AUTHORS NOTE:

So sorry this took so very long…and it's short. I'm not sure how to progress with Alex and Gideon just yet, but I'll figure it out.

I'm a blank slate at the moment so if you all want to see something in particular happen, let me know.

(Personally I can't wait to write the chapter when Magneto finds out-but it's hard to find a way to broach the subject! Oh well.)

CHAPTER 16

Alexandria's POV

Poisoned!

I'd been poisoned. I sat dumbfounded, raging internally. I'd been taught the signs of poisoning, and I'd missed them. Not only that, but I wasn't stupid, nor was I careless. I hadn't taken even a sip from any drink that had left my sight that night. I got a fresh one. Which meant whomever had poisoned me had gone to great lengths to achieve it. I rubbed my temples.

A knock sounded at my door. Grabbing the IV pole with one hand and pushing myself from the bed with the other, I went to the door. Looking anxious behind the blinds was Gideon. I sighed and sent up a thankful prayer that the nurses had allowed me to change from the gown to grey sweats (provided by the hospital)

Opening the door, I started by saying "what are you thinking?"

Gideon just held up a hand. "Why are you out of bed?" He took my hand and led me back to the bed and under the covers. "You knocked on the door! How else was I supposed to open it?"

Gideon just sighed. "Look-I don't have long. Your father is on his way here now-he'll be coming up any minute. I just wanted to tell you-he knows."

I looked at Gideon, surprised. "He knows about us?"

Gideon nodded. "I was the one who found you."

I nodded. "Of course-then there were questions…"

Gideon gave me a half smile. "Pretty much"

I leaned back on the pillows, feeling the need for their support.

Gideon sat on the edge of my bed, and put a hand on the side of my face. "Look on the bright side. You've temporarily united us. Me and your father and his X-men. We all are determined to find out who has been attacking you." Gideon gave me a kiss, one had clearly had been meant to be brief but ended up lingering.

When he pulled away, I could see in his eyes that he wanted to keep talking.

"I'd better go-your father's probably entering the building now."

Gideon brushed another kiss across my forehead before disappearing out the door.

Literally minutes later, my father came in, pushed by Storm, who promptly parked my father next to my bed and gave me a tight hug.

"Oh-Alex, we were so worried!"

I couldn't help but smile as I hugged her back. Once Storm released me, my father took my hand. "How are you recovering?"

Before I had a chance to answer, Alicia came storming in, kicking the door closed with a bang. Posing with one perfectly manicured hand on her hip, she glared at me. "You have exactly five minutes to explain why on earth you would even CONSIDER a relationship with Gideon Lenshaw. Have you lost your damn mind?"

I opened my mouth in an attempt to calm her down, but Storm jumped in. "Alicia. I don't really think-"

I cut Storm off. "No, I knew there would be questions like this."

My father folded his hands in his lap. "I must admit that we are all very perplexed, Alex."

I took a steadying breath. "I'll start with you, Dad-in case I need help explaining?"

With that, I extended an IV wrapped hand to him. With my fathers' gift, I knew he would be able to see exactly what had happened and my feelings about it.

My father took my hand. Closing my eyes, I channeled my memories dating from the moment I woke in Gideon's car to the present, excluding a few of our rendezvous I didn't think he really needed-or wanted to see.

It took a few minutes for everything to sink in and for my father to process everything. After a few minutes of everyone, including me looking anxiously at my father with his eyes closed.

After a moment or two, my father opened his eyes. "I understand. I don't necessarily agree with this…choice of yours, Alex. But I understand."

Alicia blew out a breath, blowing her bangs out of her eyes. "So what's the verdict, Professor? Has Alex lost it?"

I rolled my eyes at Alicia's dramatic comment.

"Don't you roll your eyes at me missy!"

"Alicia-"

"Don't Alicia me, I haven't even begun to give you a piece of my mind, and you haven't even seen Logan yet, he is LIVID-"

Thankfully Storm cut her off before she could really ramp up into a full-blown rant.

"I think that's enough shouting for one day…"

But before she could even finish that sentence, Logan stormed in "ALEX!"

I leaned back into my covers and rubbed my temples. Could this day get any more stressful?