance over, keeping the conversation light.

"Not at all, Herr Doktor. Rachel simply wanted to say thanks for the other day. I'm glad she's doing better."

"As I'm glad you got her home." William kept up the friendly tones effortlessly, though Kurt noticed the dark bags beginning to form under the doctor's eyes. Long nights seeing to patients, perhaps?

"You're not over-working yourself, I hope?" William only gave a weary smile,

"Well it's my day off." he offered. Kurt gave a nod, a silence falling between the two. Neither knowing what exactly to say to fill it.

"This might seem like an odd thing to say..." William paused, struggling by the looks of it, "But perhaps you should be careful. Things are not always as they seem." Now he had Kurt's full attention, was that some kind of threat?

"I'm an X-man, I do not frighten easily."

"No, I thought not. But it would be against my principles to say nothing." Kurt took a step closer, not intimidated.

"And just what, is so dangerous?" William answered without hesitation,

"She is."

His yellow eyes narrowed on the man before him.

"If you are referring to her gift, nein, I am not worried. As her brother, I would think you might want to have more faith in her." his arms crossed, quickly deciding he didn't like this guy one bit. Wasn't he another mutant as well? Like them? If so, what was he playing at here?

"I don't know what you mean. I can only offer my advice, it's up to you to take it or leave it." William moved around Kurt, evidently deciding the conversation was over. Kurt wasn't sure what to say. No quip he could think of would help the situation. He knew there was something Rachel didn't want to talk about, it seemed keeping secrets close to the chest ran in the family. Perhaps he would have been able to listen to the warning, or at least consider it, but the way she had whispered the words so hopelessly, he couldn't bring himself to believe William. So why was he trying to chase Kurt away? Was this some kind of over-protective big brother act? If so it did no good for her.

Kurt would most certainly not be backing off. If anything William's behavior only made him that much more determined to find out just what was going on.

AN: Short chapter is short. Life is kicking my but a bit but I'm determined to keep putting out chapters to stuff on here. The mystery builds...