Take The Time

C~1: Unexpected Findings

"There were sweet dreams in the night. Of Time long past: And, was it sadness or delight. Each day a shadow onward cast. Which made us wish it yet might last—That Time long past."

The words flow simply from a very known professor's mouth as they did every time he read the poem, each time hoping to give away part of a lesson.

The warm air filled the sky a blue as the ray of sun touched the earth with its golden hues: a warm, brisk, comforting, summer afternoon, and an extraordinary one at that. Charles Xavier was never one for big shows of affection, but this is happily one exception.

Glancing from the book in his lap, he peers down at the girl who was leaning into his shoulder as they both sat against a great oak. Picnic laid before them of fruits and sweets of all the little child favorites.

The ten-year-old licks her lips of strawberry before glancing up at Charles and smiling, "Keep going."

Grinning back, Charles nods his fingers, skimming the ancient page. "There is regret, almost remorse, For Time long past. 'Tis like a child's belovèd course. A father watches, till at last." He recites, holding the book in one hand and taking the child's hand in his now free one.

"Beauty is like remembrance, cast From Time long past." he finishes. Folding the book under his arm, Charles grunts as he, too, pulls himself into his wheelchair. "Come on, darling," he calls to the girl.

Smiling, she stands and adjusts her blue overalls before rushing after her dad. "Coming, Daddy."

Once catching up to him by the door, Charles lifts his daughter onto his lap, moving his wheelchair forward once more "Do you know what today is, Triston?" he questions. Jokingly Triston strokes her chin before shouting, "My birthday!!!"

Her arms pump into the air, making Charles laugh as they roll into the elevator. "Yes, and a very special happy birthday to you...but today we're finally gonna find out what your mutant power is."

Ten years old, she was finally at the age where her mutant gene would start showing. It's one of the reasons why she was born, to study a growing mutant. Of course, though she was raised in an incubator and the woman gene was a donor but even if not brought up in a woman's stomach and in a machine instead, she was still his daughter.

"Will I read minds like you?" she asks, tugging on her brown hair into a ponytail. Charles shrugs. "Maybe? What do you think your ability will be?"

Biting her lip Triston closes her eyes, thinking hard before flapping her arms. "I want to run really fast!"

Laughing, Charles shakes his head. "I'm never gonna be able to keep up." he jokes, rolling her eyes. Triston perks up. "Wait, no, I want to touch someone, and then they'll feel better." she decides.

Charles quirks his head to the side, "Feel better?"

"Yeah, so you can walk again."

Touched by these words, Charles stops holding his daughter's cheek. "Oh my dear, thank you, but I'm afraid only a miracle could heal these wounds." he reminds himself, not only of the pain that was caused to his legs that day in Cuba but also to his heart.

The lab door slides open to Hank, who was fixing his lab coat, turning around; he smiles at the father and daughter duo. Triston smiles, hoping down and rushing over. "Uncle Hank!" she calls, hugging him.

Hank picks her up, hugging her back. "Hey! You having a fun birthday?" he asks, sitting her down on the examination table. "YEAH!!!"

"And it's about to become even better. Are you ready, Hank?" prepares Charles, nodding. Hank walks over to Triston with a needle. "About just need to take a bit." he finishes pulling the needle out of Triston's arm.

Rubbing it, she swings her legs back and forth as Hank wraps a band around her head, with wires hooked up to his machine. The straight-line beeping begins as Charles moves over to his daughter while Hank peers under a microscope.

Before he does, he turns back to two. "Don't be alarmed if the beeping gets faster. It'll register for us if your powers are mental."

Nodding, Triston is practically jumping out of her seat as Hank peers down into the microscope, but after a few seconds, his face falls. Glancing up for a few seconds, he examines back down before backing away, "Um, my god."

Charles tilts his head "Hank? Is something wrong?"

Ignoring Charle's question, Hank moves over to the beeping machine where the noise stayed to a flatline. Backing off, Hank runs a hand through his air. "That shouldn't be...oh, god."

"Is something wrong, Uncle Hank?" asks Triston, instantly shaking his head. Hank motions for Charles to come over. Concerned, Charles complies as the two adults whisper in the corner, peering around. Triston feels uncomfortable.

What could be wrong?

Suddenly Charles backs away. "What? No!" he asserts and rolls over to the microscope to see the proof with his own eyes. He takes a breath before rocking his head. "Hank, this shouldn't be-"

"Well, it's clear she had no mental powers, and then this...Charles, she's just not-"

"Daddy are you okay?" asks Triston taking off the headset. Charles holds out his hand to his daughter. What should have been a proud moment turned out to be one of despair and disappointment.

"Just...I need to go lie down," states Charles rolling away.

"But Daddy-"

"NO!...just stay there," Charles yells, leaving Triston to stare at the ground as he goes. Hank's still a little shocked at Charles's sudden reaction to his daughter like that but understands, "Is Daddy scared of me?"

Shaking his head, Hank kneels in front of Triston. "No, no, no, he's not scared just...let down," he says, feeling the emotion a tiny bit himself. Triston was to be raised but to be studied safely to help other growing mutants be supported in future growing mutants.

"Did I something bad?"

"No, it's more of what you not that your dad is a bit of upset about...Triston...you're not a mutant."