Finding Kaia

Jade went upstairs herself, deciding to grab a light jacket and her large tote. If they weren't able to get Kaia to come with them today she wanted to at least ensure that she had anything she might need. She grabbed an unused toothbrush, toothpaste, and a small blanket. She then headed downstairs to the kitchen to grab a couple of apples, some packs of peanut butter crackers, and a few bottles of water. Feeling a little more prepared, she headed back down to the jet. James was not there yet so she waited on him before they both boarded the Blackbird. Jade was a trained pilot so she took the pilot's seat while James sat next to her. She began to run through the pre-flight checks, but out of the corner of her eye she saw James glance at her and smile. She couldn't help but smile back.

"What?"

"Just the though of how things can feel so different yet so similar at the same time." He replied, pulling out the tablet he'd brought along, and reminding himself not to get side tracked on this trip as they had bigger things at stake. "Anyway, I'm going to start searching property sites around where you connected with our possable friend. I know it's only a cover but looking at an actual place will give us a little more credibility." He said opening up a number of search bars on the device taking a moment to steady himself against the arm rest as they lifted off. "So what's your thinking loft, studio, something like that?"

Jade smiled a little more at James' comment as she felt the same way. It was comforting. As she finished the pre-flight checks she listened to James as he informed her that he was going to start researching possible sites were Kaia might be. She got the jet into the air and engaged the stealth mode before responding to James' question.

"From what I could see it looked like an abandoned loft or office building. I also know that it was on Walnut Street, but that's about all I know."

"Lofts on Walnut Street it is then." He said, trail ling off as he build and focused on the search, searching Lofts to start with but also studios and apartments and office blocks just to be sure they had as many options to check out. The results began to return and for the most part they were positive, it appeared their were a number of Lofts for rent or sale on that Street, only one office block, but a number of apartments. One in particular seemed to be of particular interest. "Might have something, if got a building that seems like all its apartments are available at once and wouldn't you know its got a couple of Lofts as well." He explained excitedly, something unusual was what they were after and they appeared to have it. "I'll do a bit more digging into the background, can't be to careful now."

Jade continued to fly the jet out towards the city. She knew an area where she could safely put the jet down. When in stealth mode the jet was entirely undetectable by eye or by radar and made very little noise. It was a marvel of engineering and Jade felt honored that her uncle trusted her enough with it.

She remained silent in order to allow James time to look up building information on Walnut Street. After a while he spoke up to let her know that he had found something. She listened to what he told her and then gave him a little smile.

"That sounds promising."

After a little while longer of flying Jade found a clear spot to put the jet down. It eased down like a helicopter and Jade shut down the engines, but left the craft in stealth mode.

"What is the best way to get to Walnut Street?"

James smiled at the speed at which they arrived in the city, this was part of the reason he loved mechanical engineering and it's application, possibly it's use along with or augmenting mutant powers. But that would have to wait until they were back at the mansion, the more immediate problem was how to get arround the city. "Well there is a train station, that we can get to from Penn Station, I reckon if we could get a subway their we should be all right. Shall we have a look around."

Stepping out of the jet into the crisp fall air. He took a deep breath. Strolling away trying to act natural he offered a hand to Jade as they walked. "Well we are apartment hunting, why not blend in, be normal for bit." He suggested gently and hoped it didn't sound cheesy or opportunistic.

Jade finished securing the jet before following James down the ramp and then closing the ramp behind them. It was cool and the air was crisp and smelled of fall. This was her favorite time of year. As they began to walk she felt James take her hand into his own. She smiled softly and laced her fingers through his before giving his hand a gentle, reassuring squeeze.

"Yes, we are."

She was quiet a moment before looking over at James as they walked.

"Do you think my uncle knows?"

"Maybe. His psychic abilities are strong, they have to give him some insight when dealing with someone face to face."

James offered his own opinion as they walked along, the professor was someone he looked up to, as did most at the school no doubt, so he trusted he wouldn't go prying into something considered personal. "Maybe he's just letting us figure it out for ourselves. He's good at that."

Jade nodded. She could honestly believe that her uncle knew about her feelings for James long before she even did. He had a way with seeing right into someone's heart, even without his psychic abilities.

"I know that he won't say anything until we do if he does know."

She looked ahead before looking back over at James. "Are you planning to go home over the holidays this year?"

He shook his head at the question looking away a moment. "Nah. I think I'll be staying put. It's still a little awkward back home. To be honest I've not really been in touch with anyone. Apart from a couple of emails to my kid brother. He seems curious about my abilities." James admitted with a sigh, home and family were something he hadn't quite figured out how to handle. But he was past the point were he shyed away from talking about the subject, which he always put down to his powers manifesting late alway in him to do most of his growing up before having to deal with them as well. "Holidays at the school are decent anyways. Why do you ask, you got plans yourself?"

Jade was both happy and sad that James wasn't going to be going home over the holidays. She really enjoyed spending time with him and with their new relationship she felt that this year the holidays might be extra special. However, at the same time she felt sad that his relationship with his family wasn't great. Being a mutant was hard enough, but having your own family not understand or support you made it even more difficult.

"No, I'll be at the school. Uncle Xavier is the only family I have left."

She continued to walk with him a moment before stopping and pulling him to a stop as well. She then stood in front of him and looked into his eyes.

"James, I just want you to know that I will always be there for you. I know that things aren't perfect with your family unfortunately and I want you to know that no matter what happens between us that you will always have a friend in me."

"It's really sweet to hear you say that." James responded looking back into her eyes, as they shared a little moment, one of many they would share together in the weeks and months to come he hoped. "I feel the same way, you've always been there for me, I remember meeting you first time I came to the house and school, things just grew from there." He added, as his thought flitted back to that particular day, when things started to make sense. Jade had been a constant since that time, someone he trusted and always hoped she felt the same way. Now he had an answer.

Glancing over her shoulder he spotted anot entrance to a subway line, the red line as it happened, which he pointed out with a nodding motion. "Looks like we might have a good starting point right their. Shall we." Starting to stroll across to it, they weren't quite in the city, but even so it was that middle of the day and their were quite a lot of people around, offering a glimmer of just how busy the city could get and also how easy it could be to get lost in such a place. They made their way down into the depths of the subway station managing to board the next train which arrived after a few minutes, as they lurched into the blackness of the underground network that sprawled under the city, thoughts of how important it was that they make a good first impression with Kaia and the prospects of what making a bad impression could mean, James began to tense a little with worry.

Jade smiled as she thought back to the first day she met James. He had seemed nervous and unsure and she had made sure to spend a lot of time with him in order to ease him into this transition. Their friendship had formed quickly and she should have known then that something deeper was also forming, but she was glad that she knew now and that he shared her feelings.

Together, they walked over to the red line entrance and walked down the steps towards the station. They each already had a metro card so they were able to quickly pass through the turnstiles and onto the platform. They didn't have to wait long for the next train and they managed to snag a couple of seats next to one another. They were going to have to go a few stops so Jade relaxed a bit, though she could sense James tensing up a little beside her. She took his hand and looked at him, knowing what he was thinking.

"It's going to be alright James. We will figure this out together. This is going to be a tricky situation, yes, but together I know that you and I can handle this. Even if she doesn't come with us today we will continue to go back and visit her. I brought some items for her just in case so no matter what happens today we will at least know that she has some provisions."

He smiled and squeezed her hand a little, thankful for the reassuring touch and words. She was right of course over thinking was only going to put him under more pressure and also there was another point she made that he was over looking. "Your right of course. It's a little foolish to think we have to do everything in the first meeting, leaving her with a good impression first is probably the most important thing we can do." He thought aloud, starting to think in those terms he began to relax a little. " Penn Station is supposed to be a large, major one and I've never been before. I was thinking of getting a few photos." He suggested.

Jade was glad when James began to relax a little. Most humans could pick up on another person's anxiety and she feared it might make things difficult with Kaia. They both needed to be relaxed and calm and then hopefully those feelings would slowly transfer over to her. She continued to hold James' hand throughout the rest of the subway trip. They soon reached Penn Station and they exited the subway car and made their way up into Penn Station itself. Jade then smiled and stood back while James got a few pictures.

Using the camera of his phone, James took a number of the concourses both local and Amtrak. Making sure to both the four sided clock, a original features, and the large mural depicting the station as it was originally constructed. He beconned Jade over as he stood in front of the mural. "Come on how about you and me in front this thing." James had made a habit of taking group shots over the past few years and most had included Jade, and there had been one or two of just them, although it would feel a little different now it wouldn't be out of the ordinary.

Jade stood back and smiled as James began to take a few pictures inside the station. James loved to take pictures and she had been in quite a few he had taken. When he beckoned her over to be in a picture with him she smiled and walked over to where he stood in front of the mural. She stood next to him and wrapped an arm around him and felt him do the same to her. It was something they had done often in pictures, but this time it felt different...in a good way.

Smileing a little deeper if that was posable, as he held on to Jade for the photo, he took a couple of shots. Little photography and personal moment over it was time to get back to business, finding there way around the station and the right track for the Montclair-Boonton Line. Although they had to run to catch a train they were soon pulling out of the station. A short while later they emerged from the tunnel under the river, back into natural daylight for the first time since entering the subway network back in the city. They ploughed from station to station, he busied himself trying to find out a little more about the building it was niggling at him that the whole thing had come back on the market at the same time. Then he found an entry, an article, that worried him a little. "Look what I just found. That building might have been cleared on purpose." The gist of the article was, a little less than a month ago, a fire had gutted the middle apartments of the block, the building itself had been cleared, sold and gutted in a matter of weeks, just as the apartments went up for rent the works had stopped.

Jade walked with James down to the train line and they managed to catch the train just before it pulled out of the station. They found a couple of seats and sat down together. They were soon back out in daylight and Jade looked out the window as the world as it passed them by. It was nearing mid-day and they would have to find somewhere to eat at some point. She was about to suggest to James that they eat before going to Kaia's location when James suddenly spoke up about the building itself. Jade looked over James' shoulder at the article he mentioned and immediately became worried herself.

"Do you think the building is stable?"

"From the wording it sounds like they stopped after the structural issues were sorted, but like you said the conditions otherwise aren't great." He responded positively, if still a little concerned. "It's now owned by UrbRegSol.Inc, and if that's not a front company I don't know what it, but that seems to be all I can find right now. Guess we'll figure the rest out" He carried on, stating the last peice of information out loud, all it did really was confirm what they suspected or knew, but at least it gave them a good start. "Three stops to go into reckon, any idea what we do first?"

Jade nodded and thought for a moment. "I suggest we get something to eat first and then find the building. If we both think it is unsound then no matter what we need to get Kaia to come with us and it may change how we approach her. However, if the building appears to be in good enough shape to possibly leave her there and feel ok about it then we can take more time with her."

"That sounds like a good way to approach things, but like I said it seems like it should be stable and sound. Besides I could eat about now." He agreed with a nod as they pulled away from another station, by his reckoning they should be off the next stop. "There should be a dinner near the station, unless you want take out or something else?"

Jade nodded and at the next stop they got off the subway train and found a place to get a quick bite to eat. After they had eaten they walked the rest of the way to Walnut Street. It didn't take them very long to locate the building and unfortunately the building seemed worse off than she had hoped. It was clear that there was fire damage, but because it had been abandoned it was deteriorating, though ultimately seemed stable enough.

"Well, I doubt we can pass as potential apartment hunters with this building. I suggest we don't go in with a story. I have a feeling she may not take kindly to us lying to her and I'd rather try and gain her confidence by telling her the truth. Do you agree?"

"I think your right." James replied as he look at the clearly damaged block a short way down the street and across the road from them. It certainly put a dose of reality on the images he'd seen while browsing the property site, he wondered how may persons had gotten their hopes up only to have them shattered by the reality. "Well first things first getting in, the front looks secure and a little obvious, how about we go round back of this block and work our way down."

They crossed the street and arround the side and then the backs of the buildings, passing more than one rough sleepers carefully as they did. The back of the building had a few windows that had been put though and boarded up, although not very effectively, pointing to a loose looking board. "Think that's the best way in, want a boost or you give me one?"

Jade agreed with James and followed him around the back of the building to where they wouldn’t be easily seen. There were boarded windows but it didn’t seem like it would be too difficult for them to get inside.

“I’ll let you go first and pull me up.”