God Help The Outcasts [X-Men First Class]

Chapter 4: Innocent

Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of X-Men I only claim ownership of Tara.

-----

I followed Mr. Charles as he and Moira led me to this weird white place filled with people in long white coats. I scooted closer to him as we walked, wishing my power was invisibility.

“W-Where are we?” I asked looking up at him.

“We’re at the infirmary. We need to know how healthy you are after…” I nodded before he was finished. I didn’t want to go back down memory lane. I was nervous though. I had never been to something like this before and I didn’t know what to expect but what I did think of was scary.

“I’ll be outside the entire time. And I’ll have something for you when you’re done.” Charles said to calm me as they led me into a room. They had me sit on a table and started doing all these weird things that I didn’t understand and didn’t want to go through. They made me take off my clothes and kept taking pictures of me. Plus they kept poking and prodding me.

I didn’t want to be here! I wanted to be with Mr. Charles and Mr. Erik. I began crying as the tests continued wishing I was with them yet also wishing they didn’t get to know about how bad it was.

-----

I wanted to go in there and comfort Tara so badly. She was crying her eyes out. I don’t want her to go through this. I held my present for her in my hands. I felt the same way I do Raven with her but it’s more…fatherly. In the span of maybe one day I felt as if the small child was my daughter. Stranger things have happened I suppose. I didn’t mind it either. With the supposed “father” she had I would be happy to take the role for her. All of a sudden they brought Tara back out. I went over to her and hugged her.

“Good job Tara…” I said kindly. She was still crying. She knew that we would be told of all her injuries.

“Now Mr. Charles and Mr. Erik won’t want me anymore…” she thought and I shushed her, patting her head. Then the doctor came in but she was in tears.

“What the…” Erik mumbled seeing that she was crying. How bad was it?

“I have her diagnostics…she is severely malnourished at 54 pounds...she has many broken bones that thankfully healed properly but were never medicated for…she had a broken wrist that didn’t heal properly...and there are bruises in the shape of hands…” she said excusing herself. Tara was now sobbing into my shirt. Erik looked ready to kill.

“I’m here, they won’t hurt you.” I told her.

“I couldn’t stop him…I couldn’t fight him I-““You shouldn’t have had to fight.” I thought interrupting her. She nodded and I let her go only for her to cling onto me again. I then picked her up and put her in my lap.

“Tara want to see what I have for you?” I asked. She lifted her head from my chest and looked up to me. I took the present I had set down and showed it to her. She looked at the teddy bear wide-eyed.

I thought it was pretty cute. It was a slightly large dark brown bear with a lighter brown colored ribbon around its neck. It was almost half the size of Tara which both worried me and comforted her. I remember Raven always like those kinds of stuff animals so that would help Tara but it worried me because Tara was very tiny for an 11 year old girl, standing at barely 4’2.

“T-That’s for me?” She asked looking at it. “It looks so soft…” she whispered in her mind. I put it in her arms and instantly she held it tight against her chest and nuzzled her face into its head.

“It is soft! And it’s really warm…Thank you Mr. Charles…” she said in her mind and nuzzled into me again. I smiled softly and hugged her lightly.

“You’re welcome Tara.” I whispered in her mind. Erik walked over to us.

“Let’s get you to bed.” Erik said looking down to Tara. She only nodded her head. Erik kneeled down so he could look up to Tara,

“You shouldn’t be ashamed of what he did to you Tara. You are an innocent one.” He whispered to her. She looked to him teary-eyed and smiled. She then nodded and laid her head back down on my chest.

"I know I shouldn't Mr. Erik. I can't help it though." she said softly. He softly put a hand on her knee. She didn't flinch then. From the way she acted and the thoughts she projected I already knew she trusted Erik, Raven and I completely.

"It's okay." he told her. Then both he and I stood up, me still carrying Tara in my arms and her teddy bear in hers.

"Let's go find you a room. You need some sleep." I told her. She smiled and nodded, closing her eyes and laying her head back down on my chest.

"It seems you enjoy this new role rather well." Erik projected to me. I wasn't as annoyed as I could have been because it was true. At that moment, Tara nuzzled into me. It seemed she heard Erik's thought as well.

We then walked over to another room given to us by Agent Black. It was next to Raven's which I knew Tara would like.

"Here we are." I said walking in. The walls were a pale yellow, and the room was quite ordinary but by Tara's thoughts I knew she loved it.

I layed her down on the bed but a thought struck me.

"What are you suppose to sleep in?" I asked. Erik and Tara looked to me.

"I have a t-shirt thats too small for me but big on her. It can be a nightgown till we get her proper clothes." Erik said. I looked to him.

"That is very kind Erik." I said. He nodded and left only to come back a minute later with a black t-shirt.

"Thank you Mr. Erik." Tara said softly, looking up to him. She was still rattled by the exams which was understandable. He smiled down to her and handed her the shirt.

"Goodnight Tara. Charles." he said before leaving and going to his room. I looked to Tara.

"I'll leave the room while you change." I told her. She nodded and I left, standing outside the door. I only had to wait 2 minutes.

"I changed." Tara said to me using her telepathy. I walked back in and had to smile.

Tara was standing in the middle of the room with her teddy bear clutched tightly against her chest. She had on the t-shirt which went down almost past her knees and was huge on her.

What made me sad was that you could see the scars and bruises from that chain on her ankle.

"Something wrong?" she asked. I shooked my head and smiled at her.

"Time for bed though." I said leading her to the bed and helping her on it. She immediately closed her eyes in bliss and had wonderful thoughts on how soft it was.

"Sweet dreams Tara." i said tucking both her and her teddy bear in. She smiled and nuzzled into the pillow.

"Goodnight Mr. Charles..." she muttered before falling fast asleep.