He actually could have stopped them from sitting down. The fact that he didn't know or believe that he could was the exact reason why they needed to be there. Ghost perched on the edge of her seat as if ready to hop up and run out at any moment.

"Sir, we respect your authority. This is your office, your station, your area of expertise. If you had not offered us seats, we would have remained standing."

His lips pressed flat and it looked as if he had something to say about that. Before getting interrupted again, Ghost plowed on.

"We are here to offer ourselves and our teammates, the X-men, to help you as needed to impose law and order in New York. In all things we would differ to your discretion and leadership and the leadership that you you have appointed in the field. If you would like us to train under you and along side your men, we are willing to do so. If you would likes us to go through police training for deputizations, that can also be arranged as per your needs and requests."

Ghost paused because his jaw was hanging open. Obviously, this was not the conversation he thought they'd be having. To his credit, he recovered rather fast and his mouth opened to say something, but again, Ghost stepped on his words.

"We won't need or want guns. We don't want to rule. We don't want to be judge, jury, nor do we want to be executioners. We want due process of law, the system our country has chosen to serve justice. We want to operate within the law, but most of all, we want to help you, Commissioner Wellings. We want to help you and your people serve due justice to mutants and humans alike."

Ghost felt sort of drained after her impromptu speech. It was pretty much everything Sam had expressed to them in the packet all at once. Wellings sat flabbergasted looking at his hands. "You would train. Every mutant would be field trained and at our disposal?" He sounded unsure. Almost as if he were afraid of this new idea.

"Well, our team is about 5 or 6 strong right now. We wouldn't send you lesser trained mutants. We also can't vouch for every mutant on the street. And we certainly can't be police full time." She tactfully ignored his small "A-hah! I knew there was a catch!" "Most of us have lives or careers outside of being an X-man. I work at a bookstore. Luke, as you know, owns a company. But when there are special missions set up or emergencies, we get the call to come in." It seemed the perfect time for Luke to introduce the phone so Ghost nodded to him. She was more than ready for the commissioner's lamplight gaze to focus its beam elsewhere.

Luke took a seat as Ghost began to speak once again. As she spoke Luke's mind was racing, trying to remember every off hand comment that different employees had made about the Police Commissioner. Obviously Jacobs & Jacobs had been involved in several sales with the police force and different people had met with Welling. Hadn't there been a comment about his liking a good game of poker and a nice cigar? Luke wasn't a smoker or gambler himself but surely there was some way he could use that information to his advantage. Wasn't there?

"Obviously we can't have the whole team working with you except in emergency situations but I'm sure we can establish some sort of standard rotation so that there is a mutant available at all times just in case you were to need them." Luke spoke up as Ghost paused. He didn't know whether she was stopping in order to regain her thoughts or if she were stopping to let him speak but whichever it was, he was going to take advantage of the moment.

"As Ghost reminded you, I do own a company but whenever I'm working in the city I'm sure I could slip away from board meetings and such if it were necessary. As to contacting us," Luke continued as he reached into his coat pocket and withdrew the cell phone he had secreted within its confines a little earlier, "This is a dedicated phone that will put you in direct contact with one of the X-Men whenever you might need one of us."

As the Comissioner took the phone and slowly turned it over in his hands, examining it carefully, Luke tactfully paused. There was obviously more to be said, including his offer of upgraded security, but this would do for now.

"So let me get this straight." His voice was quieter than it had been while his intense gaze was focused on the small phone with its stylized 'X', "Your team of 5 or 6 mutants would be willing to go through training, maintain a dedicated rotation of availability, and put the full team at our disposal whenever a dire emergency presented itself."

Looking up, the man's piercing gaze focused on Luke and then swept its way over to Ghost. "What's the catch? What do you get out of this? Accept to our computer files? Free passes if any of you get in trouble with the law? I've dealt with you mutants before and sure, there's a nice one here and there, but you never do something for nothing. What's your side?"

Ghost straightened her back from a casual good posture to steel ram-rod up the spine straight. "Our side is that we help you impose law and order in a land that's slowly slipping into lawlessness. I don't fault you in any way Commissioner, you've never had anything to level the playing field before. That's all we want. Harmonious mutants and humans living in a lawful society side by side."

Commissioner Wellings rumpled his hair the same way he rumpled his upper lip. It was almost like he was used to having a mustache, but with his ruddy complexion it was impossible to tell if there was a mustache tan line. "Alright... only for a while. Like a test run. If your team goes through my training an' still wants to help, then we'll see about your fancy-schmancy rotation."

Something sounded through the intercom loud enough to make Ghost jump. Geez. It scared her enough she hadn't even caught what the secretary said. Something about a visitor maybe? He punched his stub of a finger to the button for a quick and grouchy reply. "I'm busy. It can wait."

The stiffening of Ghost's back and the slight change in the tone of her voice forced Luke to hide a smile. It was always interesting to see the relaxed and friendly young woman suddenly become firm and just a touch forceful. Doing his best to wipe away any entertainment from his expression, the blind man returned to waiting for when he could speak again. Finally, after a brief interuption from the Commissioner's intercom, the moment came.

"Also, I would like to offer the services of my company to help improve your security measure both here and at the precincts around the city." Luke spoke up, "As a gesture of good will between us, whether you decide to accept help from the X-Men or not."

"Uhuh," The disbelief and paranoia in the man's voice was obvious as he swivled his head to look at Luke, "That's how you'll get access to our systems, right? You'll be able to get any file you want through your connection points."

"No sir." Luke's voice was blunt and very to the point. Diplomacy was gone for the moment and instead he was once again the businessman laying out a deal for the prospective client, "Jacobs & Jacobs is in a special place in the market because we are able to have our systems tested by mutants. While they are far from fool proof, it does make it easier to protect against those individuals that have special abilities. Your own technicians will be free to work with our instalation teams in order to ensure that none of those secret connection points you mentioned are actually put into the system. There is no catch and we're not out to gain anything from this. As Ghost explained, we just want a chance to live in a law abiding society the same as any other person."

"Right... no agendas and no hooks. That's what you keep saying." Wellings muttered to himself as he turned hsi gaze back to the phone in his hands, "Is there anything else? I'll warn you that I'm not sure I can handle any more surprised."

As if on cue the door to Wellings' office that had been left the slightest bit ajar was all but kicked open. A man, tall and lean with dark features, stalked in after the slammed door. His slightly too short canvas duster rolled after him like a shadow. He was talking before the growl on Wellings' face was able to turn into words.

"Damnit Wellings, I don't care if it's the pope. You told me you'd find my daughter. You called me in because you had her in custody and I fly thousands of miles to find nothing but you. How could you let a flipping twenty year old get away? How could you let her go when I specifically called for her to be held here?" Every you was punctuated with an unhappily pointed finger.

Upon the kicking of the door, Ghost had naturally looked back to see who the potential assailant was. That was about the time all the color has drained out of her skin, that is to say if she had much of any color it would be entirely gone now. The gig was up.

For a man being pointed and growled at, Wellings did not seem all too concerned or even impressed. He was a hard man used to harder people than the swarthy scarecrow in front of him.

"There is this little thing called the law, Swift. And no matter who you are, I can not hold a girl over the age of 18 who didn't do anything just because her pappy wants me to." Wellings lumbered to his feet behind his desk. He had seemed ruddy and hunched before, but as he stood the man seemed solid behind his base of power. "We held her for the maximum period of time. Just because you failed to arrive within that time period doesn't mean we are at fault." Wellings' started with a little finger jabbing of his own. Only his jab made it across the table and into the man's chest.

Two winded officers were at the door now and Wellings shot them a look that brought them both to attention. "Officers, please escort--"

"Daddy?" She asked because she was afraid it was true.

It was quite possible that every eye and sonar in the room was directed at Ghost now and she squirmed accordingly. He'd walked right past her initially. Partly because he was too focused on his anger and partly because he was used to a daughter with long, dark brown hair. The tall man rounded on her as if to say 'That isn't funny.' His mouth opened for the words, but nothing fell out. He leaned closer to the chair and Ghost leaned back squirming again under scrutiny.

"It is... They said your hair..." He reached up to touch a strand of the white, white hair but Ghost leaned around him to look at Commissioner Wellings. He had the look of a man who had sluffed off a problem with great satisfaction. "Sir?"

He snorted. "Get out. Your business friend and I can talk specifics." He looked and sounded more than ready to be done with the lot of them.

Ghost looked down at her hands sorry that she could not apologize immediately to Luke before she scooted back her chair for room and stood of her own accord. Ghost was relatively tall for a woman, but her dad was taller still. In the grand scheme of things there were taller people around, but their builds made them appear long. It was interesting to see two people obviously cut from similar cloth.

They marched out preceded by one officer and followed by the other.

Luke fell silent as the interuption stormed into the room. Relaxing back into the cushions he took the time to collect his thoughts while absently listening to the conversation. It had to be tough on the man to be unable to find his daughter but Welling had a point. The police had no reason or right to hold anyone over 18 unless a crime had been comitted.

"Daddy?"

Suddenly Luke's rapt attention turned very focused as he brought his sonar in tight on the other man. There was a moment where he saw it before the man turned to face Ghost but it was enough. The similarities in facial features and build were deffinately there and Luke turned his blind eyes to focus on Ghost while raising on eyebrow inquisitively. What in the world was this? Luke had never heard anything about her being distanced from her family but it wasn't really that much of a surprise. Most mutants had difficulties facing their human relatives. There were a few happy stories, like Katrina and her mother, but those were deffinately few and far between.

"Stay close Ghost." Luke spoke up, keeping his voice friendly though the touch of concern had to be obvious, "I don't want to have to search for you when we're done here." He knew it sounded like he was talking to a little girl but at the moment he was feeling extra protective toward the young woman. Sure, Ghost was an adult but she was still young and if anything happened to her Sam would probably never forgive him. Sure, Ghost was the senior X-Man but Luke was the senior in age. That counted for something, didn't it?

As the door closed on the office, Luke turned his attention back to Wellings. "If you accept the security system I'll step out of the picture and you'll work with one of my security experts. Obviously I'm available if necessary but my employees are experienced enough to handle it. We can also keep it a fully human instalation team if it makes your officers more comfortable."

"We're not all prejudiced." The Comissioner replied bluntly, "I'll take it under advisement and contact your company if we want to take it. Anything else?"

"No... I don't believe so." He responded slowly, racking his brain to make sure he didn't forget anything, "Thank you very much for your time Comissioner. I appreciate your clearing a space in your busy schedule."

"It's been enlightening." Wellings responded dryly, "You know your way out."

Standing to his feet, Luke gave the man a polite nod and then turned to make his way out of the building. Extending his sonar past the door, the blind man made sure he wasn't interupting anything and then slipped outside. There would be no interupting the little father/daughter talk unless Ghost's dad started to get violent, if so, well, Luke didn't kill but he could deffinately inflict pain.

The minute they were out of the office, Ghost's dad took her up in his arms in an awkward squeeze. Ghost tried to keep her chin and face above his shoulder for breathing purposes, her arms were pinned at her side so that even if she had wanted to reciprocate, she could not have. "Get off."

"Maya, you--" But he had let go enough to see her face, which also meant that he had let go enough for her to make her way out of his arms and down the stairs. The officers just sort of shrugged at the whole situation. It wasn't their problem as long as no one came to blows. Ghost went straight for the police door, not wanting to make her scene play out in front of a captive audience.

He caught her hand at the door and just like two years ago, the day of her first ghosting, Ghost went incorporeal to slip out of her father's grip and out the crack between the double doors in a whoosh. The difference being that this time she knew what she was doing and brought her clothes with her.

Allen Swift, Ghost's dad, scratched his head in a similar way that those familiar to Ghost would recognize. His moment of hesitation passed and Allen threw open the police head quarter's doors and took after her. "You are still my daughter!" He shouted the words at her maybe five long legged paces from the head quarter's doors. They were really going to do this in public, weren't they?

The words 'The hell I am!' sprang unbidden to her mind. Surely she wasn't that mad at him. "And when did you decide this? After you sent me to mutant internment camp?" There were businesses here, cars driving past the stately buildings, pedestrians, bike messengers... her anger burned for him making it happen here. Now.

"I am a grown woman and I am doing quite well without you."

"Maya..." His jaw flapped open. He was clearly not expecting this kind of welcome. He advanced a step and despite the fact that Ghost was incorporeal and several yards away, she moved back to stay out of his reach. "You have to understand, your mother had just passed on and learning she was a mutant, that she hid from me, her husband... I thought we shared everything together and in the end it was nothing. It just hurt that much more when I learned about you." His fists were clenched. That much she could tell from her form vision. Judging from the painful tenor of his voice, she was glad not to know the details of his face.

"You left. Maybe I didn't try to stop you, but it was you who were so dead set on filling mom's plans for you." The cloudy Ghost shifted, uneasily. She'd been heaping a lot of anger and doubt on him. Faulting him at every turn. She swallowed and asked the bravest question yet.

"How did she die?"

"The same way... that she lived: shrouded in mystery and guilt." He shrugged uneasily and resettled his shoulders. "I don't want to loose you Maya. I don't want to loose you the way I lost her. I want to know you, all of you, whether you think I should or not. Let me be your dad. Let me do what I should have."

"Um... sir, could you claim your friends items as well?" A somewhat embarassed officer was asking as Luke finished signing to get back his own posessions, "She left out of here so fast that we couldn't catch her."

Raising an eyebrow questioningly, Luke's react kicked in and he immediately sent his sonar flashing out past the front door in search of his friend. Thankfully the search didn't take long and as soon as his wave of sound touched the ghostly figure, Luke pulled it back to instead just focus on her father. The two were all right at the moment but from the man's body language it looked like their conversation was at least a little bit intense.

"I'd be glad to. Where do I sign?" Luke answered as pleasantly as he could as he handed back over the clipboard and pocketed his own items. Within a few minutes he had signed yet another document, claiming Ghost's checked items. "You all have a nice day."

Turning on his heal Luke headed for the doorway, pausing for a few moments just inside. He really didn't want to step into the middle of family matters unless it looked like things were going to get violet. As the minutes ticked by, Luke's mind raced through all the posibilities of what they might be talking about. He was doing his best not to focus and listen on the conversation out of respect but what if Ghost needed him? Was she wondering where he was?

"Something wrong sir?" An officer's voice suddenly broke through his thoughts, "Can I help you with something?"

Suddenly Luke realized how suspicious his hanging around inside the front entrance must look and he gave the man a quick smile. "No. Just trying to remember my next stop. Thanks." Turning Luke pushed his way through the doors and back out into the heat of the sun. Slowing making his way down the stairs, Luke took up a position about ten or fifteen feet behind Ghost's father. Turning away, Luke acted as if he were studying a nearby street sign while waiting for a moment to break into the conversation. After all, he did have Ghost's phone.

Ghost touched her forehead as if fatigued. Was this a hug and make up moment? Somehow she just wasn't feeling it. "Dad, I... I have friends here. A whole life you don't even know about. What do you want me to do? Go back home with you?"

"Going back isn't exactly an option."

She looked at him for a space of seconds and when he did not immediately elaborate she asked. "What did you do?" There wasn't any point in hiding the suspicion.

"I quit."

"You quit." Flatly she parroted the words.

"I can't work for a government that's biased against my own flesh and blood."

She blinked. And then blinked again for good measure. The man she was almost sure had packed her up and sent her off with a smile to be registered and kept in a holding cell... quit his job because they weren't mutant friendly enough? "You didn't know about the Registration any more than I did, did you?"

He rumpled his hair before shaking his head.

She believed him. Why else would he be here?

Luke shuffled out of the Police department. She felt the sweep of his sonar and how he attempted to keep his focus wholly elsewhere. "Dad, I have to go... are you at a hotel or...?" Thus began the awkward reconnecting process.

"Where have you been living?"

Ghost had begun the transformation back to the land of the solid, her weight coming back slowly. It was a process her dad had more than likely never seen, but Luke and Ghost were due back for a debriefing. Once solid, Ghost walked in a wide arc around her dad. Not that he would make a grab for her, but... she didn't want to take the chance.

"I live at a school that teaches tolerance between humans and mutants." It was a passing comment, her real focus was Luke. "Did you get his assent? You think he'll call?" They should probably call a cab for their return trip as well... It was far too easy to ignore the man standing behind her on the curb.

Ghost's father had worked for the government? It was something of a surprise and while Luke felt bad for overhearing part of the conversation, the two of them hadn't exactly been talking in a whisper. That in itself began to explain Ghost's attitude but it still left an interesting question in the blind man's mind. What had Ghost's father done for the government and what would he be doing now? What was his specialty? Was it something that could be used at Jacobs & Jacobs?

Luke's internal thoughts were interupted as Ghost moved back into his sonar, solidifying and becoming clearer as she approached. "He took the phone, he'll call us if he needs us, and he's going to take the security system under advisement." Luke replied as he turned around to face his friend. He could tell from the young woman's tone of voice that she was trying to make clear to the other man that their conversation was over for the time being but Luke couldn't let that happen quite yet. After all, they hadn't even had introductions!

"Luke Jacobs." He offered, stepping past the young woman and holding out a hand to the man, "You've got quite a daughter. You should be proud." The tone was friendly but the words were very blunt and to the point. If the man wasn't proud of his daughter than that was his own fault. Ghost had proven herself to be an asset and a good friend even in the short time that Luke had known her. It was a pity that her father hadn't been around to see it but that was his loss.

Ghost nodded distractedly to Luke about the phone. Good. "Good. I uh-- I'll call a cab."

Allen took Luke's hand and gave it a good, firm shake. He twisted this way and that to get a good and certain read from Luke's milky eyes. Yeah. Blind. Weird.

"You live at this school too, Luke?"

He gave Luke's hand a squeeze just a hint stronger than was polite before letting go. It was clear from his tone that he was trying to figure out the relationship between Ghost and Luke. And his guess was probably leading him down a wildly wrong avenue of thought because of Luke's compliments.

Meanwhile, Ghost pat her pockets for the phone that wasn't there and made a noise with her mouth that, had it been a word, would definitely have been a curse. "I left my phone. I'll have to go back for it."

"I'm coming with you."

"It's just down the street. I won't be but 5 minutes."

"I mean to the school. I have to see this myself." He adjusted the height of his pants by tugging at the belt loops. "But now that you mention it, I'll go with you get your phone too." He wasn't too keen on letting the girl out of his sight for a while.

Luke tilted his head ever so slightly as he watched Ghost's father apparently trying to peer into his blind eyes. Normally people tried to be more discreet about their inspections in order to at least be somewhat polite. As he asked where Luke lived, the blind man could feel his handshake getting just a little bit stronger. Was he trying to make it clear that he was still Ghost's protector or something?

"I stay at the school on occasion, but no I don't live there. I have an apartment in town so that there's easier access to the family business." Luke replied politely, a slightly sly smile touching his features. He was acting far more protective than someone that was just meeting one of his daughter's friends that he didn't know. Was this how most parents acted when they thought they were meeting a boyfriend?

"Phone's right here." Luke commented once the manly grips had been relinquished and his hand was once again in his own posession. Reaching into his pocket he withdrew the device that his friend had suddenly remember and held it out to her.

Leaving the two family members to chat, Luke walked over to the edge of the curb and waited for the closets cab to approach. Pulling a twenty dollar bill out of his pocket he held his hand up with the money clearly visible. While not the most normal way to call a cab, it was definately effective and almost instantly a vehicle pulled up and came to a stop.

"If you two are ready, we can be on our way." Luke called before bending down to speak to the driver through the window, "Xavier's School For The Gifted please."

Ghost had taken a brave step back toward the police station by the time Luke held out the phone to her. She gripped it thankfully, though it was quite clear she didn't quite know what to do now. Luke did, though. Wonderful, smart Luke.

Everyone piled into the same cab, Ghost in the middle between her father and Luke. It was a long ride home. Mostly her dad asked questions about their time apart and Ghost did her best to tell him the important parts without freaking him out too bad. Which was a little tricky for the year Ghost had.

It didn't bother to relate the stories to Luke as well as her dad. He likely knew about a few of her antics anyway since it involved an X-men mission and her store. Mr. Swift was reeling by the time they pulled up to the Mansion.

"Being a mutant sounds dangerous. You ever think about settling down into a respectable and safe job?"

Ghost clambered out of the taxi last, leaving Luke to pay. Sitting that close to Luke had certainly not helped her budding headache. "I own a bookstore. Is that safe enough for you?" Normally she wouldn't have snapped at him, but her patience was starting to wear thin. And it worked for a short time. At least until he caught sight of the Mansion beyond the pedestrian gate that Ghost was unlocking.

He whistled. Did he realize how much he was grating on her nerves? Apparently not.

"You live here?"

"Yes. Walk faster. I have a meeting." Not that they were due back to Sam at a specific time, but that the sooner she could be done with the X-business, the sooner she could focus on getting her dad far away from herself. The front lawn never seemed so long. The front door never seemed so welcome a sight. The administrative hall was a blessing. Ghost knocked on Sam and Shawn's shared office door. "Sam. Debriefing. Now."

"Hey. I raised you more polite than that."

Ghost sort of just growled at her dad as she made her way down to the meeting room. "I think you can observe no problem, but no talking. I don't want to hear a peep from you until the meeting is over." And she meant it. Goodness. It was like adopting a 50-something year old baby. She got him a seat and then took her own and flapped her foot impatiently as she waited for Sam and Luke to catch up.

The drive to the mansion was relatively pleasant by Luke could tell by the change in Ghost's voice that she was becoming more irritated or stressed. He did what he could to try and relieve the tension by actually shutting his sonar off but it didn't seem to help completely. Maybe she had already been dealing with his sound waves for to long or maybe her Dad was really starting to get to her. Whatever the reason, by the time they pulled up to the mansion Ghost was on a mission.

The young woman's steps were quick and after Luke had paid the cab driver he had to hurry after them in order to try and catch up. "She has a really nice bookstore downtown. You'll have to go by and see it sometime." Luke commented as he finally closed the distance, catching the front door before it could close completely.

The play by play comments from Father to Daughter was enough to make Luke want to wince but he trailed bravely after them, trying to keep his sonar to a minimum so that he didn't bother Ghost any further.

"Your daughter's touchiness might be my fault." Luke spoke up when he walked into the meeting room behind the family members, "My sight replacement ability has the side effect of sometimes making people irritable when they're around me for long periods of time. Your daughter and I have been working together all day so she's probably getting to that point."

He wasn't trying to make excuses for Ghost but he was deffinately trying to defend her. While Ghost and her father might not have a good relationship now, there was no reason to simply allow things to completely fall apart. No, if he could help the two of them mend their broken fences then he was deffinately going to do it. Even if it was something as simple as taking a bit of blame, he was willing to do it.

A knock on his door and then Ghost telling him the Debriefing was taking place. He heard the voice of another man but didn’t peruse it maybe they found a mutant officer that wanted to join the X-Men, wishful thinking on his part but with Ghost’s tone he figured it was more serious than that far more serious. Dropping what little paperwork he was working on he hurried after Ghost and the mystery man. He was both egger and terrified, egger for the results of the mission and terrified of Ghost, he of all people she could hit a homerun with the best of them.

Missing the elevator just by a few seconds Sam managed to reach the War room moments later his breath calm and collected after he caught it in the elevator. As he walked into the room and took his usual seat he eyed the newcomer and then Ghost’s urked face and Luke who seemed to be more difficult to read. The older man seemed more confused and excited about being where he was as he sat next to Ghost. It took Sam a few moments before he realized the similarities between Ghost and the man, mainly in the face. Her father? From the look on her face he was guessing that was the case.

”So… Good news I hope? You’re back sooner than I expected, and it seems you brought somebody back with you…” Sam looked to Ghost for a minute expecting her to introduce them. Even if it was official business of the X-Men Sam didn’t see the results of the mission being affected with him in the debriefing.