”Really, it’s good to hear from you…” the familiar voice commented back as Sam’s facial features dropped a little disappointed in the fact that one of his best friends on the team and in the mansion continued to talk on the other end as the phone was adjusted from the left ear to the right one. It seemed like just yesterday Sam’s sight impaired friend was giving him advice on what to do about Alex, someone else he hadn’t seen or heard from in a while anyways.

It was a good thing, though he missed Alex but at the same time he wanted to move on from her. The voice on the other line made a joke and Sam let out a small laugh, ”Yeah, got a little banged up in Germany but, it had to be done.” Sam didn’t really tell many about his ‘secret’ mission with Gawain. He didn’t want many to know about it, the last thing he wanted were people asking questions about why he was there in the first place and why others weren’t put on the mission. It was one he wanted to handle discreetly and off the record, Gawain knew this as well so he wasn’t too worried about everyone knowing. Luke was an exception though he knew a bit more about Sam’s past than others.

”No, I haven’t heard or seen from her since but I know something is going to come up…” Sam paused and let out a sigh, ”She had pictures of a few of the kids…” he paused again as Luke asked pictures of who, ”A few of the ones who I spend more time with, Gawain, Kat, Locke, Kate…” Sam mentioned a few more names and Sam nodded his head in agreement. ”Some I’m more worried about than others but Amanda knows not to approach them. I made it clear if I see, hear, or feel someone I’ll be coming after her…” nodding his head again Sam laughed and corrected Luke, ”Yeah, I get banged up but I know if it came down to it I could hold my own against her and a few of her co-workers, I was the best after all and from what I understand they couldn’t find anyone to replace me, otherwise she wouldn’t have approached me to begin with.”

The topic changed slightly as Luke told him about what he had been doing since he had been gone, ”Sounds like your on a vacation, keep it up you’ll get out of shape, be hard for you to keep up next time I see you.” Sam adjusted some of the paper on the desk and put it in the ‘to be filed’ pile for Andrew. ”No, not much as changed…” lied Sam as he looked at the clock in his office and then picked up a pen and continued to initial some new resident information. ”I see ghost every now and then, not as often as I like but she is playing mom now…” Sam paused as Luke made a joke to lighten the mood, ”No pretty sure she wears the pants, Sebastian is well… Sebastian.” Sam started to laugh as another sheet of information was sorted.

”Kealey and Shin are still seeing each other, wouldn’t be surprised if they ended up getting hitched, they still seem to like each other.” Sam smirked and shook his head as Luke questioned his relationship quest, ”She didn’t last too long, and she didn’t really handle the late nights and early mornings.” Sam paused and laughed, ”she wanted me to think about resigning from my positions, all but teaching, kicked her to the curb after, told her when I wasn’t needed anymore I wouldn’t have a problem resigning…” Sam nodded his head to Luke’s comment, ”Yeah, I don’t really see that happening anytime soon either, maybe never…” shrugging his shoulders he added, ”Don’t think I’m the type that would enjoy retirement any who.”

Luke laughed on the other end and Sam was hit with a feeling of nostalgia when he and Luke were laughing after a few of the students tried to assert their ‘dominance’ in a situation over Alexandra. ”Kate’s holding up, she is a tough kid even if she doesn’t think she is. Tough kid like me.” Sam said grinning slightly, ”She’s still recovering but I’m not as worried as I was before.” Sam said finishing up another pile of paper work.

”To be honest I was thinking of withdrawing our involvement with the police, not all together but just enough to let them know that we are confident in them handling things. They have their own mutant division now and a few of them are more than adequate to handle most situations. Met this cop named Jorge, works with the Mutant division, actually thinking about extending an invitation to join the team, he can be the liaison between us and the police, it’s not that I can’t handle it. I’m just starting to think about the big picture, expanding even. Times are changing; we aren’t needed as much as we once were in New York City, I was thinking about even building another school… Not sure yet but there are mutants all over the country that need help. Not everyone can make it to New York, pretty sure there are a few who don’t even want to make the trip here.” Sam paused as Luke chimed in giving his perspective on expanding and withdrawing a little from the NYPD.

”Yeah,” Sam said nodding his head in agreement. ”Few more people I had my eye on as well, my new assistant for one, bright kid, really kind make a great poster child for the team, he is the type to keep us honest, Kealey is still helping with that, she has been stepping up when Ghost isn’t around, you know keeping me in line when I get…” Sam paused and cleared his throat, ”Distracted…” he shifted his eye momentarily.

Looking at the clock again Sam noted the small hand was on the one while the large hand was on the six. ”No, sleep is overrated, need to get this paper work done anyways…” Sam paused and his expression dropped once again when Luke made the comment about ending the conversation for the night, ”Yeah…” Sam paused, ”You’re right, it is late I’ll talk to you soon, next week same time sound good?” nodding his head with a smile Sam’s mind raced over all the information that had been collected over the past few weeks since he had last seen Luke making sure there was nothing else that needed to be said, ”Alright, gonna let you go then. Take care buddy and tell your fish lady I said hello.” the sound of the phone hanging up on the other end was heard and Sam reluctantly closed his own phone and yawned deciding to call it a night. He could get the rest of the paper work done tomorrow anyways.

The ringing was continuing she wasn’t going to pick up. It was late and why would she pick up, if his advisor had something to say or needed to say something Sam was usually the one to get the call. She had been very busy after all. In fact the last dozen or so new students and residents were due to her tracking them down and sending them to the school. Still Sam needed some advice and not everyone was straight forward as Neena was.

It was on the eight ring now, his hand motioned for the end button and he was about to give up for the night, she’d call back when she had some time to talk again it was late. The room was dark for the most part; the desk light illuminated the room casting shadows on the bookshelves surrounding the walls. The clock overhead behind his chair gave a small chime to let Sam know that it was after two in the morning. Meaning wherever Neena was at this time it was late. All nighters was something Sam could accomplish but not everyone could do it. He had a lot on his mind meaning sleep as of now wasn’t an option.

“…Neena?” Sam asked as he heard a click and then a weak voice on the other line. ”Sorry for such a late call but… figured you’d be doing something like that, just don’t get arrested.” Sam smirked and nodded his head as he clicked a pen to one of the few photos in front of him. Most of them were of his students one was of his ex-girlfriend. Sam’s pen clicked a few more times, ”Yeah, couldn’t sleep…” she spoke and Sam nodded his head, ”It’s like you have long range telepathy or something.” she spoke again and Sam laughed, ”I’ll be sure to have a room ready for her then when she arrive.”

There was a pause before Sam spoke, he wasn’t sure how to phrase his thoughts, how could he ‘Yeah, it’s T.A.T. or at least a former agent, she found me and tracked me down blackmailed me and now she has me wrapped around her over manicured finger. My hands are tied, I’m at a loss.’ No that wasn’t something he could say right now he wasn’t sure if he was being watched but Neena knew enough about Sam by now to know that something like that was wrong.

Sam shuffled one of the black and white photos and found his lone eye looking at Gawain who was hiding behind a tree with a beer in his hand. Something Sam scolded him on a week before but didn’t explain how he found out. It was clear that Amanda had eyes everywhere and it was clear that the mansion’s security was lax something he buffed up as of late to make sure there was no intruders. The increased security was unknown to the students unless they saw or felt his chilling abilities along with seeing a few other things.

”No, I’m not seeing anyone right now…” Sam said as he ran his fingers to the bridge of his nose trying hard not to be too upset about the subject change something Neena was notorious for, she always preferred to lighten the moods. ”No, the last girl I was dating wasn’t the most constructive person to be with considering my many obligations to the school. She didn’t like the late nights either.” Sam lowered his hands as he leaned back in the chair and chuckled, ”Yes, Ghost and Kealey are both keeping me in line and it seems more and more are rising to the occasion everyday. I had Doc, suggest something the other day,” Sam cut off and started to laugh as Neena made another comment, ”It wasn’t as delicate as you put it but Doc always did seem to be more blunt than most.”

The conversation carried on between the two for another fifteen minutes about how everyone was doing, Ghost playing house mom and bookstore owner, Shin and Kealey still being the happy couple something Sam envied but didn’t voice his current feelings of loneliness and then the question on how a few of the students were doing. ”Calley is Calley, been trying to reach out to him but you know how difficult he can be.” Sam paused to hear Neena’s thoughts before he nodded his head, ”Kat, I worry about some times, every time I see her a boy isn’t far behind,” Sam smirked at Neena’s comment, ”She is still taking lessons in self defense and flight but I will promise I will never give her any relationship advice.” Sam trailed off again as Neena asked about the other students each of whom he had a little information on when he could tussle up any recent memories of their escapades.

After another few minutes past Sam was surprised about the turn of the conversation, ”He told you about that?” Sam asked sighing mentally making sure he was going to toss Luke next time he saw him, ”Yeah, I didn’t want to tell you about it because I’d know you wouldn’t be thrilled.” Sam said pushing the photos of a few of the students that was being used to coerce Sam into cooperating with Amanda. ”No I’m pretty sure they would have done something by now if they wanted me for good, and as long as I help out every so often I feel like I can let my guard down a bit.”

”She won’t make a move on them, she knows how dangerous I can be when I’m serious not to mention the fact that there re a few others I can call in to help. The last thing she wants is a confrontation with me, the reason she is using the kids to get me to do her grunt work.” Sam stopped talking for another minute while Neena was giving him a lecture on the other end.

Sam nodded his head and then agreed, ”Yeah, I’ll let you know what happens the second something occurs…” Neena said something and Sam felt a tear well up in his one eye, ”Sorry about the late call again, I just need to talk to someone.” another tear passes his cheek silently as he smiled, Neena did always have nice things to say. ”I’ll talk to you soon… Thanks…” with that he hung up the phone and decided he’d try to unwind with a nice silent walk around the mansion grounds.