CHAPTER SIXY ONE:

I Hope Your Purr-Box Breaks

AN: Typed on the fly before I'm supposed to be going to dinner. CRIPES I'M ALREADY AN HOUR LATE!

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ORORO/STORM

When Ororo finally made her way to Hanks Science class, she wasn't at all pleased with what she found.

In the prolonged absence of a teacher, the teens had completely abandoned their studies and were now clustered in little groups around the room…..that is until a fierce wind blew into the class, sending homework papers and books flying helter-skelter.

Several of the girls shrieked in surprise, hands flying up to their hair.

Ororos eyes gleamed completely white (as they usually did when she used her powers) and her aura was absolutely terrifying.

Immediately, all the students returned to their seats, looking embarrassed and nervous.

"I would believe, children." Oro emphasized as she walked to the front of the class. "That you should be old enough and mature enough to be able to continue your studies by yourself without adult supervision. Apparently I was wrong. I am VERY disappointed in you."

Mumbled apologies filled the air.

"Now," Ororo said firmly. "Would any of you care to tell me what you were SUPPOSED to be studying while Professor McCoy was conducting business?"

Guilty silence for a brief time before a young mutant with red har (the very one Victor had embarrassed early on by instructing Beast to feed her meat) Mallory, raised her hand.

Remembering Hank telling her about the very incident, Ororo gentled her look towards the red-head. "Yes, Mallory?"

"Professor McCoy was teaching us about telomeres." Mallory said quietly.

Ororo nodded sagely. "Very well. Can anyone tell me what a telomere is?"

Another student raised their hand. "Yes, Sallie?"

"They're what protect chromosomes and prevent them from fusing into rings or binding with DNA."

Ororo arched a sophisticated eyebrow. "Well, that's what the BOOK says. Now can anyone put it in their own words?"

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BOBBY DRAKE/ICEMAN

Bobby Drake sat calmly at his desk; the model student, his ice-blue eyes wide with innocence…innocence that was completely feigned. In his smart mind, gears were twisting and turning, flans forming, fragmenting, then reforming themselves.

He raised his hand.

"Yes, Bobby?" Ororo called.

Bobby kept his doe-eyed innocence. "So, as a person gets older, their telomeres start breaking down and that causes aging?"

Ororo nodded approvingly at him as she moved around the room. "Yes. Our telomeres wear down with time like wind chipping away at a mountain, breaking it down. Though our telomeres do go much faster than that." Ororo said with a smile.

"So," Bobby continued. "Does that mean that there's something different about Wolverine and Sabretooths telomeres that make them not age?"

Ororo blinked, stunned. "You're right, Bobby, I never thought of that."

Bobby used this opportunity to ask his questions. "Professor Munroe? Why is Sabretooth here? Why did the Professor let him in the school? Wasn't he working for Magneto?"

Several students shifted uneasily in their seats but looked at Storm with both curiosity and expectation.

Ororo sighed. She would have liked to have switched the topic back to science, but knew that that would be too easy a way out, and therefore not the right choice. Besides, the students deserved answers and if they weren't given any they would probably come up with their own wild brand of answers which could do more harm than good.

She linked her graceful hands together and took a deep breath. "Have any of you ever done something bad? Something you're not proud of?"

Uncomfortable silence.

"Didn't you want, no, deserve a second chance?" Ororo asked.

Bobby raised his hand but, this time, he didn't wait to be called on. "Yeah, Professor Munroe, I'm sure we've all done things we're not proud of, but we're not talking about stealing something from a store or even a breaking and entering, Sabretooth has murdered."

Ororo sought for calm in her mind. "Would you charge a soldier in the heat of battle with murder when he kills someone?"

"Again, no." Bobby answered. "But hasn't Sabretooth killed even when he wasn't in a war? For fun?"

Inwardly, the usually calm and composed weather-witch began to panic.

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HANK MCCOY/BEAST

In the med-lab, gathering vials and syringes and all manner of things to do a health check-up on a whole bunch of kids, Hank McCoy, also known as Beast, suddenly froze mid-step to the supply cabinet, fur standing on end. Right now he felt more feral than scientist.

He scented panic…..more importantly, the Beast scented his MATES panic.

The normally mild-mannered scientist/teacher/X-man began to feel almost completely feral and, without thinking, he let out a loud, ear-shattering roar that rang through the school. But this was no roar an alpha would make; this was the roar of a beta asking for his higher-ups help; asking for assistance from his alpha.

Beast tore down the halls, following his mates scent.

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VICTOR / CASSIE/ LOGAN

The roar that echoed through the halls made Cassie jump about five feet in the air beside the hulking feral who immediately wrapped his arms around her, steadied her, then, just as quickly, stood.

"Victor, what's going on?" Cassie asked, a little frightened.

Victor put his strong hand around her neck in a reassuring, stabilizing grip. "It's alright, mate. Stay here." Victor shot his younger brother a commanding look and his stone hard gaze said it all. `Stay here. Watch them.`

The younger feral gave a curt, understanding nod, then Victor was off.

Cassie instinctively pulled Roddy into her arms, giving Logan a slightly panicked look. "WHAT is going on!?"

Logan started up his purr, making drowsiness seep up her limbs. Still, Cassie managed to scowl at him and said scathingly;

"I hope your purr-box breaks."

Logans purr was cut off in a choke of amusement and surprise.

Cassie glared.

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VICTOR CREED:

A thousand and one scenarios were flying through Victors mind; an attack by Nick Fury, an attack from some pick-a-name person who had a vendetta against him, maybe two cubs dueling it out that required an alphas control before someone got hurt, but when he smelled gardenias, rain, and panic, he knew it had something to do with Beasts mate.

When he careened into the classroom, at least some of it was explained.

Hank, more Beast now, had his body protectively covering the weather-witch who looked stunned, but unharmed.

Then Victor realized what had sent the blue-furred feral into a tizzy. The weather-witch had been broadcasting panic probably even BEFORE Beast had gotten into the classroom prior to him.

He took another sniff.

No blood, just panic and confusion and some fear from the cubs.

He started up his purr, first directing it towards the students then towards Ororo who was under the effects of Beasts purr already.

Calmly, in charge, and radiating his alpha presence, Victor stalked forward and addressed the stunned weather witch. "What happened, frail?" he commanded in a stern, but soft tone.

The Beast was totally feral now, but recognized Victor as his alpha and didn't try to attack him.

Ororo was confused. "I…..I do not know."

"You panicked." Victor prodded gently. "That's why he came running. "he jerked his head towards Hank. "Now, what happened?"

Ororo still looked befuddled. "Nothing. I was teaching the class about telomeres and then the subject of you came up and….." she trailed off.

Victor took in another deep breath, keeping his voice calm. "Alright, what about me?"

Ororo took a deep breath herself and let her eyes lock on Victor.

The oldest feral clenched his fists. `She's challenging you.` his feral side, his 'Sabretooth' hissed. `Make her submit.`

`No,` Victor countered in his own mind. `She doesn't know. I'll explain to her later.` he clenched his hands into fists—hard—trying, for once, to harness himself, to temper ferity with logic.

Thankfully, Ororo looked away, lessening the instinct.

"What about me, frail?" his growl came into his voice.

Then, one of the students spoke up, the cub who smelled of Winter and seemed to be hooked on his brothers mate.

"It was me, though I don't know why that would make Professor Munroe panic." The ice-boy said, sounding confused and worried. But his scent told another story; his scent said he was annoyed and angry and up to something.

Victor arched an eyebrow at the little snot, then turned to face him, standing with his feet hip-length apart, muscled arms crossed. "Is that so?"

The ice-boy sat up a little straighter, but let no fear pass his face.

Without looking away from Bobby, Victor spoke to Ororo, his voice calm and commanding. "Ya need to calm down, frail. If ya don't the blue furball won't either."

He could just feel the weather-witch rolling her eyes. "Of course, Mr. Creed." She said sarcastically. "I will attempt to calm myself immediately."

"I said calm, not riled." Victor growled. "Listen to his purr, frail, let it calm you." Before Ororo could get another word in edgewise, Victor confronted the ice-mutant. "And you didn't have the balls ta be a man and come ask me yer questions?"

Victor could literally see the ice-boy prickling, his hands clenched into fists.

"Well, I'm here now, cub. Ya got questions, ask'em."

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VOCABULARY :

RILED: Worked up, angry

PROLONGED: v. to lengthen out in time; extend the duration of; cause to continue longer: to prolong one's stay abroad.

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CITATIONS:

"prolonged." Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 14 Aug. 2013.

Stibich, Mark. "Telomeres and Aging - Understanding Cellular Aging." . .health, 29 Mar 2007. Web. 14 Aug 2013. . .