Elizabeth Sundance sat on the edge of an unusually ornate bench beneath a tree by the hedge maze. It was the perfect place for her; isolated, quiet, still. It was a sanctuary for her, away from the masses of people in the mansion. It was not like she despised anyone or anything of the sort; no, it was just that....she wasn’t ready to deal with people yet. Not after her home school. Intellectually, Liz was aware that none of the past stigmas would ever affect her at the the Institute, but it was hard to convince her body that, the way her stomach would twist or skin would prickle with cold chills whenever around groups of loud, talking people.

It was just better to be alone.

She slowly smoothed an escaped strand of blonde hair behind an ear an unconsciously smoothed out a wrinkle on her long, orange skirt. A brown jacket covered her arms, bare from the lack of long sleeves of her white blouse. A chill wind had started to arise, even as the sky began fluorescing in a palette of colors, signaling the night soon to come.

Upon her upraised arm, supported by an elbow on her knee, a brilliantly-plumaged kestrel perched, gripping the leather wristbands (one of the various types she always wore) on that arm with a gentle ease. Soft brown human eyes met piercing black raptor eyes, physically representing a deeper connection passing between the two.

Elizabeth’s secondary mutation was in play, streaming feelings and attitudes between the two. She eroded her anxiety, her nervousness, her defensiveness. She filtered serenity and curiosity in their places. Likewise, she received the same emotions in return, her own fears and grief washing away with purpose and singular determination.

And so they sat, in simple rapport, the two of them alone, enjoying the simplicity of shared feelings and relishing the small fact of just being together.

The cold wind ruffled golden brown feathers as the young Gryphon shifter sat off the edge of the mansion roof staring out towards the city. It was a nice view from where Carrick sat and everything for the moment was peaceful. Kids screamed in laughter on the grounds below and despite the colder weather that fall had brought there were plenty of kids enjoy the sun before winter came. Carrick was one of those kids, he just got back from the city a few minutes ago and he was resting on one of his favorite perches enjoying the sun.

His wings quickly warmed up and he shrugged off the heat by opening his wings slightly. His hands were full a bag of beef jerky in one and a few chips of it in the other. Carrick popped a handful into his mouth and chewed quietly as his stomach growled, with the wind each flight was becoming more and more strenuous than what he was used to but it still didn’t bother him too much. It was just noticeable now how much trouble he would have had a few years ago. He was getting stronger and he liked it.

Shifting his weight Carrick leaned up and looked down on a group of kids that were throwing a Frisbee; now that he was crouching he resembled an angelic stone figure that was a few feet away from him. His mismatched colored eyes followed the toy until it was flying far away from the group and with a quick leap he was into the air sailing towards it. Carrick had gotten better chasing things, something that was still relatively new to him. Something that started with a certain blonde someone he hadn’t seen in a long time.

With his free hand the Frisbee was in his grasp and spun turned towards the group of kids that were shouting at him to throw it. Carrick obliged and failed miserably launching it in the opposite direction of the kids. Catching a Frisbee was one thing but throwing it? He was never one for sports. ”Sorry!” Carrick called out, ”I’ll go snag it and bring it back!” it wasn’t often he voluntarly played with the other kids but today he was in a good mood and very, very, very bored and the short attention span he had been sporting for a while wasn’t helping much in keeping his focus in one place for long.

Carrick turned and flew towards the hedge maze where he last saw the Frisbee, hopefully it would be easy to spot seeing as it was all white.

She adjusted her other arm. The kestrel fidgeted with a wing. The bird cocked its head a degree. The girl followed suit. She blinked; the predator’s gaze did not waver. A smile’s shadow ghosted across her face: there was one thing the bird refused to imitate. The slight mirth trickled across their bond into the feathered partner, adding a different flavor to the emotional pool already lying within.

Yet ripples soon formed in that shallow pond as a strange object began whizzing by. With a round circumference and a flattened form, a snippet of Elizabeth’s attention identified the construction as a Frisbee. That meant people. Playing. In groups. Most likely with large amounts of talking and laughing. And the disk would summon them to her abode like flies to honey, laughing all the way. And they would see her and continue laughing, even as she used her powers.

With a surprisingly massive effort, Liz forsook that thought and returned her attention back to the complacent falcon. Smouldering in the birds mentality burned a defensive rage. The mutant’s thought reflected on her own attitude. I’ve caused another emotional response. She needed to work on that. She did not want to further inflict her burdens upon her friends.

“It’s okay,” she faintly whispered, knowing it would be more than loud enough for the bird’s keen hearing. besides, it was the tone that was important, not the words. She channeled more tranquility into the bird, as if shushing it with her mind. The blonde chose to ignore the Frisbee and the ominous signs of the people to come and averted her full attention back to the bird, praying to lose herself in its glossy, black eyes. She wanted its predatory fierceness and lone wolf nature to steel her for the incoming people. She would’ve possessed the bird, but her body would still be left behind. Helpless. And that was something she never wanted to be again.

The color of the Frisbee and the ripples from the impact made it easy to see Carrick flew lower skimming the top of the hedge wall knocking some of the leaves off the bush as he passed. As he passed over the gap between the hedge and the pond Carrick’s mismatched eyes picked up on two other colors two very familiar and not forgotten colors. One was small and grey and the other was blonde. Carrick tilted his head down no longer focused on flying he had to be sure what he saw.

Yep, that was Liz and older version of her but he would never forget her and the awkward moments he shared with her. His first kiss, everything leading up to it, the way she laughed and tossed her hair back, the wrinkle her nose did when she gave him a look saying it was something that he shouldn’t have done. She was his almost, sort of, maybe possible more than friend. ”LiZ!?!” Carrick shouted out thick with his accent and full of surprise. Carrick still looked back under his chest as he started to fly over the pond quickly descending towards the Frisbee.

It took a second and his wings started to follow suit of his head and they tilted up forcing the wind to push the body down and with a loud splash Carrick crashed into the water headfirst sending mud and water into the air. ‘Graceful’ Carrick thought silently as he debated surfacing the water or just staying under there forever.

Another second passed and the water over his face vanished as he resurfaced and sputtered spitting out some mud. Eyeing the Frisbee near him Carrick grabbed it and coughed some spinning in the shallow waters to face the blonde one. ”Cold as a beach at the north pole.” Carrick muttered standing up in the waist high water. Shaking his hair free of the mud and water. Taking a step forward Carrick popped his wings open with a large ‘thwap’ sending mud and water in opposite directions beside him.

Of all things to possibly expect, that was not it.

As the shape of a winged boy soared overhead, a powerful wave of displaced air rolled over the girl and bird, occurring simultaneously with a loud voice yelling something. The shock of the sudden assault of air, sight, and sound caused the same feeling to bounce back and forth between Elizabeth and the kestrel: shock and fear.

The girl spun in her seat and threw her free arm against the side of the bench, supporting herself against the sturdy metal. The kestrel, although remaining on her wrist, let out a piercing shriek and beat its wings hard, puffing up its feathers in a dramatic display of dominance.

It was a moment before the blonde was able to grab a hold of herself and calm her breathing. Her accelerated heartbeat she could do nothing about. Realization of what had just happened swept over her as she finally sorted out what her senses had informed her of. While channeling a stream of more tranquility and assurance into the avian, Liz softly shushed her, using a soothing tone as well as a calming empathic link. It was okay. It was only....

Carrick.

Carrick. The Irish lad who’d shared a first kiss with her. Who’d been the second person she’d met at the school. Who looked like an angel or could be a conglomerate entity of two of the noblest creatures on the planet. The guy who’d always been there for her. As she watched him ascend out of the disturbed pond, the water streaming off his hair and causing his shirt to cling to his body, Liz turned her back to him, momentarily gaining privacy. “Go. Fly free, my friend,” she whispered to the bird on her wrist, who’d been staring at her with a puzzled tilt that only a bird could truly do. She gently stretched her arm out and slightly jerked her fingers back towards her palm. Whether or not the bird understood her words or her actions, it seemed to get the message and swiftly flew away. A single strand of contentment and calmness trailed between them for just a moment longer before the mutant raised her barriers (those for her powers and those for other people) before turning back around.

A small smile curved up on her lips, even as a glimmer light sparkled in her eyes. Yet anyone who knew her could tell that something was different about the girl. Something....subdued. “Hey, Carrick,” she greeted softly.

Carrick smirked at Nico’s reaction of him when he looked at Liz after shaking the mud and water free of his face and wings. Carrick closes his wings slightly and forced them open to mimic Nico’s display of dominance it was cute really Nico thinking he ran the show. Flashing pointed teeth Carrick turned his attention on to Liz and then laughed, ”It really is you!” Jumping out of the water and flapping his wings Carrick took to the air directly above the pond before landing in front of Liz.

”Hey Carrick” he imitated raising his voice trying to imitate her, as best he could but the after effects of puberty and a number of other things making his girlish voice sound less than girlish. ”No, it’s been ages or how are you?” he asked changing his voice back to his normal mocking tone.

Dropping the Frisbee next to his feet Carrick frowned slightly, ”You were gone for too long.” it was true it had been a close to a year since he had last seen her and a number of things had changed drastically in his life. His looks for starters his grades and his behavior around the mansion had also started changing. Other kids didn’t interest him and he hardly saw any of his older friends on account of him skipping. Once Liz left he didn’t feel a need for school, it was too much of a hassle.

”Don’t even come and see me when you got back? Guess you must have forgotten how awesome I am…” Carrick said his frown disappearing into a smirk. ”and what’s wrong with you cat got your tongue?” he paused and took a step closer to her and leaned forward tilting his head up towards her as he put a large smile on his face, ”The old Liz would have been happy to see me.” he paused and then leaned upright folding his wings looking up at the flying gray bird. ”At least his reaction is something I’m familiar with. He still doesn’t like me does he?” Carrick asked his tail twitching excitedly behind him.

His actions were....a bit unsettling. Not because they disturbed Elizabeth, they just weren’t what she’d been used to dealing for the last year. Which was....nice. With water and wind flaring everywhere, her friend appeared before her. Up close, Liz was able to notice several changes about the boy. For one, he seemed to have hit a growth spurt somewhere along the line. And his features were more animalistic and pointed. The effect was striking to be sure. The blonde could feel her pulse speeding up a bit.

“Yeah, it’s me,” she confirmed, partially spreading her hands from her sides with a hint of a shrug. “I guess I’ve been....okay.” It wasn’t really a lie. This last month had been liveable, for sure. Before....well, Carrick didn’t need to know about it. Nobody ever did. Unconsciously, Liz adjusted the wristbands on first her left wrist and then her right, making sure the named areas were completely concealed.

“Yeah, I went back to my old school for a year. But now I’m back. I just really haven’t felt up to being around people, though.” Was that a tint of sadness in her voice? Or a wistful desire? Liz ambled over a step or two, taking her gaze off of Carrick’s. “It’s not you; I just need to get through some things.” She paused, peeking over her shoulder to look at him with a hesitant inquiry. “Although, I wouldn’t mind hanging with you....”

The angel’s remark about the bird puzzled her for a moment, though. Her right eyebrow arched as she wheeled completely around. “What?” Did Carrick know that bird? It wasn’t likely, but one could never tell what sort of wild creatures a winged boy might befriend. She asked him about it. “Do you know that bird?” A single finger offhandedly pointed at the rapidly shrinking bird. It was a rather sensible question, to be sure.

She was never good at hiding something from him, even if she wasn’t her normal cheery self that the winged thief remembered it was clear she was off about something. ”What no comment about the bird bath?” Carrick asked trying to get some sort of reaction out of her other than just mellow responses.

The Liz he remembered had to be in there somewhere right? With a big smile and a laugh he was so fond of and her spunky attitude. His tail twitched as he took another step closer while his eyes fixed on her hands as she adjusted her leather wristbands as if it was a nervous reaction. Carrick would ask later but now? Now he would get her to smile again.

”Just okay? You were gone for a year and you are just okay? Must have been a dozy of a year to have just been all right. Then again you haven’t been around here to enjoy all the good times that have been happening.” Carrick said lying some on his end. ”Been sent to the school counselors office half a dozen times and, and,” Carrick paused and cleared his throat letting out a low and soft lion’s roar that still carried some distance. ”Wicked right? Found out I could do that a few months ago.” Carrick left the good times at that and made sure not to mention him getting in trouble with the police half a dozen times or getting the tar beaten out of him once or twice by cheating a few street thugs in a game of cards something like that was better left unsaid.

Looking up to the bird Liz just had on her arm he came to the realization that it wasn’t Nico, Nico was maybe a little grayer and perhaps a little bigger, ”Bird whisper you are now?” Carrick asked grinning looking back to her, ”Thought that was Nico didn’t really pay attention much to it.” Carrick shrugged slightly and then nodded his head, ”Any who, it’s a good thing you aren’t up for being around people, because I am an angel right?” he asked rhetorically knowing the answer to the question he was as far from an angel one could get without going full baddie but that didn’t stop him from using the name all the religious nutters dubbed him with.

”Hanging with me? Nah.” Carrick said opening his wings still beating some of the water off as he opened his arms, ”Wouldn’t mind a fly somewhere though. You can tell me all about your ‘okay’ time at your other school?” Carrick asked with a toothy grin revealing his elongated canines.

Elizabeth listened to Carrick speak, a slow smile creeping across her face. Oh, how she’d missed the winged lad and hadn’t ever really discovered it! So carefree and open; it was like rain after a drought. Even with his admissions of punishments for things she most likely would not have approved of, Carrick was still willing to include her in his life. And the other things he said, it was like he cared for her.

She really needed a friend.

She smiled brighter at his roar, speaking a barely audible “Nice.” It was another way in which Carrick had changed so much yet remained the same. And although she was no true bird whisperer, she shrugged modestly and half-spread her hands again, as if Carrick had caught her in the act. Tension poured off of the girl, just as water had sluiced off of the boy. Carrick’s charm was so infectious and Liz felt so comfortable and....safe, just by being around him.

But at the second reference to an explanation of where she’d been, a flash of fear crossed her eyes and her smile froze like a deer in headlights. For a moment, Liz was caught up again in the turmoil of her junior year, but she managed to veil it behind a much less fake-seeming smile. She was striving for serenity but was unsure of how well she truly performed. In hopes of covering her lapse in mood, she assented to his suggestion.

“I’d love to go flying with you,” she stated suavely, conveniently neglecting the rest of the subject entirely. She zipped up her jacket, knowing that higher altitudes were often chillier than terrestrial norms. It was up to her angel, now.

Carrick nodded his head when she smiled, ‘that’s more like it!’ thought Carrick as he got a glimpse of the smiles she used to pass out like candy. ‘It had to be the roar,’ thought Carrick keeping his comments to himself as his tail swished and flicked behind him as he took a step closer to Liz readying to scoop her up the way he used to before she left. It had been a full year did that mean she wouldn’t have her air legs? Carrick decided he’d take it slow at first but he knew exactly where he was going to fly-to. He told her once he was going to leave her up there but this time around it would be a round trip.

A toothy grin flashed on Carrick’s face, despite him being wet he didn’t really care how cold it would be, he missed his time flying with the girl in fact he just missed his friend in general. Once her coat was zipped Carrick stepped forward scooped her up and stretched out his wings and lowered his body before he jumped and took off. It really had been too long he almost forgot that Liz was light that or he had gotten stronger; he was taller now that must have been it.

”Not keen on talking about the year away from here you don’t ‘ave ta.” Carrick said his accent flowing from his moth as he was focused on flying and less the conversation. The winged thief had picked up on her lack of happiness when he mentioned her explaining how her year was. Clearly something happened something she didn’t want to talk about and if she didn’t want to. Well Carrick was very familiar with avoiding subjects, in school and of conversation.

Once they were in the air Carrick heard some kid yell for his Frisbee but Carrick paid him little mind other than yelling, ”Pond!” he flew a little higher, ”Can’t say I’m a fan of ‘em, not playing with a full deck if you ask me keeps giving me dirty looks the ejit.”

Turning his body towards the city Carrick gave Liz’s body a small squeeze as he pulled her closer, ”Haven’t been flying much without me have ya?” he asked hoping she hadn’t found another winged mutant to take her flying and make her forget about Carrick.

To be flying. The ultimate expression of freedom, when now even gravity, one of the four fundamental forces of the universe, could make you do anything. And this was no shadow of the true thing, such as when she merged with animals and hitched a ride in their bodies. Her body had always stayed behind, lifeless and grounded while her spirit soared.

But, in her angel’s arms, she was able to be free, free from everything, free from everyone. She cuddled even closer to Carrick, desiring to just draw closer to him as well as to warm up a bit. She managed genuine laughter for his commentary on the Pond kid, somewhat startling herself in the meantime. To laugh, openly and without fear of attracting attention, oh it was just the grandest feeling in the world! And Liz offered up a silent prayer, giving thanks for Carrick not pushing the subject.

He was just what she needed.

“I can’t say that I have,” Liz replied to her friends query/statement, straining only a little bit to be heard over the wind. Even when possessing, she hadn’t been flying. In fact, her possessions were relatively few in number since she’d left, and several of those had occurred only after she’d returned. And she certainly hadn’t flown like this. “I really missed this!” she said with a gleeful seriousness. The wonders of flying were hers! And she needed fear no machine failures or Carrick dropping her; she knew she could depend on him.

“Where are we going?” she asked, just a moment later. It was clear they were heading into the city, but that left a lot of possibilities. Perhaps the park? That should provide a bit of rest and solitude. If they just found a bench in a semi-secluded spot....

She belatedly responded to Carrick’s squeeze by pressing herself even harder against him. Just being close to him was all she really wanted at the moment.

”Good!” Carrick said when she told him she hadn’t been fling with out him. It was always something on an intimate level, taking someone flying with him, be it in gryphon form or human. There were only really of handful of people he’d take flying with him in the world and right now he was pretty sure the girl in his arms was at the top of his list. When she squeezed closer blood started to rush to his face for a moment before he went higher and pushed his thoughts from the front of his mind. It was the first time he had seen her in a year; he could be awkward around her later.

>>>“I really missed this!”

”Really missed you!” Carrick said not hearing the last part of her exclamation due to the increase in wind and altitude. When he fully realized what he said his face got slightly red again. Flaring his nostrils Carrick smirked the thought off again pretending he didn’t just say anything less they’d have another moment as awkward as their first kiss.

Hearing the second part Carrick laughed, ”What ruin the surprise? I told you before I’d leave you there. Only hint you are getting.” the city was coming up on them faster and faster the longer he flew and the building that seemed so far off in the distance became larger and larger. Some time passed and they started to circle back towards one of the most famous and tallest buildings in the city. ”Won’t actually leave you here! ‘Fraid you might not come back again!” Carrick said loudly so she could hear him over the wind that was being produced in-between the buildings.

Carrick shifted his weight and turned his wings and started to flap upward pulling both he and Liz higher and higher. ”Not a lot of people know this but there are a few stoops up here that are just delightful on a sunny day! As long as you don’t mind the cold. Can get a bit windy!”

His evasive answers left Elizabeth a bit quiet as she attempted to puzzle out what they meant. Somewhere he’d threatened to leave her before? Well how on Earth was she supposed to remember that? All she could really narrow it down to was some place in New York. She didn’t really know how long he could sustain flight, especially when burdened with a passenger, but she figured he’d would fly too long, since they’d both probably want to be back at the mansion before midnight. So without any further information, Liz just picked a place and set her mind to it.

Carrick was clearly going to take her to the Statue of Liberty. If he didn’t, she was going to be disappointed and would probably tap her toes a few times.

Once her problem was solved, Liz contented herself to just settle in her angel’s arms as she took in the sights of the city. It was an excellent tour, and surprisingly not too much of a different view than the normal, mundane, landcrawling human one she was used to. But then again, Liz had flown above the city before, getting many literal bird’s-eye views of the place.

But nothing compared to seeing it with her own eyes. The urban sprawl and strange grandeur of the land nearly took her breath away.

‘Twasn’t long before the duo came near their destination, as announced by her winged transporter. It was Lady Liberty, but the Empire State building would do just as well. She allowed a short peal of laughter to ring out after his playful threat and attempted to respond to his later statement by yelling over the rapidly increasing winds. “I’ll take your word for it!”

The acceleration and constant wind in her face inspired Liz to close her eyes tightly and turn her face away, practically burrowing it into Carrick’s shoulder. She kept her legs tight together, trying to prevent any draughts from escaping up the skirt. Fortunately for her, though, when Carrick had picked her up, the skirt had ended up folded between her legs and his strong arm, preventing them from flapping and shredding in the wind. Carrick O’Connor, always the gentleman.

Despite the winds Carrick’s ascent didn’t slow the sooner he’d get out of the wind tunnel the buildings produced the better it wasn’t that he couldn’t handle the extra weight he just didn’t want to be all tuckered out when they talk. When she buried her face in his shoulder that was when Carrick’s blushing episode finally hit. His face got warmer and he was wearing a large toothy grin that would have been hidden to the woman in his arms she also happened to be the only one around them so he didn’t fight it when his face started to light up like a red Christmas bulb.

A few moments passed and as the blood was running back down from his face he spotted their perch. It was far less windy up here where there were few buildings producing a wind tunnel effect but it was still relatively easy to feel a small tug from the wind every now and then something Carrick knew Liz wouldn’t like seeing as she was in a skirt.

”Last stop empire state building, ‘hank you for flying Carrick please keep your hands and feet in the arms of your flier until the angel touches down.” Once he was above his perch he touched down slowly and let her down gently bending his body till it was easy for her to touch the ground. ”Everything you remember?” Carrick asked flapping his wings once then twice lifting his body off the perch where she was. ”Been a while since I’ve flown anyone anywhere.” Carrick thought aloud while he was keeping himself airborne a few feet from where Liz was.

Her ear was only a few inches from Carrick’s mouth, enabling her to hear his landing monologue quite easily, even over the rushing winds. She smiled at that, even though nobody would be able to see it, as alone as they were, way up in the sky. But they were indeed in the process of landing, announced both by Carrick and by the changing sounds of the wind in Elizabeth’s ears.

Turning her head back in order to see what was in front of them, Liz realized that Carrick was landing. Once close enough to a level surface on the building, Liz carefully slipped out of her friend’s grasp, fighting for balance for a moment as she attempted to acclimate her sense of balance to once more being on solid “ground.” She walked forward a pace or so, attempting to put space between herself and the edge, before turning around to face Carrick, who seemed to be hovering just off the edge.

“Flying was wonderful, Carrick,” she said, enthused with excitement, yet not showing the same levels of it in her expression. It was almost too good to be true. Carrick had literally swept her off her feet and away from everything that could give her worry. But now she’d have to talk to him. The guy she could not accurately describe her relationship. Even though he’d said that she didn’t need to say anything, he still deserved an explanation. There hadn’t been one when she’d left. All anyone would’ve gotten was a short, informationless text and then a great dearth of contact.

But maybe she could postpone talking about that stuff. At least for a little while longer. Those thoughts, though, were poisonous. They drained the stronger emotions from her. She did manage a smile at his last comment, hoping to disguise her inner feelings. “So, uh, since I’m here, what are you going to do with me?” Perhaps a bold statement would destabilize Carrick enough to prevent him from noticing that anything was wrong.