A Walk To Relax[PG-13]

Evelyn felt weird.At first,she was shocked and afraid at the idea that she was pregnant.Then,she was so excited about it,and couldn't wait for her son to be born.Now,she felt like a cow,walking through the park.She was close to giving birth to her baby,yet,she wouldn't lie down and rest.She was stubborn like that.Being just eighteen and pregnant felt weird.Especially when you and your boyfriend almost killed each other the first time you met.

She had almost died thrice,yet he was always there,either causing the problem,or saving her.Though seemingly,they always ended up together.They were two different people,with common things in life,that fell for each other,and soon,they would have another life to take care of.Eve had thought so many times to just leave Kas alone to live his life,but she couldn't.She loved him too much to do so.And he would hate her if she left before the kid was even born.

Evelyn knew damn well that even though Kas didn't even want to consider the idea of having a baby at start,now he had warmed up to it.And it would be unfair to take away from his something that is a part of him.His own son.How long can I go on like that..?,she thought.She tried thinking positively,but every time,something else popped up.Maybe it was because of the pregnancy that she felt weird and she had mood changes,but she wanted this to stop.

She was happy though.Her best friend was okay,and was getting married,which made her smile every time she thought about it.She still couldn't believe that Loika had persuaded Peter to marry her.And even though she tried not to think of marriage,the thought was always in the back of her head.She knew that Kas would not consider marriage in a million years,but Evelyn always wanted to get married and have a family to take care of.Her husband,and her little babies.

Though now was time to clear her head.She got dressed in an outfit that fit her,-probably the only outfit-,and decided to go out for a walk at the park.She had been there a lot of times,and waned to go again.It always calmed her down.She had no idea where Kas was,and he better have no idea where she is either,or else he would drag her home and make her go to bed to rest.He had got that protective over her.

As she arrived at the park,she smiled and took in the breathtaking view.Then,she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply,listening to the birds chirping.The sound of their wings batting against the wind.
A small smile crept on her lips.Just the thought of the wind brought Kas into her mind.He was everywhere.She could feel him with her anytime.
Eve placed a hand over her belly as she started walking once again.
"I'll see you soon,my little one..You will be able to see this amazing view,yourself,soon..."

Isabelle sighed as she walked towards the park. She needed some time to herself, after everything that was going on. Or everything that wasn't going on. She had spent almost a year making her way to the Xavier Institute on her own, and for what? Her powers were still completely out of control and she spent most night lying in her bed in pain. Most people would kill to be able to see the future, she remembered her best friend saying that when she told him about her powers. What he didn't realize was that her powers were killing her.

She had lost everything. She would never see her family again. The one person she loved would never understand her. The only thing she had left was the hope that someone at that damned school could help her, and so far all efforts were useless.

She got to the park and looked around at all of the happy people. They would look at her and think she was just a normal teenage girl, when in reality she was as far from normal as she could get. She spotted a young pregnant women sitting on a bench. Isabelle immediately thought of her mother. She had only been seventeen when Isabelle was born, and she was completely on her own. Isabelle's biological father wanted nothing to do with her, but luckily her mother met a man who would love her no matter what. That was Isabelle's true father.

Isabelle walked up to the women and sat next to her. "Is it a boy or a girl?" she asked kindly. She was sure that she had probably been asked that a million times, but once more couldn't hurt.

Evelyn was lost,talking to her unborn baby,that she didn't notice the girl approaching her.Though she finally felt that she wasn't alone,when the girl sat next to her on the bench,and asking her the sex of the baby.Eve had heard the same question a thousand times before,but each time,it made her smile even more every time she answered.She was proud of her little one,and couldn't wait to hold it in her arms."It's..it's a boy...my precious little man..."

Evelyn let some time of silence pass,just staring at the swell of her belly,and caressing it slowly.She didn't pay much attention to the girl,but it wasn't because she didn't like her.It was because she was lost in her own world,dreaming about her love,and her baby.She had missed Kas,but she knew he was always busy somewhere.She wanted to call Loika to keep her company,-since she was her best friend-,but she would be busy with her marriage,and of course,little Mackenzie,so she didn't bother to call her.

After some time of nothing but silence,Evelyn turned her attention to the young girl sitting next to her.She couldn't be really younger than Eve,herself.A sad smile formed on her lips,remembering the way she lived when at her age.How she had to fight to live.How she had got raped just because a guy wanted to have his fun.A tear threatened to come out but Evelyn wiped it away quickly,putting on a small smile as she faced the girl."Excuse me...I didn't quite introduce myself..I am Evelyn..Evelyn Fireheart...And you must be?"

Isabelle smiled. She could tell that this women really loved her child. She wondered if she would ever find someone who would love her. It made her sad. It should be a question of if it should be a question of who, but not in her case.

The women introduced herself as Evelyn, and Isabelle brought herself back to reality. "Isabelle Shelton. I'm a student at the school not too far from here. You know, the one for young mutants?" she said. She realized after she said it that it might not have been the best thing to lead with when introducing herself. There were people out there that had a deep fear for people like her, and she didn't want to scare Evelyn off.

Evelyn liked the young girl,so far.She was sweet,but something in her eyes troubled Eve.This girl seemed to be sad for a reason that Eve didn't know.She wished she could do something about it,but it seemed that there weren't much she could really do,anymore.When her powers went away,after everything she's gone through,she felt empty.Like a piece of her was missing.And that piece,was her fire.

The girl introduced herself as well,and Evelyn smiled at the hearing of her words.So,she was a mutants as well.That was interesting.But something else hit her at the same time.Could Andrew help her get her powers back?Maybe if she went and talked to him,she could try and see if there was a chance.Sometimes,she felt as if her powers were back.She could feel the fire.But then,it all went away,and Eve was alone once again.Human.Something she hated.
"It's nice to meet another mutant,Isabelle.And I also love your name.What are your powers?I must admit I am curious.."

Central Park Allayne thought to himself. How long has it been since he's been in New York? It's been quite a while, and much has happened since then. The music biz, the chance meeting with Mr. LeBeau in San Francisco, finding out he himself was a MUTANT!! It was all so much to absorb in such a small amount of time.

And now he was looking for answers. "Remy t'ink you shoul' go talk wit Summers in Utopia", was the last thing Mr. LeBeau told him. And that was a bust, seeing as how a whole mess broke out and everyone scattered. Then he was told about a Mr. Andrews. Jeez, why wasn't there a Mutant outreach program, where mutants can just meet one another and not feel like cast out freaks was all he could think.

The air felt nice, and Allayne felt good in his trenchcoat. The park was pleasant, and it felt good to just be around people, without having to think. Birds chirping, kids playing, people just going about their day in a typical normal fashion. His chromesthesia was going wild, seeing all the ambient noises in color. It painted a picture which quite soothed him.

"...mutant...".

It was soft, but hit him like a ton of bricks. His picture tarnished, Allayne felt the weight of that single word. Where did it come from? He scanned the area slowly and cautiously, wondering if someone had said the word because they knew what he was. Not another incident. Not another fight because of people with bigoted minds, he thought.

"...mutant...your powers?...admit I am curious..".

He turned towards the source, and saw that it was a very pregnant young girl talking to a cute dark-haired teen. Are they really talking about powers and mutants like it's normal?!, he thought. Well, New York was known as the melting pot, after all. He let his guard down slightly, realizing it was just small talk. Is one of them a mutant?, he mused. Are they both?!

Not wanting to look as though he was staring, Allayne looked away. He wanted to ask questions; gain insight into this new realm and hear the 'Who's Who' in mutant society, but he didn't know how to approach these ladies. Heck, he didn't even know if he was ready to take in any more information.

To focus his mind from the hundreds of random thoughts he had, Allayne put his headphones on. The music eased him. And for a second that sensation ran through his body when his power activated; the shimmer of colors when he turned sounds solid. Oh, Jeez, he thought. I REALLY hope no one saw anything...

Central Park was seeing a bustle of activity, being the end of the summer season. The flowering dogwood trees were shedding their pale petals in the lightest breeze, and nature was just beginning to display the variety of fall colors. Families were taking pinics together, groups of children played rough-and-tumble sports in the springy green grass. Before long, all of this would be covered in snow, and everyone would be miserable, stuck indoors.

April had little experience with snow, but was somehow looking forward to seeing it. Although today, she was very glad for the warmth and light of the last days of summer. Her typical attire consisting of shorts and tanks would have to be rethought once it got colder, though today was a perfect day not to worry about it.
The brunette strapped on her acoustic, and went for a long walk to find some inspiration.

While it was a good place, the Institute was too quiet sometimes, especially now that everyone was busy with planning a wedding. All April wanted was the company of other people, even if they were going about their own business. The park was full of them.

Not all of them looked as interesting as one particular person. Unable to keep from beaming a smile as she neared Allayne, who was standing off to the side of the walkpath, watching two females she would have recognised, had she paid attention. One she only met briefly at the school, and the other; she was the reason this trip to New York had started a failure.

"Heeey~!"
The girl giggled to herself as she approached the guy with colored and spiked hair, noticing he wasn't paying attention, she tried to catch him off-guard. He looked like another party life. Maybe this guy could sneak her into a nightclub?

Heeey~!

Allayne gasped and jumped in surprise, setting off a small strobe effect in the air around him. Well THAT was an interesting aspect to his ability, he thought to himself. What flared them out of control like that?

He turned around to face a young, light blue-eyed brunette with a mischievous smile on her face. Well, I looked cool just now!, he thought. Allayne got the feeling his reaction was exactly the response that she was looking to illicit.

If anyone was a rabid mutant hater, they hadn't made it apparent after his light show. That was a good sign, at least. Had the two girls that had been talking about powers seen the display? Well, too late to try to hide anything now.

After quickly composing himself, Allayne turned to the young girl and took off his sunglasses. His eyes shown that familiar jade on black scleras. He noticed the acoustic on her back, and instantly knew he'd vibe with her. Allayne extended his hand and said "Sup, I'm Allayne. My friends call me Axe".

April's eyes lit up as the colorful light sparked around the spikey-haired guy. Her smile didn't falter for a second.

"Coooool. It's a pleasure to meet you, Axe. My name is April, but you can call me Amp."
Totally ironic, all things considered.

"Were you waiting for them, or would you like to walk with me?"
This was April's game. Captivating her audience.
Leaving her pale ice blue hues on Allayne, April lead him away from Isabelle and Evelyn, finally turning to saunter away. If that wasn't tempting enough, her fingers walked down the curve of her neck and slipped off the shoulder strap holding her guitar in an entirely suggestive manner.

Yup, he thought. She's definitely a fun one!

So, her name was April, and she even had a codename. Amp, which explained the flare up. Or was that the work of something entirely primal ?

Was it the melodic tinge of her feminine voice when she scared the shit out of him? Did Allayne's body just react to her presence?

Remembering the look from those pale blue eyes, Allayne quickly made up his mind. Well, I came here looking for mutants, he thought. And now I've found one!

Allayne decided it was completely a must to walk April to wherever she was heading. He watched those deliberately seductive movements and decided he wanted in on this particular game of cat and mouse.

So, where we headed?, Axe asked as he caught his way up to April.

Amp, huh? Well, she sure did it to me, haha,, he told himself.

Are there a lot o' mutants around here, or Am I just that lucky that I met one o' the prettiest ones?

Axe took off his glasses, showing her his eye color. He made sure to add the proper 'pop' of color by bending the light around him a bit.

Let' see what cards we get dealt today!

Isabelle smiled, happy to know that Evelyn, too, was a mutant. She wasn't sure how she knew, she just did. Isabelle had that way about her. She asked her powers and Isabelle smiled a little wider. "Precognition and pathokinesis. You know, I can see the future? Or at least I would be able to if I could actually control it," she said. "But that's why I came to the Institute. To learn how to." She hadn't had much progress in her time there, but she still had hope. "And what about you? What are your powers?" she asked.

Lucky? He had no idea.
April smiled as she cradled the acoustic and gently strummed out the arpeggio of Unchained Melody. That was only warming up.

"New York City has the biggest percent of mutants in the whole country." She informed with a touch of haughtiness and southern accent to her clear, musical voice.

"There's a school, about an hour upstate. Only mutants are allowed.. I think. Everyone I've met there is."
Having learned the hard way not to ramble every detail of her life to strangers, April left out the name and address of the place.

"It's nice there, but I'm not very good at following rules, if y'know what I mean."
April hadn't committed any major offenses at the Institute.. yet.
Sometimes she skipped the earlier classes, after partying too hard the night before. Small items of little value turned up missing here and there. April socialized, but didn't put any effort into turning aquaintences into friends. The greater part of her misconduct was held until she was in the city.

"I was sort of randomly walking..? Central park is a lot bigger than I thought it would be."

More people were here than she had ever seen on the Strip. They were spread out and relaxed, and it was fun to watch people in their own little world.
Except for a certain someone. That pretty face she could do without the surprise of seeing her again.
April 'randomly' lead onward, glancing back over her shoulder for a second to see if Evelyn or Isabelle had noticed her.

Seeing them still busy in conversation, her attention was quickly back on Allayne, smiling as she noted the abscence of the sunglasses.
Her nearly white eyes unsettled a good number of people when they looked directly into them, however April wasn't at all timid about staring at his green-black ones.

This was good. Very good. The chance encounter turned out to be a mutant full of info. And cute as hell!

"There's a school, about an hour upstate. Only mutants are allowed.." April said. Guess that's where she earned her codename, Amp.

She said she was kind of a rebel, and Allayne knew all too well what rebels were like. Nocturnal creature with a penchant for mischief and freaks in the sheets. Valery was; so was Jon.

Allayne still felt the crackle of his powers surrounding him, surprising him. Must be the chick's power flaring me up, he thought. Or maybe just the chick, haha. Allayne had been with partners in Cali, but none for more than a week or two. It was always with one thing in mind, and it wasn't discussing future plans.

April had said that she had been randomly walking, just as he had. It was nice to know he wasn't just a freak. There's even a school for freaks!, he thought, smiling. Maybe I should talk to someone there.

Allayne noticed a switch in focus for a second in April. He stretched and looked to where April's eyes had darted. The pregnant chick and the teen? What were the odds that April looked at the people talking about powers? If I were a bettin' man, which he was, I'd say they knew one another.

April was back on Allayne. Her eyes were beautiful in their uniqueness, and she showed no signs of awkwardness when she saw his.

"So...", Axe started teasing, "They go to Mutant High too, or you just into prego chicks and their friends? I won't judge."

A grin appeared on Allayne's face, hoping to catch April off balance.

"Haha! Not even! Isabelle is cute, but she looks way too innocent. I would feel like a stalker-creep if I tried to talk to her."
April tossed her wavy hair, smiling at Allayne as she looked back again.
They were out of earshot, though if one of them turned they could possibly recognise her. She wasn't looking for a repeat of Evelyn freaking out on her.
Just when April was fairly sure they were going to make it without being seen, something caught her eye.

"Oh, wooonderful. Walk faster!" She whispered loudly, promptly doing everything she could to get away from the other two females without running.

"Alright, I'll tag along for now", Allayne said, uncertain of the situation. "But soon you'll have to tell me what the deal is, ok?"

They moved further away from the girls in the park, when Allayne decided it was far enough.

Axe turned on the speaker attached to his trench and played a song softly, giving him the sound he needed to construct a 'wave'. Grabbing her hand and spinning her around with the wave, he smiled and asked "Can I have this dance?"

It wasn't the smoothest thing he could've said or done, but it got her to stop momentarily. Now, with her wrapped up in his arms, he had the upper hand.

What was she playing at, and how could he help her accomplish it? It had been a fun day so far, he thought, and he expected it would go better if they were on the same page.

'Something' moved nearby Eve and Isabelle, easily mistakable for a trick of the eyes.
A wavering cloud of thin smoke hung around, observing until no one was watching.
The wispy white strands slowly came together and took on the shape of a human silhouette, standing behind Evelyn.

"Took me long enough to find you, hotness."
Lightheartedness made its way through the sound of the disembodied voice, and the mist swirled together, turning solid. A blonde boy with a goofy smile appeared and suddenly put both arms around Eve's shoulders.

"New friend, huh?"
He inquired of Isabelle, however Kas didn't wait for a proper answer.
"Another one of Jason's pets.. Funny how you all keep finding us."

Evelyn smirked and nodded at the girl.It seemed really sweet and her powers were interesting as well.Eve was sure that the girl would become quite powerful in the future.Jason was a great man,and the Institute would help her control her powers.
"Interesting powers you've got there..I am sure you will achieve much in the future.."
Ready to answer Isabelle's question,Evelyn looked around to make sure no one was looking,before snapping her fingers,creating a small flame in her palm.She quickly made it disappear,but it was enough to prove what her powers were.

Before Eve could say anything else,she felt something around her,as a small breeze started blowing.Evelyn simply smiled and waited,looking at Isabelle,trying to understand if she had understood anything.
Soon,a voice was heard,and arms were around her,giving her the warmth she'd been lacking.A warmth only Kas could provide to her.
"Meet my new friend,Isabelle..As for them finding us..I actually believe we are the ones stumbling upon them,my love.."

Turning to Isabelle again,she smiled and glanced at Kas."This is Kas,Isabelle.My boyfriend."

"Okay, later." April agreed easily, not the type to let secrets create doubt in the mind of a potential friend.
As quiet music played and Axe moved her with a wavelength of sound, April's smile appeared again.
Locked up in his arms, a tingle began to move from her to him, and the wave Allayne created grew in size and intensity. The formerly soft music was amplified, and a few notes belted out at a loud volume, causing birds in nearby trees to take flight as the unnatural sound startled them away.

"Peachy!" Making a perfectly clean word sound like a curse, April took a step back, separating herself from Allayne. She gave him a sheepish look, embaressment coloring the apples of her cheeks.
"Keep walking, keep walking." Holding onto his hand, the younger girl tried to lead him further away from the small group, though it was likely already too late to escape unnoticed...

Isabelle smiled as she watched Evelyn's display of power. "Awesome," she whispered to herself. She turned her head to look at the boy who walked up to them. Evelyn introduced him as Kas, her boyfriend. She smiled at him kindly, but she was unsure of what he meant when he called her Jason's "pet". The boy seemed to have something against the man, but Isabelle didn't feel like pushing it. "Nice to meet you," she said.

Just as she finished speaking, she heard loud music coming from a few meters away. She turned to see a boy and a girl dancing, and she rolled her eyes. Someone forgot to turn their music down. But after a moment, she realized that she knew the two from somewhere. She couldn't exactly place them. She turned back to Eve and Kas and asked, "You don't happen to know them do you?"

Kas could tell his remark on Isabelle belonging to the Institute got under the girl's skin a bit. He stood behind Eve and regaurded her new-found 'friend' vacantly.

"What luck we have.."

The disinterest in his voice was easy to pick out despite the blasting music a short distance away.
Without looking that direction, he already knew where the sound was coming from. A barely visable wavering in the air was the only giveaway that Kas changed the density of the air around Isabelle, Eve, and himself. Deliberately shutting out the rest of the world, the three were in a bubble of stillness, only the faintest background noise of the music making its way through. He promptly changed the subject.

"How long have you been at the Xavier's Zoo?"

Isabelle continued trying to place the two people for another moment or two, but turned when she heard Kas' voice again. "I'm sorry, what?" she asked, trying to understand his question. Then she sorted it out and said, "It's not exactly a zoo, it's a school. And I've been there a few months," she said. The boy obviously had something against her school, but she wasn't going to let him get away with it.

Without notice, Allayne's soundwave rose from soft to rock concert level. He felt that tingle, and knew it must've been Amp's power at work again. Frantic, Allayne began to absorb the sound.

"Keep walking, keep walking", April said as she pulled Allayne along. She's really trying to get out of sight!, he thought as they hurried out of their field of view.

Allayne glanced back to see if anyone had noticed, only to see the dark-haired teen looking their way. A moment later, there was a change in the air. Allayne felt that he had recognized that difference once before. Small world!, he thought.

"Ha.. I'm surprised, you still have your sanity!"
Kas scoffed after the girl stated that a matter of a couple of months was the duration of her stay in the school of fated disasters.

"I suppose it might work for the simplest of us, though to anyone who wants a real education, it's wasted potential."
Whether or not he even noticed the other two he would recognise not so far away, Kas didn't make any indication. He seemed to be more preoccupied with heckling Isabelle and looming protectively behind Evelyn.

"I mean, if you want to learn how to do chores and homework, weave baskets and tend a garden, and play around in simulated 'training'.. it's a perfect place. It's not a part of the real world, though. You'll find that out the hard way when you leave your little cage."

Isabelle's temper was starting to blow. She took a deep breath, calming herself down. "And what else do you suggest I do?" she asked. "Since you seem to feel that you know everything." She tried to keep it somewhat civil, as she couldn't afford to blow her temper. Who knows what would happen then.

"I don't think, sweetie. I know."
Or at least he'd formed some idea, primarily based in the few times he'd been to the Institute and through word-of-mouth. Who knows why Kas decided to be so obnoxious, however.
Isabelle hadn't done anything wrong to him or Eve, and yet..

"Since you asked, I would have to first guess what you actually expected to learn there? If you are wanting to learn control over your gift, then the world is your classroom. If you were hoping to learn how to join Peter Pan in Never-never Land, go back." He shrugged.
"You don't have wings or a tail or spikes growing out of your skin.. you're out here in Central Park. Whatever your ability is, I wouldn't think the world has much to fear from one little girl."
Kas was suggesting that Isabelle enroll in a regular school, assuming her naturally polite self would fit in anywhere.