The next morning Vesper woke and looked around the room as she tried to clear the fog in her head. She tried to rub the sleepiness away from her eyes and move into a more comfortable sitting position letting out a sigh she gave in. Hank who was up and reviewing his notes sat at his desk and looked up seeing her struggle he stood and made his way to his patient.

"Good morning Vesper, here let me help you, easy there." Hank was at her bedside in an instant "I don't want you to push yourself" he helped move her until she was comfortable.

Vesper closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath her body felt stiff and sore, it was a different kind of discomfort. Hank busily checked and recorded her vitals her fever seemed to break, thankfully she had slept through the majority of it. Giving her another round of antibiotics he added them to her line making sure to give her something to help with the discomfort she was feeling. He was honestly proud of her as he knew that being down in the med bay wasn't an easy thing for her. If she continued to stabilize he was going to be able to move her out of the bay and into the room they had waiting for her. Hank would still have to keep an eye on her but that wouldn't be an issue as his room was just down the hall. They would wait until after supper to move her as there would be less chance of running into other students. Hank wanted to just comfort the poor child and wrap his big arms around her and tell her that it was all going to be alright, but he was afraid of setting them back a step. He was just going to have to allow her to come to him on her terms. He just wanted to make sure that she understood he wasn't there to harm her.

"Are you hungry at all? I could have something brought down if you wanted to try and eat something." he received a slight nod, he would take that for now. "We'll take things slow today I don't want to push you. Your body is still trying to heal itself."

"Ok" her response was simple

"Charles has asked Logan to bring you down some breakfast he should be down momentarily with it. Eat what you can, but don't push yourself. We don't want you to make yourself sick."

"Yes, sir." she looked down at her hands and began to fidget, Hank could tell that she was a bit anxious.

"You can call me Mr. McCoy or Hank. You don't have to call me sir my dear."

Just then the door to the med bay opened revealing Logan with a small plate of food the smells were all so new to Vesper. He laid it on the small bedside table near her and smiled at her. She was nervous that he was going to try something which he picked up on. I mean it's not every day you see someone with claws.

"How's the half pint doing?" he asked as he stood next to Hank. There was that name again, why was he calling her that?

"Hoping to move her out of the lab and into a room today. Thank you for bringing her something to eat Logan" Hank said as he began to cut her food into smaller more manageable bites

"Charles wants to see you later once she's resting and comfortable." with that he left the lab and headed back upstairs.

Vesper looked down at the plate she had never seen or smelt something so tasty before she looked back up at Hank who just smiled at her and encouraged her to take a bite. Picking up a small piece of bacon she smelt it first before taking a small nibble. Instantly she felt her mouth begin to water, she had never tasted something like this before. But who would say no to bacon? She poked at the small mound of yellow fluff that were eggs, Vesper seemed rather unsure of them. Taking a small bite she decided they were okay. Inside she just wanted to cry, she had so many emotions swirling inside her and didn't know how to process them. Hank could tell that she was having trouble adjusting to her new life and it just tore him apart. He would talk to Charles about this later once he got her resting and comfortable. Letting her pick at her plate a bit more he waited for her to push it aside before picking it up and setting it aside. Vesper laid back against the pillows and sighed Hank pulled the blanket up and tucked her in, he gave her a gentle smile.

"Get some more rest. I have to go see the Professor, but I will be back before you wake up." Hank got up and gathered a few things before adding something to her IV that would make her sleep, he stood there for a minute before her eyelids grew heavy and she was out once again.

Charles was up in his office mulling over some papers that had to be graded before a knock tore his attention away from them. He looked at the clock and realized that more time had passed than he thought by now it was getting closer to lunch hour.

"Come in, Hank" he announced waiting for his friend to sit before continuing "How is she progressing?"

"Her fever hasn't returned and she's moved on to more solid foods. I'd like to move her into her room tonight, unfortunately the IV will have to stay. She will feel more at ease once we get her into a more relaxed setting."

"Something on your mind?" he knew his friend well enough to tell there was something that was worrying him.

"I worry that she is unprepared to deal with her emotions and I certainly think that medication will make things worse. She wanted to cry when she ate breakfast but she pushed down her feelings, I worry that she will have a breakdown. She doesn't know how to properly deal with these emotions as she wasn't taught how to."

"Ah, I did worry about this. Her brain has been hard-wired to not feel these emotions out of fear she will be punished. She will have to learn in time that it's normal to have these feelings. I will speak with her later. Have you found out anything about her family? She spoke of her parents telling her about stars." he came out from behind his desk resting near his friend

"All I can find is there are the parents and two children. Both children were born in captivity but there is no mention of what happened to her parents or sibling."

"I fear that we will find out sooner rather than later. Her powers scare her, she doesn't know how to use them properly."

"We will teach her Charles, I wish we could make this easier for her"

"I know my friend, as do I" he placed a hand on his friend's shoulder "Shall we go see our young friend?"

Hank got up and nodded without saying anything, he was exhausted. He didn't mind sleeping in the med bay to take care of her but he was happy to be able to sleep in his bed tonight.

Charles and Hank made their way down to the med lab where they found Vesper still sleeping soundly as they hoped she would be, Hank wrote down her current vitals and set the chart aside. About 30 minutes later after that, she began to stir, Xavier smiled down at her as she slowly came out of her sleepy state.

"I hope you are feeling rested, Hank says we should be able to move you out of the med bay and into your room tonight."

"I'm afraid that you will still need your IV, but we can move you to a more comfortable space" Hank added.

"Thank you." her voice was quiet

"You are more than welcome my dear. I understand that you must be feeling many emotions right now, it's perfectly fine if you need to talk or get some of it out. We are here whenever you need anything." Charles directed feelings of warmth and acceptance towards her which she was more than happy to lean into. He could feel she was trying her best not to let any tears escape but she was unsuccessful in doing so.

"Everything is new and it's a bit scary." she dared not make eye contact with either of them.

"That is understandable, but understand no harm will come to you while you are under this roof. It's okay to be scared but never be afraid to ask for help, my friend" he tilted her chin up and wiped away the stray tears.

"I- it's just that I keep waiting to wake up and this all be a dream." sniffling she held tight to her stuffed cat.

"You are not dreaming my dear, I promise that" he smiled at her "I hear you had breakfast this morning, bacon is a hit or so I'm told"

"Yes, thank you. I've never had anything like that before."

"You are quite welcome, Vesper. I'm going to leave you in the very capable hands of Hank here, I will be back later with some supper." Charles excused himself but not before leaving Vesper with some comforting thoughts I promise things will get easier, I will be back later to show you to your room.

Vesper sat there thinking to herself how was this going to get easier, she just wanted to have her parents wrap their arms around her like they always would when she was upset.

"I'm sure you must be getting tired of sleeping, would you like to do something to pass the time?" his question caused confusion and slight worry which he keenly picked up on "Don't worry it's something most of the children here do." he walked over to the drawer where he got the black cat from and pulled out a coloring book and some crayons.

Placing them on the side table he opened the book revealing a swirly pattern he set the pack of crayons next to it and moved the table so it was in front of her. She looked up at him confused at what she was supposed to do as she had never seen anything like this before. Hank kicked himself for not realizing sooner his mistake he forgot her knowledge of things was very limited. Picking up the blue crayon he started to color in a section showing her how to do it.

"Are there rules?" she quietly asked

"Not really, most people just stay in the lines. You don't have to do this I thought it might be something fun for you to try."

"I've never done this before, thank you." she picked up another crayon and colored a small section in purple. She looked up at him to check that she was doing this right he smiled at her

"You can color it any color you want. Have fun with it you might find it relaxing"

Vesper returned her attention to the pattern before her and focused on staying within the lines she took her time making sure to color each section as she went. A few times she would pause and look at the design for a second before carefully picking her next color. Hank was pleased it was something she had to help keep her mind busy as laying in a hospital bed can get quite boring. Hank watched as she focused her energy on concentrating on the task that was before her, He smiled to himself when he realized it might be useful as a tool to help her in dealing with her emotions. Writing this idea on a nearby note pad he decided he would try and think of some other things to help her deal with adjusting to her new life later on. Yes, she physically might have been sixteen years old her knowledge of life and things were on par with a young child. Her wish to see the stars would be fulfilled tonight when she was shown to her room later on.

Looking down at her she continued to color not even paying him any attention at all. Hank chuckled to himself and started to tidy up around his desk as it had become quite cluttered over the last few days. Stacking the journals into two smaller piles he then placed the files neatly in front of them placed his notepad on top and laid his favorite pen next to it. Coming around to the outside of the desk to inspect his work he again bumped into the corner of the desk sending his beloved pen to the floor once again. Bending down he picked up his pen but paused on the way up he was having a case of Deja view. Looking at the side of the desk that was facing the wall he noticed the small lock box was wedged between the wall and the desk. He must have missed it the first time when he bumped into the desk. Picking it up he set it on the desk he would deal with it later or first thing in the morning glancing over at Vesper she was just finishing up the first design she had started.

"Did you want to do another one?" he asked sitting beside her bed

"My hand hurts, can I do one later?" she expected him to flat-out say no

"Of course, maybe you can do one before bed tonight?" he chuckled

"I'd like that. I- I'm sleepy can I lay back down?"

"Of course, I will wake you when Charles brings down some supper. I'll be down here working on some files if you need anything." Vesper only nodded and settled into the bed hugging her kitty tightly as she drifted off to sleep unassisted.

Hank against his better judgment decided to open to the small leather box he had left on his desk he pulled it towards him and easily broke the lock that kept the contents hidden. Inside the box were a few files as well as a hard drive. Inserting the hard drive into a nearby laptop upon opening the file he was greeted with more files most of them were photos or documents containing results of various experiments there were a few videos within them which made his blood boil if she had even experienced a fraction of what he saw he still could not fathom having enough strength to live through it. Looking deeper within the files Hank came across a video marked mutant 4725 experiment 1, inserting a pair of headphones Hank braced himself and clicked the video. The horrors that greeted him were nothing compared to her screams and pleas they stabbed at his very core, shutting the video off he set the laptop aside. He looked over sadly at his patient he knew that Charles was going to be working on helping her heal her scars but it still bothered him that he was unable to do any more than what he was already doing. He could tell that she was still uneasy around him in time she would come around to him. Hank picked up his laptop and headed for the Professor's office to bring this new information to his attention.

The hallways were mostly empty ensuring a quick walk to the Professor's office he knocked twice before entering.

"How is she Hank?" there was detectable worry to his words as he set his book down to give Hank his full attention

"Charles, I don't know how she's managed to stay so strong. When we first brought Vesper here we found a locked box, my focus was on the young girl I did not open the box until tonight" he paused before continuing the images were still strong within his mind "Charles the experiments… they were recorded. I saw what they did to her, anyone else I know would not have been able to live through that." He played the video for the Professor and walked away from the computer taking a seat in front of the desk it was bad enough he'd have to hear it again he wasn't going to put himself through watching that again.

It wasn't long before Charles had shut off the video he didn't need to see any more of it, closing the laptop he wiped away a stray tear looking up at Hank he could tell the images had truly bothered his friend. Charles knew that sooner or later he was going to be faced with the task of tucking away the memories that haunted her. He would wait until she came to him with that request and not force it upon her. Right now Vesper was just beginning the healing process, and that was something that would have to be nurtured and guided and not rushed. Charles would be the first to break the silence that hung heavy in the air.

"My friend, we will progress at her pace. I'm here if you need to talk about what we've witnessed." he could feel the uneasiness that radiated from Hank.

"Thank you, Charles. But it does help me understand where her discomfort of being in the lab stems from. We will move her later tonight that way she can see the stars like she has always wanted to." he tried to hide the pain in his voice what he saw would stay with him until his dying day.

"Anytime. Give her time she will warm up to you, all she's known is that doctors cause pain and fear. In due time she will come to realize that you mean her no harm. Why don't we bring her something to eat and see how she's doing?" he suggested as he came to rest beside his friend "Supper is just starting go make her a plate up and meet me in the lab I will go check on our newest resident. Also, I think the fish tank you've added to her room will be a nice addition, Hank."

"Oh, yeah I thought that it might help her feel not so alone. I have Scott going out after supper to get her a little friend. My apologies for not asking first just thought it might be a good therapy tool I will help with the upkeep."

"I think it's a great idea, I'm sure she will love it" Hank and Charles parted ways he was headed to check on Vesper but now with more of an understanding of her past.

Down in the lab Vesper lightly continued to slumber as Charles entered and came to rest at her bedside. Looking down at her she had a peaceful expression on her face he would wait until Hank arrived with her food before waking her as he honestly felt bad for having to wake her up. He sat there waiting for Hank to walk in which happened moments later. Hank set her food down on the same little table and started to wake up his young patient. Slowly she began to come out of the sleepy state she was in and looked at both men who had the same expression on their faces. She pulled herself into a sitting position this time unassisted and pulled the blanket back up near her almost as if she was trying to shield herself from any potential harm. Placing the table in front of her she picked up the fork and slowly started to pick at the plate before her. Tonight's dinner was a small bit of chicken, a scoop of mashed potato, and some veggies with gravy and stuffing. Tasting each bit Vesper liked the mashed potato, gravy, and chicken. The stuffing she liked but found that it was heavy, both men smiled at each other they were happy to see her eating real food. Vesper took her time making sure to savor each bite leaving most of the veggies she pushed her plate aside and laid back against the pillows.

"Thank you." she quietly squeaked out

"I'm glad you liked it. We should be able to move you to your room here soon." Hank set the plate out of the way.

"I- I've never had a room before, thank you."

"You are more than welcome Vesper. Hank has a gift for you in your room he thought it might help with adjusting to things."

"But why?" her simple question made them chuckle

"It's a welcome gift, plus it can double as a light for you at night time if you need it." he sat down next to the side of the bed.

"Thank you."

"No problem kiddo, if you want you could probably see the stars tonight if you want it looks like it will be a clear night."

"Could I?" she could hardly get the words out she had always wanted to see them her parents would talk about them all the time.

"I think it's settled before bed we will show you the stars and the night sky. Let's get you out of this bed and into a chair and we can show you to your room. Is it alright if I lift you into the chair?"

Hank waited for her to respond which came in the form of a nod. Lifting her small frame into the wheelchair he had set nearby earlier he attached her IV bag to the pole that was attached to it. Sitting in the chair she clung to her stuffed kitty she was glad to be leaving the lab but was nervous about what awaited on the other side of the door. Charles had sensed her anxiety beginning to brew within her he made sure that he sent calm and relaxing thoughts her way to quell her fears. They would take one of the passageways to the faculty area of the mansion to travel a less populated area so as not to overwhelm her. The elevator was a bit nerve-racking for her as she didn't like that it closed you in, that was something both men took note of but wouldn't press the issue. Exiting the elevator Hank pushed her chair down a hall stopping about halfway down to where a door was open and they entered. Vesper expected it to be empty but there stood a man wearing what looked like fancy sunglasses standing over the small fish tank that Hank had added to her room. She remembered that he was there when she was rescued but she didn't know his name.

"Ah Vesper, this is Scott Summers he will eventually be one of your teachers." Xavier introduced the two

"It's nice to meet you" Scott flashed a smile "Hank, I've just added him to the tank now. I hope you enjoy your new friend." He stood off to the side near the Professor as Hank wheeled Vesper over to the tank which had her mesmerized.

Watching intently as her new friend swam curiously about within its new home she had never seen something with such vibrant colors as what she was looking at right now. Hank had sent Scott out to find the most colorful betta fish that he could find to keep Vesper company when she was in her room. Looking up at Hank he could tell that behind her thankful eyes were tears that were just waiting to spill over, placing a hand on her shoulder he seemed to read her mind.

"You are quite welcome, my dear. This is your room Vesper, a space to call your own. Over this way is the bathroom with a shower, there's a closet full of clothes over there for you. If you need anything at any time there is usually someone in this area." Hank gave her a quick tour of the room.

All of this was a little bit overwhelming Vesper looked over at the bed she was in awe at the size of it, other than the infirmary bed she was just in Vesper never had a bed before. Charles chuckled at her unfocused thoughts there was so much someone her age should have experienced by now but everything that was happening to her was all new to her.

"I know this must be a lot to take in all at once, but why don't we get you into bed for a bit of rest then later we can show you those stars." his voice was laced with warmth.

"Thank you, I never could've imagined that I'd end up in a place like this." she started to choke on her words but pushed it down.

Frowning the Professor gently reminded her that it was okay to feel like this, it was going to be a challenge to get Vesper to realize this. Vesper, it's okay to be feeling a bit overwhelmed. Please don't bottle up these feelings you will never be in trouble when it comes to your emotions.

Vesper could only look at the floor she didn't want to make eye contact with either of the three men in the room as she knew that she was going to fold like a house of cards and she didn't want any judgment passed upon her. Hank bent down to get on her level and looked into her eyes and he could see so many conflicting emotions on her face.

"I know you must feel lost and scared right now Vesper, but we all promise to protect you. Let's get you into bed and rest for a bit. We will come back when it gets a bit darker out and we can see those stars." Hank stopped the wheelchair beside her bed and helped her into bed tucking her in with her stuffed kitty and turned on the bedside lamp "If you need anything just press this button." he pointed to one he had set up earlier.

"Alright Vesper, I'm going to do my nightly rounds, and then Hank and I will check back in and then we will show you the night sky." Charles smiled as the three of them left to let her rest shutting the door behind them.

"Thank you Scott for taking care of that errand for me." Hank didn't want to leave her side while she was in the med bay and Scott was more than happy to help "Charles I think she will feel better now she is in a less triggering space."

"She's so- child-like" Scott stated.

"We take for granted the small things we do every day, for Vesper she's only just starting her life at sixteen" Charles' words held much sadness as they stood just outside her door.

"Poor kid." Scott excused himself as they moved past his room.

Hank decided that he would follow Scott's lead and return to his room until the Professor returned from doing his rounds and they would fulfill Vesper's wish.

Vesper sat in her bed trying to soak in her new surroundings the room was so open and inviting. She had grown accustomed to the small dark and dank cells, this was a serious upgrade. She did appreciate the fish tank Hank had added to the room. She found that it was peaceful just watching her new friend swim about. She had honestly had no idea how long she was watching him when a light knock on her door had torn her attention away. Looking out her window she realized the sky had indeed gotten darker, she was going to see what the stars looked like. There was another knock before a voice called out.

"Vesper, are you still awake?" Hank's voice was soft.

"Y- Yes, I—"

"You still up for some star gazing?" her door slowly opened and both Hank and Charles entered her room. Hank came to rest by her bedside with him he had a nice plush robe with an embroidered 'X' on it "It's a bit cool out, this is for you. It will keep you warm if you get cold while we are outside. Let's just take our time though I don't want you to push yourself too hard."

Hank helped her get into a standing position and place the plush robe around her tiny frame, careful not to catch the IV line.

"I don't know what to expect." she softly admitted.

"That's understandable. Shall we go see those stars" Hank asked as he was quietly assessing the young girl that stood before him. Gesturing to the chair beside the bed Vesper carefully and slowly eased herself into it with Hank's help.

"I never thought I'd see what the sky looks like, I was sure I was going to..." Vesper didn't have to finish her sentence to know what she was going to say.

"Let's go see those stars. We don't have to go too far, just down the hall and out these doors." Hank said as he started to push the chair out into the hallway Vesper shifted in the chair as they grew closer and closer to the door Hank noticed the change in her "Do you need a minute?" he got down to her height and looked her in the eyes

"I- I'm good, just a bit nervous I guess."

There is nothing to fear, Vesper. Hank and I will be with you the entire time there is nothing that can harm you. Charles knew she wanted to do this but she was unsure what she was going to see he wanted to make sure she felt safe before they made their way outside.

I wish they were here with me to see this. I wish it didn't hurt so bad Vesper had a look of sadness on her face.

In time it will heal my dear. Are you ready for this?

Okay, let's go. Can we stay for a minute?

We can stay as long you want, just let us know what you want to go back in

"I'm ready." she stared up at Hank who could detect a bit of fear in her eyes he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder to comfort her.

Opening the door she was met with a slight coolness that she was unprepared for she pulled the robe as close to her body as she could. Taking a breath she looked up towards the night sky where the stars happily greeted her shining bright against the night sky. Hank wheeled her over to a nearby bench and sat down next to her. Vesper couldn't take her eyes off of them, they were absolutely beautiful. Now she understood what her parents were talking about. She had no idea they could be so bright against the night sky.

"Thank you, for showing me the stars." Vesper quietly said

"Anytime you want to see them you let me know, and we will." Hank intended on keeping that promise "You let us know when you are ready to go in, take as long as you want to."

The three of them enjoyed the night sky until Vesper began to yawn and sank into the corner of the wheelchair in an attempt to get into a comfortable position and started to nod off a bit. Charles chuckled at the sight that was unfolding before him, the fresh nighttime air had made her sleepy but she was trying to fight it. Hank followed Charles' line of sight landing on Vesper who was barely awake and clutched at the edges of the robe.

"Why don't we get you to bed before you fall asleep out here, I hope you enjoyed star gazing." Hank wheeled her back to her room gently scooping her up her carefully placed her in bed.

"Alright, Vesper why don't you get some rest and we will speak in the morning. Rest easy my dear." Charles warmly spoke as Hank helped her out of the robe and into bed and tucked her in.

Both men stayed until she fell asleep which only took a few moments as she was completely exhausted at this point. She had a look of peacefulness across her face as she got an honest rest that wasn't induced by medication. Hank and Charles left her to slumber they would check on her first thing in the morning and allow her to sleep as long as she wanted to. Glancing back one last time from the doorway Hank pulled the door close but not all the way, he would leave his the same in case she woke during the night and needed something or got scared. Tomorrow Charles would try to get her to open up a bit more but not press his luck with the situation. Retiring for the night both men would see what the next day would them, hoping to gain a bit more trust.