Rain Rain come and stay {intro/ Tobin} ( its in Cardiff, Wales)

"Rain Rain come and stay….." she hummed lightly to herself as she walked through the grey rainy streets of Cardiff. Grey clouds blocked out the sun, and the only light were the lights reflected in the puddles, the puddles that made the streets like a giant mirror. It was merely misting now that it was evening, and the sun would be sinking low in the sky anyways, although this morning it rained a fair bit. Alice loved the way the black tar streets seemed to glitter when it was wet, especially with the yellow lamp light. She loved the smell of world after the rain, it was simple and clean and it reminded her of when she was young in her mothers garden. The streets where pretty much empty aside from a few people walking bye. Although, irritatingly, she could hear their foot steps, and the murmur of their voices I can't have ONE quiet night? she asked herself, but she knew the resounding answer was no. She could hear the breaths of the couple across the street sitting on a bench, she could hear the girl’s giggles and, unfortunately, the words exchanged between the two.
"I love you." he whispered, she giggled as he kissed her nose
"No, I love you more." she whispered back, she was practically in his lap and Alice was thoroughly grossed out. She was tempted to just shove her fingers in her ears and run away screaming
"Shutupshutupshutupshutup!" but somehow she refrained and tried to block it out, and tried to think of something else.

She walked a little further down the street and sat on a bench out side of a shop, it smelled like leather and rubber, [i]Shoe shop?[i] she wasn't sure. Her pale eyes caught her reflection in the window across the street. Her hair was down and hung in her face, her pale eyes standing out vibrantly against her black hair. She wore a thick blue over coat and jeans. Her coat was a little worn but she really didn't mind. At her Aunt and Uncle's house she was given all the clothes she wanted, as long as she promised to be a good girl. Yet she knew it was merely leverage they would bring up or use against Alice, and there was no way she would let them take any kind of hold over her. Actually she hadn't been to their house in months. Each year she spent less and less time at the house, wandering further and further from the house, spending days to weeks to months away from the house and her they never seemed to care. She didn't care if they cared. She wasn’t going to stay in that house.

When her cousin's asked what she had done she would smile wickedly and make up some extravagant lie, usually involving boys, drugs, boos and motorbikes, her cousin's version of the devil. When they where younger it had reaped a bigger reward. Bella and Mia, her cousins, one was exactly Alice‘s age and one year older, both were small girls with long flowing blond hair. Emerald colored eyes, red lips, elegant eyebrows and cheek bones, full thick black lashes and a tiny waist. Both where spoilt, selfish, vain, and jerky, always looking for ways to make her life a living hell. So this was always Alice’s way of getting back. When they where little Bella would shriek when Alice told her lie and Mia’s lips would form into a taunt line when she thought Alice was making it up. Both of their eyes would get big, and they would always run crying to their mother about ’What Alice had done’ and Alice would slip into her own room and close the door, turn out the lights and pretend to sleep, but that never stopped her Aunt from coming in and shouting at her, shouting about her mother, shouting about her father, about how Alice was the worst of the two of them, that she had kindly rescued her from her mothers destructive ways but that didn’t seem to save Alice form natures course.

Although, secretly, as she tuned out the shouting and would stare blankly at the bed spread, she would wonder if her mother was like Alice, acting like they said she had simply because of her family. That they provoked her to ‘act’ in a similar way Alice did just because they did what they did. Alice had never known she had an Aunt or Uncle until they showed up to take her away. Her Aunt was her mother’s sister and they shared the same emerald eyes that her cousins had (which Alice never forgot to bring up time and time again just to get at them. God forbid they share the same eyes as ‘that devil woman.’) and Alice could remember her smiling and her eyes lighting up when she did. All of her memories where sweet and kind and gentle, while her Aunt’s stories of her where horrid, vile, demeaning, and just pure lies. Maybe even ones that her mother made up to keep them away. That was what Alice was doing anyway, and it made her feel a tiny bit happy inside when she thought that she and her mother had that in common. But her cousin’s no longer did that anymore, although if they had the time to ask her what she had done she wouldn’t hesitate to make up a thrilling tale of sex and drugs all with a sly smile spread across her face, all of it lies and she figured they could guess that it was, but they always had that look of doubt, doubt that what Alice said just might be true, and that they lived with a drunken cousin all these years.

Honestly she had never done half the stuff but she would never admit that to her cousin’s. Usually she would just wander, finding places to sleep and eat if she had the appetite. She had been doing this for years now, ever since she was 12, which was coincidentally when she discovered her power. That itself was a long story, what mattered was she was here. Alone on a bench, staring at her reflection, would she spend the rest of her life like this? She didn't know, but she sure as hell wasn't going to spend it with them. No, she would rather die cold and alone in a ditch than cold and alone with them.

Tobin sat in his Economy Class seat on a British Airways jetliner, wondering how he had brought this upon himself. Of course, he remembered the encounter in the sitting room where that cursed X-Man had taken away his smokes as well as sentenced him to welcoming duty, but Tobin hadn’t thought that meant retrieval as well. Most students thought of retrieval as an honor. They were able to leave the mansion, able to see more of the world, and they had the opportunity of sharing the hope of the Xavier Institute with another mutant. Tobin, on the other hand, wasn’t so optimistic. He had been progressing greatly with his powers and his studies. Soon enough, they would allow him to leave the Institute, and Tobin would. He was a free spirit, not made for institutes and studies. That was what had made leaving his family so easy. He had lived on his own quite well, and Vader had caught him at a weak moment when she had told him about the Institute. If he had only known what it would be like, he would have roasted Daddy’s Girl and fled the scene, leaving another mystery for the Dallas Police Department to solve.

However, that hadn’t stopped that X-Man to corner Tobin and tell him to go pick up a mutant that had been found in Wales. Tobin had tried to push the duty on someone else. He knew Wren would have loved the opportunity to go out and see the world, but the X-Man had insisted. There was no resisting an X-Man, especially as a student. They were the teachers and the judges, so what they said was what was done. Tobin grabbed his armrest at the frustrating manner in which the X-Men seemed to treat him. He didn’t like it, and he would be gone as soon as he could be.

A voice over the PA system brought Tobin back to the present. The plane was beginning its decent into Heathrow International. From the airport, Tobin was to find the driver the Institute had hired for him. He wasn’t surprised that they didn’t trust him enough to get to Wales on his own. Still, they were making this really easy for him, so it wasn’t like he could complain too much. Because the trip was meant to be short, Tobin hadn’t brought much extra clothing, just whatever he could fit into his carry-on bag. He hoped that the mutant was cooperative and came without his needing to convince her. If he or she wanted to be convinced, Tobin didn’t know if he would be patient enough to convince him or her to move to a school from which he so desperately wanted to escape. Even so, if this young mutant’s life was anything like Tobin’s, there would be no need for convincing. He or she would jump at the opportunity to get away.

Tobin spent the drive to Wales mostly asleep. Jet lag was a funny thing, but Tobin appreciated the time to rest. His dreams were filled with odd visions of himself. A few contained some of the other mutants at the school, and his dreams of Wren left him extremely confused. When he awoke as the driver explained that this was supposed to be their destination, Tobin shook his head of all of the fading feelings that dreams left behind. Looking out of the car-door window, Tobin lifted his eyebrows at the place before opening the door and stepping out. He smoothed his facial features in the process. “Well, Jeeves,” Tobin said, “I guess you can just wait for me here.” Without waiting for a reply, Tobin walked to the door.

Ringing the doorbell, Tobin fiddled with his thumbs as he waited for it to be answered. The psychics at the Institute had been able to give him an address but not a physical description, saying that something about this mutants mind was different than the others. He didn’t know what that meant, but he knew he needed to be ready for the worst. Chances were the family could know nothing about the young mutant that lived with them. Some gifts were more easily hid than others. Soon enough, the door was opened and Tobin was invited inside where he was confronted by a matronly figure who glared at him, judgment in every glance. She reminded him of his mother, which wasn’t a good thing.

“Hello there, madam,” Tobin said, reciting the speech he had been given by the Institute. It was the standard speech given to every parent when the Institute approached the family of a mutant. “I am sorry to drop in unannounced, but I was unable to get a hold of your family. My name is Tobin Abernathy, and I am a representative of the Xavier Institute, a prestigious academy in the United States. I have come because we have heard about one of the children that lives in this house and we are willing to offer a full scholarship to this prospective student. The Institute offers the best in classical training and a wide variety of other subjects. It is a boarding school, so no need to worry about providing room and board. The scholarship will do that.” He smiled wide, glad to be finished with the speech.

The matonly figure looked at him for a moment before asking, “Well, which one is it?” Tobin blinked in confusion. “Which child do you want? I have two daughters of my own and my niece lives with us as well. I assume you want one of my daughters as they are the one who will do something with their lives, a lot like their mother in that regard.” With every word, Tobin could tell that he did not like this woman, nor would he ever like her. She definitely reminded Tobin of his mother Trish, and she was the reason why he had run away.

Taking a minute to think, Tobin answered, “Can I see all three of the girls that live in this house?” he asked. “I’m sorry if you’ll just indulge me. The Headmaster was very adamant that I investigate every person of student age in this house. He wanted to make sure that we shouldn’t find more scholarship money for other prospective students.” He slapped on the smile that the frustrating X-Man had demanded he wear at all times, hoping that this woman had bought the ruse.

“Of course!” replied the woman, excitement in her voice. Yes, the prosepect that both of her girls might have the chance to attend school in America was appealing to her, or so Tobin thought. “Please take a seet in the parlor while I go find my girls.” She motioned for Tobin to enter a room that adjoined the entryway. Tobin took a seat and heard the woman rushing through the house. “Girls,” bellowed the woman, “get down here now! We have a visitor. And that means you too Alice. Do not make me come up there and get you.” Desperately, Tobin hoped he was there for Alice because it would only crush that woman’s dreams in one fell blow.

Time passed as Tobin sat impatiently in the parlor. The woman returned with her two daughters, but the third girl was not there. Introductions were made, but as soon as Tobin had seen the two girls, he knew that it wasn’t them. The psychics who had been unable to give him a physical description had instead planted a feeling in his mind, some kind of sense of this girl’s presence. He wasn’t sure how the had, but they had, so he knew that these weren’t the girls. “Where is Alice?” he asked. “If I’m not mistaken I am here for her.”

“Alice!?” asked the woman aghast. “Are you sure? That girl certainly is special, but not the kind that would be up for scholarship.” Tobin only smiled even bigger. That was exactly the kind of children that were at the Institute. Most were social outcasts because of their abilities. They were different, and everyone could tell. “These two girls are perfect angels, and they definitely deserve your scholarship.” Tobin stood as the woman finished. He got a sick pleasure from disappointing this woman. Take that mother. And with that he said his goodbyes and was gone, but not before asking to see a picture of Alice. Now, he would be able to tell what she looked like, and the man inside Tobin couldn’t wait to see her in person because she was quite attractive.

Stepping out of the house, Tobin walked up to the driver. “She wasn’t home,” he said. “Let’s drive around town. I’m sure I’ll spot her if she’s in town.” The driver only nodded as Tobin hopped into the car, and then they were off looking for the mutant named Alice. The drive was boring, really boring. Tobin wasn’t one for scanning crowds and searching for people, which was another reason for his wondering why he was on this mission. Maybe, he should just go home and the Institute could send someone else, but just as he thought that, a young woman walked across the street and sat down in front of a shop. “Stop!” he commanded the driver, and when the car stopped, Tobin climbed out, making his way over to Alice.

Sitting down next to the girl, Tobin wondered how to approach her without sounding creepy. He spent a few minutes thinking of ways to approach her, but he quickly realized there was no way he could not be creepy. “Excuse me,” he said. “Are you Alice? I went by your house but you weren’t there. My name is Tobin, and I represent a school in the United States for people like us.” He stuck out his hand in front of both of them. Looking around, he made sure that no one was watching them before he made his hand disappear. “You aren’t the only special one in the world, Alice,” Tobin explained. “Sorry if this was really creepy, but I was sent to ask you to join our school. It’s called the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning.” Tobin waited to see what Alice would say, hoping she wasn’t totally creeped out.

The Xavier Institute for Higher Learning? Alice frowned, and her pale blue eyes narrowed. It wouldn’t be the first time her Aunt tried to pawn her off to some God forsaken school with pressed skirts and shirts and ties and pinchy shoes. But believe it or not schools do have standards to be met. At first they would be all to happy to welcome her in, but all they had ready was her report card, they hadn’t met her ace to face. By now Alice was skilled at getting herself kicked out for the pure joy of making her Aunt and cousins have to deal with her again, well deal with her stories. But this kid looked like he was her age, not some grey haired professor in tweed, and this puzzled her more. An American school no less, she hadn’t been to the U.S before, she hadn’t ever really traveled anywhere really, but America?

She was ready to roll her eyes and stalk off but something caught her “You aren’t the only special one in the world, Alice” and that made her heart skip, did he know? But how could he? How could he know and still accept her? Maybe he didn’t know, maybe he was just trying to get her to come. Her pale eyes flashed at the thought of him trying to beguile her into coming to a magical school for unwanted children, the kind parents sent their kids to in stories, like when the mother dies or the father goes off to war. She decided he could be tested.

Standing up briskly she felt herself change. She felt her self sort of melt away and she was closer to the ground, closer to the ground and covered with thick black fur. She didn’t bare her teeth just yet, she just stayed wolf and looked at him coolly with her pale blue eyes asking Am I still not alone? Prove it.

Tobin wasn’t sure how Alice was going to react. He had just come up to her and told her that he knew what was probably the biggest secret of her life. He could remember Vader showing up at that rest stop in Texas. He could remember being told that he wasn’t alone. It was relieving and also terrifying. What could others do if they were like him? His power was really devastating, and there were others who could be extremely more dangerous. However, he didn’t think Alice’s powers were that dangerous though, or the Institute would have sent a more experienced X-man.

In fact, Alice let him see what her power was as they were there in the middle of everyone. “Good god, woman,” he said with a sigh as she shifted. “So you’re a shapeshifter. I’ve seen better.” Then, he decided to try something he’d never done before, project a different image in his stead. That would require turning himself invisible and projecting an image. He decided to start with something small, so he imagined himself morphing into bluebird. He was still where he was, but there was a bird flying around instead of his body. Tobin could only keep it going for a few minutes.

“So do you believe me now?” Tobin asked, releasing his illusion and bending down to be at eye-level with Alice. “I don’t think you’d appreciate flying back the US in that form, so how about you morph back. Then, we can talk about whether you’ll be flying back with me or not. I’ve got a car and driver waiting. We can go get dinner and what not.” Reaching out a hand for her to shake, he asked, “Sound good?”