Three days passed, and I had finally sighe papers for my new building—a thirty-story skyscraper right in the heart of NYC. Emma pulled some strings to give me a good deal, but I didn't want to owe her too much, so I paid half the market price. Some people would call it a waste of money while others might cim it's just a smart imeher way, I am going to turn it into a business or rent out the lower floors and maybe eve up a mall for now, though I just want a peaceful pce to live with my girls. The renovation of the entire building might take a month or two, so I'll keep staying at the school until it's ready.

  I almost fot to mention. After the st episode of bckout, I decided not to use telepathy at the moment and give my brain some rest. Yeah, I know, I have the healing factor, but I don't want to end up like Logan with a glitched-up memotta be careful ime.

  Jean got a css to tead Kitty got a css to attend. So, I'm alooday, taking a walk around the saybe, I'll hit the shooting range.

  By the way, Chat has been doier tely. She's a sweet girl, and her ability to talk to animals is pretty amazing. Birds and squirrels seem to love her. Even though the Professor healed her mind, she still has nightmares and is scared of the dark. Emma's been by her side through it all. The two of them are already being popur at the school, and it won't be long before they have their own fan club like Jean and Ororo.

  I stopped he garden. There was no one except firl and her panions.

  Chat was in the garden, surrounded by birds and squirrels. I don't see Emma around.

  One squirrel was sitting on her head, eating a nut, while the birds chirped around her. She looked like something out of a Disney movie. It was the first time I'd seen her smile, genuine smile... I could just tell that and it made me happy. She was humming a tune while feeding them.

  "Hey, Chat," I said as I walked up to her.

  She looked up at me and smiled. "Hello, Aron."

  I sat down beside her, feeling the soft grass under me. The warm sun ale breeze made the moment peaceful. The squirrel on her head g me, decided I wasn't a threat, a back to its snack.

  "You've got quite the audience," I said, looking at the birds and animals around her. Dang! I want to pet some of them too.

  She smiled shyly, tug a strand of her bck hair behind her ear. "Animals are easier to talk to than people. They don't judge or expeything. They're just... themselves."

  Her voice was soft, almost like a whisper, but f. The way the birds chirped around her made it seem like they agreed.

  "Do they ever talk back?" I asked, half-joking.

  She giggled, a light sound I wasn't expeg. "Not in words, but I feel what they're saying—through emotions and images in my mind. They're very ho."

  "Ho." I leaned bay hands, watg as a sparrow nded on her hand without hesitation. "That's rare."

  She looked at me, her pale blue eyes thoughtful. "You're hooo, but not in the usual way. You don't hide who you are, but... you're carrying something heavy."

  Her words caught me off guard. She had a way of cutting through all the noise and seeing the truth. "How you tell? You only met me a few days ago."

  "You see these birds and squirrels?" She o the animals around us. "They see people like you and me for what we truly are. They told me a lot about you and the others at this school. I know you're a good person."

  "Did they also tell you that I am carrying something heavy?"

  She shook her head, her eyes downcast. "They heard someone yelling at you for being reckless and doing everything alone instead of asking for help. Sorry, if I am intruding in your personal space."

  "Hahaha... Ah! That was Jean. I did something reckless a while back, and she yelled at me for it. I guess she's right. I tend to go off on my owhings get serious and fet that I'm not alone. What about you? Your new life must not be that easy, right?" I said, ging the subject.

  "Emma helps me a lot," she said with a smile. "Whenever I am in trouble, I ask for her help. I try not to burdeoo much, but she says that I don't burde all. She is just like how I remember her, kind and warm."

  "I'm gd you twetting along well," I said, smiling.

  "She is an amazing person, like a big sister, you know? I admire her so much. I'm gd to see she isn't doing anything bad anymore."

  "So, what about you? What do you want to do now?" I asked, curious.

  "I will stay here," she said, her voice steady. "I like this pce, and there are people like me here. It feels good to belong."

  "That's good to hear."

  There was a moment of sileween us as I watched her pying and smiling with the birds.

  "You're like a real-life Disney princess," I said, smiling.

  She blushed and ughed again. "I don't think Disney princesses have nightmares or struggle to trust people."

  "Maybe not," I said, "but if they did, they'd probably turn it into a song."

  She smiled, a mix of gratitude and amusement in her expression. "Thank you, Aron," she said quietly.

  "For what?"

  "For saving me. I don't remember everything, but thank you."

  I chuckled softly. "Saving you wasly a solo act, you know. Emma, the Professor, Blink, Storm, Natasha, and a certain person... Everyone pyed their part."

  "Maybe," Chat said, brushing a bird's feather lightly with her finger, "but you were there. Yht me out of that pce, and that means a lot."

  The sparrow hopped onto my leg as if seding her gratitude.

  "Well, if they're thankioo, I guess I 't argue," I said, giving the sparrow a ge on its head.

  Chat giggled, watg my awkward attempt at eg with the bird. "You're not too bad with animals yourself."

  "I think they're just here for the free snacks."

  She picked up a small bag of seeds from beside her and ha to me. "Want to feed them?"

  "Why not?" I took a handful of seeds ahem out. Instantly, a couple of squirrels and a brave pigeon came over to iigate. The pigeon wasted no time, peg eagerly at the seeds while the squirrels grabbed their share with tiny, dexterous hands.

  "This feels... straherapeutic," I admitted, watg them eat.

  "It is," Chat agreed, her voice serene. "It's like the world slows down, and all the noise fades away."

  I nodded, uanding her words more than I expected.

  Suddenly, Chat stood up, brushing off her skirt. "You know," she said, a pyful glint in her eye, "you joked about Disney princesses, but I think they'd do something like this."

  "Do what?"

  She cleared her throat and began to hum, a soft and melodie that quickly turned into a pyful, improvised song.

  ?*Oh, little birds and squirrels, take a snack, don't quarrel!

  The human man is awkward, but he means no harm at all.

  Peck the seeds, munch the nuts, hop and skitter, shake your butts!

  And if he trips, oh, don't you ugh—okay, maybe just a half.* ?

  I burst out ughing as her voice carried the ridiculous but charming lyrics across the garden. The animals seemed to perk up as if they were enjoying the performaoo.

  "Shake your butts?" I repeated, still ughing. "That's your Disney moment?"

  She grinned, a bit embarrassed but clearly enjoying herself. "What? It's catchy!"

  "You've got a gift," I said, shaking my head with a smile.

  "Maybe I'll write more songs for the animals," she joked, sitting back down.

  "You should. The world could use more moments like this," I said, watg as the squirrel on her head swished its tail, almost like it was dang to her tune.

  "Thanks, Aron," she said, her voice soft again. "For making me ugh. It feels... good."

  I smiled at her, the momeween us peaceful and warm. "Anytime, Chat. Anytime."

  Just as things were settling down into a peaceful lull, the sound of footsteps echoed through the hall, followed by the distinctive, boisterous voice of Jubilee.

  "Well, well, what's here? Aron and Chat, the animal whisperers?" Jubilee joked as she and Pixie approached us, a trademark grin spreading across her face.

  Pixie was flyio her, her pink hair shining in the sun. Her wings whirred softly as she hovered just above the ground, her excitement pin on her face. "Oh my gosh, they're so cute! we pet them?"

  The birds around Chat chirped a bit nervously, and the squirrels eyed Jubilee with suspi, clearly not used to her boundless energy.

  "Careful, Jubilee," I warned, holding out a hand as she crouched down toward a particurly skittish squirrel. "Don't get too excited, or you'll end up bsting them halfway across the yard."

  "Hey!" she protested, stig her to at me. "I have some self-trol, you know!"

  Chat giggled softly. "They're a little nervous around her sidering her... You know... But if you're calm, they'll e to you."

  Pixie was already sitting cross-legged on the grass, a look of tration on her face as she held out her hands with a handful of seeds. A little sparrow hopped closer, peg cautiously at the seeds before deg she was safe aling into her palm.

  "Look, look! It's eating from my hand!" Pixie squealed in delight, her wings giving a happy flutter.

  Jubilee rolled her eyes but couldn't hide her owement as she gently reached out with a peanut Chat handed her. "e on, little buddy, I won't hurt you. Promise!" she said softly.

  To everyone's surprise, one of the bolder squirrels cautiously approached her, snatg the peanut from her fingers before darting a few steps away to nibble on it.

  "Ha! See? Even squirrels know I'm awesome!" Jubilee decred triumphantly.

  "Or maybe they're just food-driven," I quipped, earning a ugh from Chat and Pixie.

  "Whatever, buzzkill," Jubilee shot back, grinning. She turo Chat. "This is seriously amazing, though. How do you get them to trust you like that?"

  Chat shrugged, her fingers brushing over the sparrow perched on her hand. "I think they just know I won't hurt them. It's like... they feel it."

  Pixie's eyes sparkled as she watched the birds flit around. "This is like something out of a storybook! Chat, you're like a fairy queen or something!"

  Chat blushed at the pliment, her pale blue eyes darting to the ground. "I'm just... me."

  "Yeah, well, you're cool 'just you,'" Jubilee said, tossing her a bright smile. "And Aron," she added, pointing at me, "don't think I didn't see you petting that bird earlier. You've got a soft side after all!"

  "Don't spread rumors," I said, feigning seriousness. "I've got a reputation to maintain."

  "Sure, Mr. Tough Guy," she teased, tossing a peanut at me, which I caught easily.

  We all ughed, the mood light and carefree. As we tinued feeding the animals, the garde alive with warmth, ughter, and the simple joy of e.

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