I don't own X-men, but regardless the original characters that I'll be using in here do belong to me.

So I epically failed at Nanowrimo this year. School consumed me a little earlier than I expected, oh well, better concentrate of finals. Any whoo, I tried to compile a chapter for you.

Chapter 44

The air conditioning in the court room wasn't working, and the heater was evidently on the fritz making it almost a sauna. Naomi thankfully was in a light fabric short sleeve shirt and kapris. She felt sorry for Beast, he'd already taken off his jacket and loosened his tie once. The judge had walked in moments before and sat listening while her father's lawyer gave a shpeel about how it was wrong to take a sick child from her family and how evil mutants were to manipulate a sick girl into believing she was one of them.

The judge raised a hand cutting him off mid-stream, "Is she, or is she not a mutant?" He asked.

"No your honor."

"Yes your honor." Naomi spoke this at the same time as the lawyer.

His honor sighed, "Before this proceeds any further I want the proper tests taken on this girl as to decide if she is or is not a mutant." He turned to her father, "As your entire case rests on your belief that she is sick and not a mutant then I suggest you find other reasons as to why you should be permitted by this court to keep custody of her. And I have seen all of the evidence Mr. McCoy, you will be seeing more of this courtroom if I have anything to say about it." He banged his little mallet. "Adjourned, the plaintiff will remain at the school for the time being. Dr. McCoy, a court appointed guardian will be joining you to make sure she has proper treatment, as well as gets an examination by the proper medical personnel."

Everyone stood as the judge left. Naomi stayed where she was as her parents and their lawyer left the courtroom first. She looked to her uncle. "Ice cream?" She asked.

"Couldn't of said it better myself sweetheart." Beast said with a smile. Upon their exiting of the room a woman stood from a bench across the hall and walked up to the two of them. She was in a black dress suit with her almost orange looking hair pulled back in a tight bun at the base of her neck, not a hair seemed out of place.

"Naomi, I'm Mrs. Cari Hollins, I'm your court appointed guardian." Mrs. Hollins shook Naomi's hand firmly before she looked over her glasses at Hank, "Dr. McCoy, I've heard a good deal about you from political circuits. It's a pleasure to meet you." Another quick shake of hands passed between the adults. She turned back to Naomi, "Well, I suggest we head over to the hospital for those tests as soon as possible." Her voice was plain and a little sharp.

The shadow walker looked up at her fuzzy uncle then back to the very neat woman, "I guess so, Uncle Hank and I were going to get ice cream, but I guess that can wait till after. Would you like to join us for some?"

She smiled, "I try to avoid eating sugar."

Naomi had a feeling this was going to be a very difficult relationship.

They were sitting in a small hospital room, Naomi perched on that slightly higher bed/chair while Mrs. Hollins was fingering through the pages of an older edition of People magazine and Beast was working on the days crossword puzzle in the newspaper when Naomi's phone buzzed.

They let u free yet? Rune texted.

She looked at the two adults before replying, We're at the hospital. Judge demands medical proof I'm mutant.

Oooo, needles. Came the reply shortly after. Naomi rolled her eyes and put away the phone just before the doctor walked into the room.

"Sorry for the wait, we were having a hard time tracking down your medical record Miss McCoy. You haven't been to see a doctor for a while, your lucky your so healthy." He said while flipping though the papers.

Naomi didn't feel like explaining her situation to this stranger at the moment, "Yeah, lucky me." She replied.

"Alright, we'll just take some blood and start on those tests." The doctor looked Naomi over, "Just between you an me though, you don't look like a mutant."

Naomi couldn't resist. She let her normal appearance drop away revealing the black skin beneath, "So this is normal to you?" The doctor stumbled back a step, Beast gave her a look, she shrunk back a bit and apologized. "You have a better chance of getting blood without breaking a few needles when I don't have my defense up." She offered her arm.

The doctor stared at her for a moment, he took a blood drawing apparatus from one of the drawers and put it into her skin. As her blood was drawn the doctor continued to stare; Naomi was extremely uncomfortable under that constant gaze. Mrs. Hollins glanced over the top of the magazine for a moment then went back to reading.

One small vial of blood later they were leaving, Mrs. Hollins hung back slightly talking to the doctor, Naomi let her appearance return to her acceptable appearance. She sighed, "I don't know how you live with it Uncle Hank, how can you stand people staring at you all the time?"

He smiled down at her, "Because I came to terms with my appearance some time ago; everyone will stare at something that is different Naomi, you just have to decide that what they think doesn't hold as much weight as what you think of yourself."

"Sounds complicated."

Mrs. Hollins joined them, "They should have the tests complete in a few days. Now, you were talking about ice cream?"

Mrs. Hollins paid for the two double scoop cones and one triple scoop cup of ice cream. The three of them walked out and sat in the warm sunlight. "So, Naomi, tell me more about yourself. If I'm going to be keeping an eye on you, then I'd like to know some of your interests."

Naomi took a lick of the chocolate ice cream, "Looking for anything in particular that you can report to the judge later?"

The court appointed guardian sighed, "No, I want to know about you." She licked at the rocky road ice cream on her cone.

"I ran away from home in December because I wasn't wanted in my own home." Naomi stated, "I went to my Uncle because he was a mutant and I'm one too. I can manipulate shadows, walk through shadows, and go to a rather strange dimension that is between shadows. He took me to the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters because he knew they could help me. And that's what they have been doing." They sat on a wooden bench and continued to eat their treats, Beast sat spooning out some combination of the three flavors he'd gotten. "My parents home schooled me for about three years before giving up, so now everyone, and the cat," she said with a smile thinking of Cathrine, "has been helping me catch up in all the schooling that I've missed."

Mrs. Hollins listened intently while Naomi continued to give parts of her life to her. When she'd finished their ice creams were gone. "Sounds like you've learned a lot about yourself in the last few months."

Naomi nodded, "And I don't want to go back to my parents: I belong at the school."

"Well then," she stood, "I'd like to see this school, perhaps get a tour." She looked to Hank, "If you'd be so kind."

"Of course."

The roar of a motorcycle came up the street then stopped in front of them. Rune pulled off his helmet, "Fancy meeting you here." He said with a grin, "A bunch of us are meeting up at the mall," He looked up at Beast, "Can Naomi come?"

Beast looked to Mrs. Hollins, "You'll have to ask her legal guardian."

Rune turned his attention to the woman. "Well?"

She raised an eyebrow, "Do you have a license to be driving that thing?"

"Yes."

Naomi sighed, "Mrs. Hollins this is Rune, he's my..."

"Boyfriend." Rune supplied and grinned, "I'll drive careful and everything."

Mrs. Hollins coincided.