Change is in the air

Fall had come early this year and outside the leaves on the trees were starting to change from green to shades of red, orange, and amber. The air had a crispness to it and the feeling of the start of the holiday season was in the air. It was Jade's favorite time of year. As she prepared her tea in the kitchen she glanced out one of the large windows and smiled as she watched a few of the younger students playing outside. The young woman had spent half of her life in her uncle's special school and it now felt more like home to her than her previous home had. Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters was a place of refuge for those with special abilities...mutants. Her uncle, a powerful mutant himself, had created the school out of his home to help mutants learn to control their powers and to give them a safe place to call home. The world still did not trust mutants and mutant hate groups continued to pop up. Their was even serious talks in D.C. of a Mutant Registration Act that would make it illegal for mutants to hide. They would be forced to come forward and be treated much like the Nazi's had with the Jewish population back during WWII. The thought made Jade sick to her stomach and angry. She didn't want mutants to be forced to reveal themselves if it meant they would then be in danger. She and her uncle had had many serious discussions about the matter, but for now they decided to wait and see what happened.

Once her tea was ready, Jade picked up the cup and walked from the kitchen towards the library where she was to meet James. As she walked down the hallway she passed by a familiar picture hanging on the wall. It was one of her grandparents, uncle, and mother. It had been taken shortly before her mother had met and married her father when her mother was close to the age she was now. The resemblance between the two women was unmistakable and every time Jade looked at that picture she felt an ache in her heart that refused to disappear. She had been born in London to Wesley Beaumont and Katherine Beaumont-Xavier. Her mother was a powerful mutant, like her older brother, and her father was a politician who advocated for mutant rights. Unfortunately, this made the pair targets for mutant hate groups and ultimately lead to their deaths by a car bomb when she was 13 years old. She had gone to live with her uncle, Charles Xavier, and he had become her legal guardian. The pair became close after her own telepathic and telekinetic abilities surfaced and over time she became more like his daughter than his niece.

Jade was 24 now and a teacher in her own right at the school. She cared for all of the students at the school and many of them looked up to her as a mentor, like she had with her uncle. As her uncle grew older he began to entrust more duties to Jade and he had even spoken seriously to her about passing the school on to her after his eventual death. However, for now, Jade continued to learn from him and did what she could to help keep the school running smoothly and she knew she couldn't do half of what she did without James' help. She had known James for several years and the two had become fast friends as they were close in age to each other. Jade felt she could confide in James and knew he would tell her the truth if she asked for advice. The two of them worked well together and she greatly appreciated his help.

As Jade entered the library she found he had not arrived yet, so she took a seat by the fireplace and sipped her tea. Strangely, she found her thoughts wandering to James. This had been happening a lot more lately and she could sense that something was changing between them.

As he stood rinsing his hands in a small mettle sink at on end of the large garage, he glanced across at a pair of high school graduate age mutants who were pointing at a number of unique modifications to an X vehicle, modification he'd spent the best part of an hour explaining both function and how to reassemble if needed, somthing he found satisfying was explaining such innovations to inquisitive minds and this school had both.

Three years ago he'd been the inquisitive one, being shown the school and the lower levels for the first time and encouraged to learn and devoped now he returned the favor, caring for the technical side of things and teaching those who wanted to be taught.

He strolled away down one of the lower corridors towards the lift, to take him into the school areas, the contrast of the shiny metallic lower and historic brick and wood of the upper was something he appreciated. But the thing he appreciated more was the family he'd found so readily in the two years he'd spent here, the mutual trust and confidence was obvious, especially with Jade. Granted he was a little hesitant around the neice of the Professor that ran and owned the place, but only at first, he quickly found her approachable and friendly someone he could talk though things with and hoped he was showing the same dependability.

As the lift deposited him in the school he strolled the wood paneled corridor on his way to the library, to meet up with Jade, they did so quite regularly, sometimes it was a catch up other times it a was more focused conversation. He pushed the door open and smiled, she was all ready sat there, tea in hand by the fire, he threaded his way across the room. Waiting until he was close by before asking as he sat casually onto one of the chairs across from her. "How's your morning been Jade?"

Jade could sense James' approach from down the hallway. She did her best to control her physic abilities so as not to spy on someone's inner thoughts or feelings without their knowledge and consent, but she would allow herself to sense when a fellow mutant was drawing near. Overtime she had realized that each individual mutant had a different physic feeling to them, which was how she was able to know it was James. She heard the door open and looked over at his familiar form. She gave him a small smile as he approached her and took a seat across from her. She and James had a ritual to meet three times a week to discuss various things that were happening at the school, and other mutants who might need their help. It was something she had come to look forward to quite a bit. It also gave James and herself time to talk privately, away from potential eavesdroppers.

"It's been going well. I was able to get my run in before meeting with my uncle. How about yourself? I'm assuming you spent your morning in the garage," she said with a small, teasing smile.

He flashed a deep grin while settling back into the chair, his routine and tendency to spend time in that part of the complex was well enough known. "You assume correctly, although your not the only one it would seem, a pair of the almost graduates were waiting for me near the lift, Mickey, and Brandon, got to do a bit of teaching and mentor thing." He explained with a fairly satsifted tone to his voice, but not smug, at being able to pass on something useful to someone, he made a mental note at this point to go and check up on them a little later just to make sure they put everything back together properly, just to be sure.

He returned his attention to Jade or at least something she'd mentioned, he gave her a little nudge to see if there was anything on her mind from the meeting with her uncle or at least anything she felt she could share or might want to talk over, "Speaking of which, how's the getting to know the in's no out's of the schools running?" but it would only be a nudge he respected her enough although of late that could be developing into care of a more personal kind, time would tell he assumed.

Jade took a sip of her tea and smiled at her friend when he told her that a pair of older students had been waiting for him that morning. It pleased her to know that others respected James as much as she did. She knew his talents when it came to mechanical objects and she also knew how smart James was. He certainly had a lot of knowledge that he could pass on.

She settled back into her chair when he went on to ask her about her meeting with her uncle that morning. "It's going well. To be perfectly honest I know almost all there is to know at this point...at least to a point. There are just some things that he cannot teach me and that I must learn on my own."

She glanced away and was quiet a moment before looking back at James. Her eyes met his across the space between them.

"Kaia has shown up on our radar again. My uncle is deeply worried about her...as am I."

James would know Kaia's name well by now. Kaia Novak was a mutant that had been on the radar of the Brotherhood, X-Men, and SHIELD for sometime. She was young, still just a teenager, but powerful and without full control of her powers. Not much was known about her, but Jade could sense the fear and distrust deep within her.

Her hesitation was enough for James to be a little concerned, and when an all to familiar name came up he understood why. Although the smile thinned it was still there. Contact was a sign she was still alive, and a live person could still be reached, some just took a little more effort than others. "Who had contact, yourself or your uncle? Any feeling of what type of mutant she is?" He asked cautiously hoping it was just that and Kaia abilities were not starting to leave a mark on the wider world, press or police reports of such abilities in the current climate would add an extra twist to any next steps

Jade placed her almost empty cup of tea over on the small table beside her and then looked back at James. "Both my uncle and myself made some contact with her. We believe there might have been a temporary loss of control over her powers. This morning we both scoured all of the news and social media sites to ensure no one caught it on video. Unfortunately, it does appear that this loss of control did happen out in public and someone caught it on their cellphone."

Jade pulled out her phone and pulled up the video. It was shaky, but the video was focused on a young girl of about 16 or 17. She had dark brown, or almost black curly hair and olive skin. Someone was harassing her and she was trying to back away. She put up a hand in defense, but suddenly a short blast of red, pulsating light shot out of her hand and at the man. He was thrown back onto the sidewalk as people began to scream and flee. Other people began to throw things at the girl and she quickly fled and the video ended soon after.

"The man was shaken and his chest bruised, but otherwise alright."

Once again Jade paused and hesitated. She chewed her lower lip for a second or two, a clear sign that the next thing she was going to say was going to be bad. "My uncle thinks that Doctor Doom might be trying to recruit her."

Having leaned forward to look at the video, which was troubling for a number of reasons, the young woman was clearly running scaired and that anti-mutant feelings were still very strong in some corrners, James sat back and staid quiet for a moment or two, he was coming to realise that Jades demeanour was a little different when was telapathicly linked to a mutant particularly if they were troubled or unstable, the lingering images of the event she described must be troubling both to Kaia and to Jade.

Although this time it was likely heightened by knowing shd had the attention of powerful and reckless individual. Other than he was bad news, James had trouble keeping up with the exact identity and motives of some of the more villainous characters, but felt he needed to get to grips with who was who a little more so he asked. "I need a little memory jog, Doom isn't Brotherhood is he? He's trying make his own way right?" At times someone trying to make a name for themselves was all the more dangerous than one who was more established.

Jade put her phone away and could see the troubled look in James' eyes. It reflected her own feelings on the matter. She felt sorry for Kaia and wanted to find her so she could get her out of this situation and into a place that would protect and help her.

"Victor Von Doom is the genius scientist from and Monarch of Latveria who is pretty much a master of dark mysticism and sorcery. He has all of this high tech armor too that I'm sure you would love to get your hands on. He's dangerous to say the least."

"Anything with working parts is worth a look. But from what your saying it might only be part of the equation, and it could explain his interest in the girl." James said carefully, the title mystic for him conjured images and ideas of someone who was in tune with the elements and the forces around them, along the same manner as mutants who could harness the elements or had kinesis abilities, such ones would compliment the way he operated and might even provide him with certain advantages. Emphasis on providing him benefits, James was quite sure that Doctor Doom would use mutants and cut them loose once they were no longer useful.

Asideal from making his a little mad it also started James along a thought process. "What if he needs something more for his high tech stuff, if Kaia can project electrical energy she can likely channel it. What if......" He made a face and shook his head at this point, feeling the beginnings of an emotional trigger, and knowing he had to calm himself. Thankfully his first few weeks at the school had been spent learning just that. He stared across the room at the parkland outside, using the serene view to prompt a level of calm.

Jade listened quietly to James as he spoke and considered his thoughts. She didn't know much about Kaia's abilities, apart from that she was supposedly quite powerful. She would need to actually view her mutant powers in action to better understand them. The video didn't help her much and she didn't necessarily trust video evidence because it could be tampered with. She could sense James starting to become upset and agitated and she sat there quietly for a moment as she let him calm himself. She had learned to just let him deal with his emotions on his own and to not interfere. Once he was calm again she spoke.

"Well, I don't think it necessarily matters what he might want to do with her. We just need to not let it happen. I believe I've started to pin point where she might be located in the city. I will need to use Cerebro later today to confirm my feelings."

A moment later her phone vibrated and she picked it up and looked at it. She gave a little smile and typed in a response and then put her phone back down.

"Sam, that guy I was telling you about, finally asked me out to dinner."

James nodded slowly at the definate intent Jade had when it came to this particular mutant and a positive action that she could take, it was an attitude that was prominent in the school and one that was promoted by the tutors and those involved in the running of the school, one that James identified with strongly. "I'm sure you'll find her, and if there's extra hands need with what comes next, someone to make contact with her. I'm ready and willing, you know that right." He ended with a quick grin.

"I thought  I'd seem him around a little more often recently." He commented at her statement of being asked to dinner by one particular person. "Seems a nice guy." He added, his tone a little insincere despite him trying to be supportive, he reminded himself he wasn't a relative, and as protective as he felt he had to reign that in a little. "A little on the pretty side." He added quietly, and just in case she'd overheard tried to deflector with an question. "So you got classes later on?"

Jade glanced at James slightly when he commented on Sam. She could sense he wasn't being sincere in what he said. James never seemed to like any of the guys Jade went out with. She thought he was just being protective since they were so close, but now she was starting to wonder if perhaps there wasn't something more there that he wasn't telling her. In order to avoid an argument between them she pretended not to hear his last comment.

"Yeah, I have a few I'm teaching today. What about you?"

"A couple of lower level maintenance tasks, a bit fiddly but needed." He answered honestly and sincerely, he liked even the little tasks he might have assigned him, feeling that it might repay the help and guidance that was and continued to be given, with a grin he added. "after I've checked the boys haven't left the vehicle in to much of a mess." It wasn't all work though he regularly meet up with various groups for a variety of sports activities, he remembered one such that he was due to take part in later that evening. "Oh I've got a few of the eighth graders together for a little basketball after dinner, a few of the quieter ones have said they'd join as well so I'm hopeful, promote the togetherness and all that, get a bit of fun and excersise to boot."

Jade was glad to hear that some of the quieter boys were going to take part in the basketball game later that night. She was truly glad that James was around. The boys seemed drawn to him and he really helped to get them out of their shells and they would come to trust him greatly.

"That's wonderful James. I know that it is going to be a lot of fun for the boys."

She and James finished up their talk before going their separate ways for the day. Jade had a couple of classes she was teaching, Science and Literature, and she also had some training with a few of the newer students. Throughout the day her thoughts were torn between Sam and James. She had found that James had been creeping more and more into her thoughts when he was not around. They had been friends for years, but this felt different.

After finishing up her classes she went to go get ready for her date. She had been out one dates with several different guys over the years, but none of them had worked out. More often than not the guys were intimidated by Jade's intellect or just by seeing the school. She had never even gotten far enough into a relationship to tell a guy that she was a mutant. She got changed into a dress, which was just casual enough to not be overly dressy, and then fixed her makeup. She did not like to wear a lot of makeup, but did apply a little red lipstick. She left her hair down, but tousled it with her fingers before putting on her shoes. She headed downstairs and found James. She gave him a smile.

"So, what do you think?"

After leaving the library and going about his day, he checked on a the boys work, satisfied enough. Moved on to a job list for the afternoon, working though it methodically, occasionally his thoughts drifting to his reaction to jade's date, defensive or protective and it niggles as to if he might be missing something between himself and herself, but dismissing the though each time.

A short while later he was changed and cleaned up a little for a bit of mess around on the court and was making his way to the back of the house when he caught Jade, clearly dressed to go out, the little niggling though returned, particularly at her question. "You look great, casual chiqe, if that's even a term." He responded with a grin, himself in tee-shirt and cut off sweats, loosely clutching a ball under one hand.

"He picking you up or........sorry." He started to ask, which suddenly to his ear felt a little pricing and unnecessary, so he checked himself. She looked happy and for all the work and good she did for others she deserved to find that. "Have a good night Jade. Enjoy yourself." He finished with a grin, even if it did feel a little awkward right at that moment.

Jade didn't know why she felt she wanted James' approval, but she did. His opinion mattered to her and so she was pleased when his reaction was positive. She gave him a little smile.

"Thank you. Yes, he is picking me up. He should be here shortly."

She glanced at her phone and then walked to the living room to wait for him. Minutes slowly ticked by and the time was supposed to have arrived came and went. She tried texting him but received no response. After over an hour of waiting she finally gave up. She felt upset and angry as she pulled off her shoes. She walked into the kitchen and pulled out some cold pizza and sat there alone eating.

As he headed for the courts at the rear of the building James gave a brief backwards glance, only for a moment, as she walked towards the living room, smiling to himself. He was soon at the couurticaria do soon enough his attention was on having fun, and shooting a few hoops with the younger lads. Some of them surprised him and seemed eager to make it a semi regular thing.

It was only after as he headed into the kitchen for either a glass of water or soda, he saw Jade at the counter top, cold pizza in hand, far to early for the date having gone well. "Jade, I almost don't want to ask. But I'm your friend, do you need anything?" He said slowly and carefully, edging up to the counter top standing in the opposite corrner. He was annoyed for her and wanted to show his concern, but waited on her responce.

Jade was trying not to think about it, but she couldn't help it. Dating for a mutant wasn't easy due to a lot of negative press regarding mutants constantly airing on the news and on social media. Jade had hoped that things might be different with Sam, but now she would never know.

She looked up hearing someone walk in and saw James. She sighed softly upon hearing his question and was quiet a moment before finally speaking.

"I don't know why after all this time I still expect to be able to live a more normal life. Don't get me wrong. I love my uncle and the students here and I have come to understand and appreciate my abilities but...I don't know. I guess I just am starting to long for something more."

She became quiet again before looking at him. "I'm alright...really."

Leaning casually against the counter, and listening to Jade as she spoke, he tried to had back from suggestions at this point, figuring she just need a bit of a vent. Although he could full identify with the thoughts not having abilities or being a mutant, it was a love hate relationship for sure. "I know the feeling, the school and community we have and has been built is special, but there are time when it would be nice to carry on without have to go. 'Oh by the way I can do this because.......'"

Spontaneous he stepped a little close to her. "Friendly hug. Come one hug it out." James offered opening his arms and holding them in a gesture of a hug, aware he was a little sweaty from previous activities, but it could be a point of humor and that might help.

Jade listened to her friend and was glad to have someone she felt she could easily talk to about all of this. James was a good friend and she appreciated having him in her life. When he opened his arms and insisted on a hug she couldn't help but smile. He always knew how to get her to smile or laugh when she felt down. She stood up and stepped over to him and felt his arms enclose around her as she slipped her arms around him. He was a little sweaty, but Jade didn't mind. As the hug continued, Jade rested her head against James' shoulder and closed her eyes. She breathed in his scent and felt a feeling of comfort wash over her. This felt nice. It felt....

Jade's eyes quickly opened and as she realized what she was doing and she slowly took a step back. If James' looked closely, he would see a touch of redness in her cheeks.

"Well...I should go and change."

The difference between this gig and the many others they had shared in the past snuck up on James, the little soft spot he had for Jade seemed to be mutually changing all on its own.

He took the slights pace backwards when they broke from the hug, and with a smile and a nod, for moment he though of suggesting for them to go for a quick drink but held off, a small pang of uncertainty feeling like a warning not to push or be a little rash, this luttle moment felt like a little spark of something new, also Jade might just need her space.
"Tommorow a new day. New........posablitys." He added with a smile, it was a hint of how he felt, likely to subtle, but still there

Jade saw the small smile on James’ lips and she began to wonder if he was starting to feel what she was feeling. Her eyes met his for a long moment and James might see something there that hadn’t been there before. She didn’t look at him like a friend looked at another friend, but as a woman looked at a man she cared about.

“Well goodnight...”

"Goodnight." He said simply, he was going to sleep on this development, a development still in motion it felt, by the gaze across the room. He watched her walk away, she had a grace James always admired, again there was somthing different this time it felt like raw attraction.

He determined in his mind that he was going to pick this up in the morning, provided he felt the same way, he would find an excuse to see Jade that day, truthfully they often crossed paths during the day but only with time for a short exchange between friends. This would be longer, he would make time and hope if the feelings were as mutual as he suspected Jade would want to make time as well.

Waiting a short while, went for the sodas in the top cupboard, flicking the cap off and pocketing it. He strolled out of the kitchen towards the stairs, after a braid moment of indecision on the landing he found himself in his own room.

Jade sat there on her bed in her room, trying to work through this flurry of new emotions that were coursing through her. She didn't allow herself to connect to James' mind, but she knew she didn't need to. She had seen that look in his eyes and she knew that he had seen the look in her own. They now both knew and she couldn't help but wonder what would come next. James was a good man with a wonderful heart and the two of them worked very well together on the team. However, friendships and relationships were different and for a moment she feared what might happen to their friendship should a relationship, if they were to try one, didn't work out. It was certainly something that would need to be discussed and thought about if they decided to start down this road, though in her heart she knew that it had already begun. She heard him come up the stairs and saw his shadow pause at her door. She waited to see what he might do and didn't realize she had been holding her breath until after he began to walk away towards his room. She finished getting ready for bed and went to sleep that night thinking about James.

The following morning she rose, showered and dressed before going to have breakfast with her uncle, as she did every morning. She and her uncle discussed her using Cerebro later that day to try and locate Kaia. They had attempted to find Kaia several times now, but each time they had failed. Jade didn't want to fail again. She knew that time was running out and that they needed to locate this girl soon, even if that meant her going out and just walking the streets until she found her. She then went down to teach her literature class to some of the older students. She had a corner room with large bay windows that looked out over several very old Oak trees. The room had once been her uncle's father's study and she could see why he would have chosen that room. There were floor to ceiling built in bookcases that remained filled with old books and a large, solid wood desk that was intricately designed.

Jade found she had a more difficult time focusing on what she was teaching as her thoughts continued to wander back to James. As her class ended and the students left she began to straighten up the room.