Leaning Toward Normal (March 2012)

Serena stood next to Storm, Jean Gray, Nightcrawler, Hank, Colossus and Gambit. Scott Summers was running the training and the Danger Room was just on the other side of the door that was in front of them.

“Ok team today we’re just going to give Serena a chance to show us what she can do. We’ll be facing sentinels and they will all be coming for her. You need to get from this side to the exit on the far side. Protect her or you’ll fail the mission,” he said.

Inside the room the walls changed to images of buildings. THey were between several buildings on the sidewalk. Sentinels began to fly down from above. Storm began to use her powers and Jean Gray used hers to toss them into her lightnings with destructive results. Gambit tested one of their theories and touched Serena, infusing her with a small amount of kinetic energy. She sucked it in as if it never existed. They both smiled at that and he touched her again but nothing happened. When she asked him what he did he smiled. “Nothing, I just wanted to touch you,” He said with a grin. He energized 2 cards as 2 Sentinels descended down upon them. He tossed them and they exploded before the sentinels could do anything.

Serena had to press forward down the sidewalk while the others swarmed around her to protect her. They ran quickly and almost ran into several sentinels who had few down from a side street. They shot their eye lasers and hit Jean Gray. Her danger room suit shocked her and she had been knocked out of the fight.

Serena had started teaching her two classes. She had been nervous at first about teaching, but after a few days she got the hang of it and really started to enjoy it. She and Gambit had started spending more time together. They had become friends and often sat together in the cafeteria. They also enjoyed lounging in the library in the evenings. Serena had found out that Gambit was an incredible poker player and had asked him to teach her. She was still learning, but he told her she seemed to have a natural knack for it.

Today was the first day she was going to be training with the X-Men team. She was a little nervous, but having Gambit there helped. Scott was running the training simulation and she listened closely as he told the team what was going to happen. Gambit stood next to her as the simulation began. The room around them changed to resemble a city street. She suddenly saw the sentinels and the others immediately jumped into action. Serena and Gambit hung back a moment to test their theory about their powers. When Gambit touched her using his powers she felt her body immediately absorb the kinetic energy, giving her a boost. She would need to expel it, but it had worked. She smiled at Gambit, but then he touched her again. She didn't feel anything this time. When she questioned him about it he confessed with a grin that he had just wanted to touch her. She couldn't help but smile back at him. As two sentinels came down upon them, Gambit energized two cards and destroyed them.

Serena moved forward and as Jean was taken out she formed an energy orb and hurled it at one of the sentinels. It exploded and then she blasted another one. She saw another sentinel start to attack Hank. She quickly formed an energy shield around them both to protect them, giving Gambit an opportunity to destroy it.

All in all they completed the mission but took casualties. Not a success and the difficulty setting was moderate. Scott gave them an after mission briefing and had little good to say about their performance accept Serena and Gambits ability to work together. The suggestion was made for Storm also to work with Serena, her lightning can be used to for Serena to absorb their energy. Gambit’s power does take from himself alot like Serena’s but unlike Serena’s he has alot more internal power. Thus the red eyes and how much he can use his powers in a short time.

Afterward Gambit suggested that they get something to eat. However when they got there the lunchroom was packed as it was the second lunch period. After they had gotten what they wanted though Gambit suggested they head to his favorite lounge to eat. The lounge was just down the hall from the cafeteria. It was mostly wood paneling with some ornate, velvet wallpaper. The rug was a colorful oriental rug and chaises and fancy chairs and a large, gold couch was what made up the furniture. Gambit got out 2 tv trays that were in a stand in the corner and set them up for them. Obviously he ate here often and he had in the past.

“I’m not certain I like being some kind of battery for you but if you can launch those attacks more often, then I guess maybe I should be,” he said. “Scott also asked me to teach you some fighting techniques,” Gambit said as he took a bite of his potatoes. He tasted the bread pudding and smiled. “Oh my god, this is incredible. Here, have some,” Gambit said and filled his fork with some of the bread pudding. It smelled like cinnamon, vanilla and caramel. Just like Evan, he covered the fork with his other hand incase she dropped some. He also had that same, delighted smile that Evan had when he fed her like this.

Serena had never really fully trained with the Avengers. She had learned some fighting techniques from Kate and Natalya, but her focus had been on school and graduating. She had wanted to be apart of the team though. She was happy for any feedback she got from Scott and was looking forward to training some more with the team. Serena knew that it would take time and patience, but it was nice to just to have something to keep her occupied.

Serena didn't realize just how hungry she was until Gambit suggested they get something to eat. They stepped into the cafeteria and it was packed. There weren't any tables available so they took their trays and headed elsewhere to eat. Gambit took her to a lounge that was just down the hall. She had walked by this lounge many times but had never actually gone in. It was just the two of them in there and she actually liked the fact that they had a little bit of privacy. They sat across from each other with a tv tray each and talked about the simulated mission as they began to eat.

"I'm happy to learn anything you can teach me. Kate and Natalya taught me a little, but I was always too young and too focused on school to really get fully trained."

Gambit took a bite of his bread pudding and from his reaction it was obviously quite good. She watched as he put a little bit more on his fork and offered it to her. In that moment she was reminded of Evan feeding her. It was a warm, happy memory and it made her smile. She leaned forward and took a bite and her eyes widened at the taste.

"That's delicious."

As the days drew on she had been given her teaching supplies and she had attended several teaching meetings so that she could coordinate with the other teachers and to develop her syllabus for the semester. Her classes had a range of ages of students in them but Storm had given her pointers on how to challenge the older students and not present material the younger students weren’t ready for. The team training had continued, twice a week on the days she did not have class. She was shown the gym in which Mystique taught a Yoga class. And then there were the sparring sessions with Gambit.

Gambit knew several different techniques but mostly he employed a mixed version of them. It meant using the most effective attack or defense regardless of what was being used against you. It had started out as just going through the various forms and the added physical training. However after 2 weeks he had been engaging her in performing attacks and defenses against him. He was strong though not bulky and quick though not inhumanly so. He also was teaching her several of the holds and take downs that went with the mixed martial arts and Serena had actually learned to employ a leg take down that Natalya had shown her and combined it with one Gambit had shown her. The result was retaining a neck hold with her legs after she had performed the take down maneuver. Gambit’s head was sandwiched between her thighs and she had taken hold of his wrist and bent it back as she squeezed his neck, trying to get a tap out from him. She made the mistake though of letting her grip on his wrist loosen when he raised his arm to tap out but instead of tapping out, his hand shifted and he wedged his arm between her legs while his other hand escaped her wrist hold then grabbed hold of the back of her neck. Somehow he flipped them both and she landed onto her side. Before she could move though he was on her and he pinned her arms back as he straddled her.

They were both panting and Gambit glanced at the other few people in the gym. They were on their running machines and watching the large screens, not them. His cheeks were red from the exertion as he smiled triumphantly down at her. “Normally I wouldn’t fight so much with my head between your legs but…” He had started to say more but then he realized what he was doing and frowned at himself. Gambit often bantered like that around women. Well to his close friends anyway but never with Serena. He had also glanced at her lips and how soft they might feel against his. Not at all appropriate to think about a friend. He got off of her and helped her up to her feet.

“Please excuse my inappropriate comments cheri. I should not have said that,” Gambit said in between quick breaths. He was looking into her eyes though and she’d see how worried he was of offending her. It was a tricky moment. if she accepted his apology he might not be himself around her. If she didn't he definitely wouldn't be. But there was a third option.

Serena enjoyed training with Gambit. Gambit was a mutant, but his powers did not affect his strength and so it was slightly more of a fair fight between them. Natalya had taught Serena a few fighting moves that she was able to pair with other techniques Gambit taught her. Today was the first day though that she was actually able to use those techniques to get the better of Gambit in the fight. She had managed to get her thighs around his neck and was retaining a neck hold as she held down his wrist. She was waiting for him to tap out when she slightly loosened the grip of her hand giving Gambit an opportunity to flip them both over so he was suddenly on top of her. Her arms were pinned down and she looked up at him. The position they were in was a rather intimate one and their eyes met. His comment caused inappropriate thoughts to enter into her mind. There was a slight feeling of guilt attached to it, but that didn't cause it to stop. Gambit soon got up and helped her to her feet. They remained close together and his eyes remained on hers. She saw his eyes glance down at her lips and she found herself looking at his as well. She knew in that moment she wanted him to kiss her. She began to feel that guilt creep up again, but she also knew that Evan would want her to be happy. She still loved him and always would. However, she wasn't sure she was quite ready yet for anything major.

"Please don't apologize Gambit," she said in a low voice so no one else would hear her. "I like them..." she added with a little grin. Her grin then faded into a more neutral expression. She looked into his eyes again before leaning up and kissing him. The kiss was soft and gentle. It didn't last very long...just a taste of what could be. "I know what you want Gambit...I want it too...but I'm not ready just yet. If you give me just a little more time I promise I will let you know when I'm ready. Will you wait?"

It had taken weeks for Gambit to get over his grief. He had heard of people taking years to get over such a loss as Rogue. He had been ready to marry her but he also knew, every X-man knew that tomorrow could be the last kiss, the last moment you spent in another’s arms. He knew Serena knew this too...now. He doubted she had ever suffered loss like this before. It pained him that it had happened to her, someone so young. But it was also difficult for him to think of her as only being 21. She felt...more his own age somehow. But women often matured mentally and emotionally before men. He knew that too.

Her lips were soft and warm on his and he gently kissed her back. He glanced briefly at the others and they were still just hammering away on their treadmills looking at the screens. He heard what Serena said and agreed but before she pulled away to get her water bottle and towel he took hold of her arm.

“I’ve had...dreams about you...us. I’ve already felt the brush of your dark hair against my skin. The feel of your lips on mine cherie mwen. The touch of your fingertips against my face. The warmth of your body against my own, in my dreams. Part of my heart feels guilt because I do dream these things. But if losing...her had taught me anything it is that time is so very fleeting,” he whispered to her and never broke eye contact with her. His red eyes glowed with a strong desire for her right then. “Even so I will wait for you cherie mwen. Even if my heart...my very soul burns for it,” he said. He let go of her arm just as other people began to file into the gym for a class. And a moment later he was walking away from her toward the stairs.

Serena very nearly shivered with desire at Gambit's words. She wanted him, that much he would know from the look in her eyes. However, there was still a small part of her that was grieving Evan's loss. She didn't want to dishonor his memory by moving things so quickly with Gambit. She watched him as he left and stood there a moment longer and the warmth from her cheeks slowly faded. She then slowly walked back upstairs.

Over the next few weeks she and Gambit continued to become closer. They would sit and eat their meals together and would train together. Gambit would be there waiting for her after her classes were over and would sit with her in her room while she graded papers and finalized lesson plans. Her heart was healing and she began to feel much happier again. She knew that Gambit had a large part to play in that.

Gambit continued to teach her poker and they liked to play together in the evenings. They were in her room one night and it was nearly midnight. They had been playing for a while and Serena had just bluffed her way to a win. Gambit realized that she had been bluffing when he saw the grin on her face and playfully demanded to see her cards. She refused and he playfully attacked her. She laughed as she tried to counter his attack. However, he ended up on top of her with her arms pinned down. Slowly their giggling faded as desire began to set in. Serena looked into Gambit's eyes and without saying a word told him that she was ready...

Gambit wondered if Serena was always going to surprise him. He smiled and kissed her. A gentle kiss that allowed their lips to explore one anothers. To know them and commit them to memory. He pulled back and pulled her from the bed. He held her face in his hands and looked deeply into hers as if he were trying to see into her very soul. Her eyes had a hint of confusion in them as they just looked at one another but when he saw desire in them once more he knew it was true and that this was what she wanted.

They watched one another unclothe and, while standing, they touched one another’s bodies. Her hands felt just a bit cool on his warm flesh and she would feel that. He was very warm, a sign that nights that she would sleep with him were going to be warm, even as a snow storm raged outside. She had perfect breasts, just large enough to feel right in his hands and just firm enough where they hung beautifully against her body. He took her right nipple into his mouth and felt her flesh prickle at the feel of his mouth on her. He repeated that with her left breast while his hands felt the soft curves of her nicely rounded bottom.

He shifted his right hand around to her front and he smiled when he felt her shift her legs so he could find her center easier. Her sudden gasp into his mouth suggested to him that he had found it and he felt her hand on his urging him not to be so gentle. She was very wet there already and so he didn’t know why there needed to be anymore delay.

Gambit moved onto the bed first and went onto his knees. He guided her onto him and he settled back on his legs as she mounted him. His right arm held her around the waist as she used her hand to guide his hardness into her open. When she did it was Gambit’s turn to gasp and her arms shifted to go up around his neck as she kissed his chest. It didn’t take very long to learn one another’s bodies and as they shifted positions so that she was on her back he felt her legs curl around his hips and she brushed the backs of his legs with the sides of her feet. There was no need for him to go fast or to rush things. And just as she felt him grow larger inside of her he felt her stiffen and bury her face into his neck as she came. Gambit did not stop though and after a few more deep thrusts she felt the added heat and moisture as he came as well.

Even after he didn’t pull out he just laid there on her and kissed her and felt her kiss him back. He did roll to the side eventually though and as he did she felt wetness threaten to escape and hurried into the bathroom. When she came back Gambit held the blanket up for her and when she got into the bed again he wrapped her up into his arms.

what transpired between them was...incredible. Gambit was both gentle and passionate at the same time. They took their time as they got to know each other’s bodies. Evan had been in good shape but Gambit’s body was even more so. He was muscular without being overly so and there was very little fat on his body. Serena’s body was much more soft, but there was the beginnings of toned muscle in her abdomen and arms from her workout sessions with Gambit and the rest of the team.

After getting herself cleaned up, Serena got back into bed with Gambit. She rested her head on his chest and he put his arms around her. She looked up at him and smiled as she reached up and gently caressed his cheek with her hand it was the same cheek she had slapped several months back.

“I never would have imagined from our first meeting that we would end up here...but I’m so happy we did.”

With their faces so close he only needed to shift a little to plant another kiss on her lips. He was sleepy but he wasn’t ready yet to concede to sleep. Not with her so close to him. Not with the wonderful feelings that were running together through his heart like a pack of wolves through the forest.

“Several of the children tell me they love your class. You have a gift there...I suspect you have many gifts. Your compassion, your beauty, how you make love to me,” He whispered and then she kissed him. They smiled together. “You are alot smarter than I am and you learn physical skills quickly. I am so impressed by you Serena. And I do not say these things cheri mwen because I’m in love with you,” he said then saw as she searched his eyes. “Cheri mwen is not a commonly used phrase. It is Haitian Creole and it means...My Beloved,” He said. “That is who you are to me, what you mean to me” Gambit said softly.

“You came into my life like a tornado. Right when I most needed you,” he said. “I just want you to know...when you go back to your tower and to the Avengers, I will never forget you cheri mwen, never,” He said as if that was a very real possibility. That and he would not be able to follow her there. Gambit was a romantic but he was also very much a pragmatist as well. Sometimes, aggravatingly so. Storm had told her that and she also warned her about getting involved with him.

Serena nearly blushed as she listened to Gambit’s compliments. It made her feel good though to know that the kids were enjoying her classes. Though she exuded confidence while teaching, behind the scenes she was worried that she wasn’t a very good teacher. Serena was surprised when Gambit referred to her as his “beloved”. Somehow, hearing his endearment for her made her feelings for him grow even more.

However, when Gambit seemed to suggest that perhaps she would leave and return to the Tower and leave him behind she felt that bubble of happiness deflate somewhat. She wanted to argue with him, but she decided not to. Their relationship was only just beginning. If things continued they would figure it out as they went.

She rested her head back into his chest and closed her eyes as she listened to his heartbeat. Her breathing slowed and within a few minutes she was asleep.

It was difficult to keep ‘sleeping’ in one another’s beds under wraps though they did try to. And they certainly didn’t flaunt it either or express PDA. And it wasn’t that they were ashamed of it or felt guilt over not allowing more time to for themselves to reflect on their lives after the devastating losses they endured. This thing between them was a thing of nature. As inevitable as the moon rising when the day was done. They could have fought it certainly but why was the question that had no answer. Serena quickly learned that though she had some experience in the bedroom, Gambit had a good deal more.

Most nights when they did sleep together were spent in her room though. Hers was larger and nicer than his and on the third floor there were less people and sometimes they did make a good deal of noise. The weeks drew on just like the winter but the colder days were behind them as the first remnants of spring began to show as the snow began to melt. Serena continued to teach, train and join them in missions. Magneto and his ‘brotherhood’ were creating a good deal of trouble in the name of ‘all mutants’ though that was hardly true. They had gone up against them twice and on the second time Hank and Storm had been injured.

Gambit visited her every day after she had been released from the hospital. And Hank had all sorts of visitors daily. As a result of the defeat Scott and Gambit’s relationship had taken a turn for the worse. And despite Serena and Jean’s interventions there was still a great strain and lack of trust between them. Trust was vital for a leader and Gambit’s faith in him had been shaken. Gambit and Serena were sparring together like they always did in the mornings. He was decidedly quiet and all business though.

Serena was extremely happy with Gambit. They were friends, partners, and lovers. He had filled the void that Evan had left behind and she trusted him just as much as she had trusted Evan. Although they spent most nights together they kept their relationship quiet otherwise. It wasn't out of shame or guilt, but it was the fact that they wanted to keep their relationship only to themselves for a while before sharing it with everyone else. However, many people were starting to suspect that there was something going on between them. Serena would catch Charles looking at them occasionally with a little, knowing smile.

Serena was officially made a member of the X-Men team and went out on missions with them. Lately, the Brotherhood and Magneto were creating trouble and unfortunately on this latest mission Storm and Hank had been injured. Serena could tell that that troubled Gambit and his relationship with Scott soured. Serena, along with Jean, tried to intervene and convince Gambit to trust Scott again, but it didn't seem to be working.

That morning Serena was with Gambit in the training room sparring. They were alone and Serena could tell that something was on Gambit's mind. He was quiet and wasn't flirting with her like he normally did. When they stopped to take a break she decided to speak up.

"Are you alright Gambit? If something's wrong you can tell me. Please just talk to me."

Gambit looked over at her but then just looked down at the floor. ‘Could he keep this up? He wasn’t certain. Scott’s confidence in Serena had been shaken and he had confided in him about it. Gambit disagreed with the assessment but part of him knew that Serena had made a mistake. But there was so much coming at them. And they were all mutants. Serena had pulled her punches on some of the younger ones they saw and it allowed an attack from behind. ‘How can I even begin to tell her this?’ He wondered. Instead Gambit just argued with Scott’s assessment. Only he and Scott knew what had really happened. Storm was hit before she even knew what hit her. Hank injuries came after but the whole thing was like a Domino effect.

Scott did not say anything to Serena. He asked Gambit to talk to her. Everytime he asked him if he had, Gambit blew up like a dynamite stick at him. Everyone made mistakes. He had made several since joining the team. But Storm had nearly died and Scott made it out to be alot more serious than just a mistake. Gambit had talked to Storm about it and she agreed with him. For some reason Scott was not being the encouraging leader he normally was.

“Scott’s just being an asshole Serena. I don’t really want to talk about it. I do want you to stop pulling your punches with me though,” he said. He was trying to make the statement a general one. He knew Serena was extremely intelligent and giving her too many hints was only a path to her finding out that she had made a mistake. He knew she just needed more time to train. He took another drink from his water bottle and then got back out there onto the mat. Gambit began to dance a bit to try and keep her target difficult to engage. Once she came into him though he knew what she was doing and it wasn’t what he had just asked. He needed her to know that sometimes, you had to make certain your enemy could not get right back up. Not all of them made the honorable choice to flee. Those that attacked them had not and Storm was hurt because of that. When she came into him he shifted lightning quick, caught her on the shoulder then flipped her over his body. She hit the mat...hard and she felt the wind leave her. The look she gave him made him hate what he did but he needed to show her, to teach her this. As she tried to catch her breath he hit her square in the chest then elbowed her in the side of the head. Black flecks and silver streaks filled her vision as he flipped her again and this time she landed on her front and he bent her arm back.

“An enemy won’t care that you’re incapacitated or hurt. They will try to kill you Serena,” he said as he shifted her arm back painfully.

Serena knew that Gambit wasn't telling her the whole truth of what was going on. Gambit seemed on edge and agitated and not like himself at all. However, it was clear that he wasn't going to tell her the truth. She took a drink from her water bottle and glanced at Gambit when he told her he wanted her to stop pulling her punches. Something about that statement struck with her and she began to wonder if what he wasn't talking to her about had to do with that last fight.

She followed him back out to the mat and he began to move around to make it more difficult for her to engage him. When she finally did though he shifted very quickly and caught her on his shoulder and flipped her over him. She hit the mat on her back...hard. She felt a sharp pain in her chest as she struggled to breathe. She gave Gambit a rather surprised and hurt look. Gambit had never been like this in their trainings together. Then, just as she caught her breath he hit her...square in the chest and then she felt his elbow to the side of her head. She tried to get up, but before she could he flipped her again, this time onto her stomach and he bent her arm back. It hurt and she became angry. She suddenly threw up her other elbow and hit him square in the face. He let go of her and she got up and then hit him with an energy orb. It knocked him back a few feet.

"Alright, you've made your point!"

Gambit telt his eyesight going dim but he managed to stay conscious. He was on his back this time and his chest felt...burned. As if 1000 tiny needles were boring into his flesh. He groaned in pain as he bent one leg up at the knee. He then began to chuckle. THen he began to laugh. The laugh though brought a wince. “Yep...that’s what I was talkin about cherie,” He said with another groan. “Just like that,” He said hoarsely. He winced as he reached down and peeled back the ties to his Keikogi and opened up his shirt. He had a reddened area on his chest where her orb struck him. He chuckled again as blood ran down his nose to his chin. He sniffled as he tasted his own blood.

When she came over to help him he held up his hand. “Don’t,” He said. “You don’t even know if I’ll attack you back and you’re already willing to help me up to make it easier,” he said. “But...that’s not gunna happen today,” He said and chuckled again. He reached and dabbed at his nose. Blood was all over his face and neck. “I can feel you rolling your eyes!” He said obviously irritated and felt the towel hit him when she tossed it down at him. “This was me, your trainer today...not Gambit, your lover,” He said. “I want to make that clear,” He said as he sat up. She’d see the burn on his chest and the front of his Keikogi was browned and smelled of burned cloth from her Orb. He held the towel up to his nose but did not meet her eyes and sniffled again.

“You want the truth, is that it?” He asked. “Even if you won’t like it?” He said.

Serena rolled her eyes as she looked at Gambit. He sat on the mat holding a towel up to his bloodied nose. The orb had made a mark on his chest, but she hadn't made it strong enough to really hurt him.

"Do you think I'm an idiot Gambit? I know what's going on. Scott thinks what happened to Storm was my fault. Well, it wasn't. Yeah, I may have 'pulled my punches' a little bit, but I didn't think that we were about killing children. Is that what you want me to do? Because I can. I am capable of it. I am a class 5 mutant. And let me tell you something else. Scott isn't himself. There's something weird going on."

“Now who's being paranoid?” Gambit said as he got to his feet. He felt at his chest. The flesh there was very tender. It hurt more than likely she thought it did but he wouldn’t let her see that. He didn’t want her to feel bad about it and by the way she was playing ugly to him. He doubted she would anyway. He had really made her angry. He liked that about her though. Her spirit was...refreshing. If he wasn’t so uncomfortable right then he’d want sex but he needed to get a salve on this burn. “Meet you for supper? I’m going to get something on this,” He said.

Being the thorough person that she was Serena sought out the professor. If there was something wrong with Scott he’d be able to find out the truth of it. He wasn’t in his office though. “Ah, Serena, I hear you gave Gambit quite the lesson! Hah hah!” Colossus said. “I wish I could have been there to see it,” He said. “The professor?” He said after she asked. “I think I last saw him down in the basement,” Colossus said.

As she moved down the hall she heard two people arguing. It was Scott and Jean in Jean’s classroom. All the kids were in their rooms doing homework or in the video lounge or the library. “What’s gotten into Scott?” Jean asked. “Nothing! You’re just being Jealous. There is nothing going on between Mystique and I,” He said. “Then why were you hugging her?” Jean asked. “You know she’s bent about Hank Jean. She just needed a hug right then, I can’t be her friend when I need to be?” Scott asked. “Oh really well it sure didn’t seem like a ‘friend’ hug to me!” Jean snapped.

The elevator was empty when she hit the door to open it. It recognized her biopattern and opened. When she got inside it recognized that no one that shouldn’t be on the elevator was on it and the doors closed and the elevator descended.

Serena could tell that Gambit was hurt, but to be honest she didn't feel bad about it. He had hurt her and she was only doing what he told her to do. She sighed and watched him leave. She stood there a moment before deciding she needed to talk to Professor Xavier. She checked in his office but he wasn't there. She ran into Colossus in the hallway and clearly word had already gotten around about her sparring match with Gambit. She would have laughed at what Colossus said, but she wasn't feeling much like it right now. She wanted to know where Professor Xavier was. He told her that he last saw him down in the basement. She thanked him and started to head towards the elevator that would take her down there when she heard two people arguing. She quickly realized it was Jean and Scott. She paused for a moment to listen to what they were saying and was shocked to hear Jean accuse Scott of cheating on her with Mystique. That was not like Jean at all. She fully trusted Scott and never would have thought such things about her. Now, she was definitely suspicious that something was going on.

She reached the elevator and the biopattern scanner recognized her and the doors opened. She stepped in and hit the button to take her down to the basement. Once it reached the bottom, the doors opened and she stepped out. She began to move slowly down the hallway.

"Professor Xavier?"

There was no one down in the halls and it was chilly down here. The halls were eerily silent but it was well lit. the door to Cerebro was closed. After waiting for several minutes nothing had changed but she didn’t hear that tell tale whirring sound she normally did when Cerebro was in operation either. She stepped up to the door and pulled out the small shelf that she would put her chin on. Once she did the eye-scanner began to scan her eye. “Accepted,” A woman’s voice said, the computer’s voice and the door spun then opened. Charles was slumped back in his wheelchair and obviously unconscious. When she checked his neck for a pulse she felt one but he didn’t respond to her at all.

Serena felt rather uncomfortable down in the basement that day. She felt that something was wrong. Professor Xavier did not respond to her and she saw that the doors to Cerebro were closed. However, as she listened she could tell that it wasn't in operation. The eye scanner granted her access to the room and as the doors opened she saw Professor Xavier slumped back in his wheelchair. His eyes were closed and he was clearly unconscious. She tried to get him to respond, but he didn't. She immediately contacted Gambit on her comm link.

"Gambit! I need you to get down here to Cerebro. Professor Xavier is unconscious."

Gambit grabbed Colossus, Jean and Scott and they all came down in the elevator. When they arrived, less than a minute later Jean ran up to the professor. “What...happened!” She asked. “Should we call a doctor?” Colossus asked. “Yes, call 911,” Gambit suggested. Jean and Scott took over for Serena. When she looked at Cerebro’s helmet it didn’t look out of the ordinary. However when she pulled out the control module, it looked dark and tainted. Gambit saw that. “What’s that mean?” He asked. He wasn’t a tech guy so he really had never seen any of this before. Charles and Hank had showed Serena Cerebro’s systems and the control medium never looked like dark like that.

“Lets get him upstairs,” Scott said concernedly. Which left Serena and Gambit there alone. “I’ll go make certain he’s alright...you ok?” Gambit said as she backed up, Once she nodded he hurried away toward the others who were getting on the elevator.

Serena began to go over the entry logs. The last person who entered before Xavier was Scott Summers. But she did know two people could ‘be’ Scott Summers. If she tipped her hand now and she was wrong then she’d likely never be able to prove it was the other.

Serena was relieved when the others came to help her. She was worried about Professor Xavier and was fearful that he might not be alright. Colossus went to call 911 and Scott and Jean took him upstairs to his room. Serena looked more closely at the helmet. Charles and Hank had showed her the Cerebro's control systems since she had been curious about it and one look told her that something wasn't right. It looked dark and tainted inside. It had not looked like that when she had seen it before.

Serena remained downstairs and went over the entry logs. Every time someone entered Cerebro the name of the person and the time and date was noted. As she traced everything back she saw that Scott had been the last person to enter Cerebro before Professor Xavier. Her suspicions were now confirmed that something was going on. However, she didn't have any real proof. She wasn't going to be able to convince everyone without some kind of evidence. She would need to remain quiet until then but be extremely vigilant.

She headed back up and went to Professor Xavier's room to check on him. "How's he doing?"

“I think we’ll need a Catsan...he’s definitely going to the hospital. “Sometimes I wish we had biobeds like your father built,” Jean said as she held a cool cloth on Xavier’s head. The ambulance came and they took him away though Jean accompanied him. The rest of them had to get the kids back to their rooms and assure them that Charles was going to be alright. It was still pretty early but Gambit decided to go lay down do to how he felt after Serena blasted him. He let her know that too!

Serena decided to go look in on Hank and talk to him about Cerebro. Hank was not going to be getting out of bed for a few days yet and he was weak from the meds but he was awake enough to talk to her. “Hey Serena,” He said. “I heard about the pasting you put on Gambit. God I would have loved to see that!” He said. Apparently Gambit was quite the practical joker and he had garnered the ire of several people who felt that he had it coming.

Gambit got out of bed and decided to go see Storm. He didn’t know why he was going to see her, he wanted to lie down for a while and let his burn absorb the salve. He stepped into her room. “Hey there Storm,” He said. “Hi Gambit...I heard about Serena blasting you. Though it appears that you deserved it,” she said with a grin.