The meeting
Six mutant teachers filed into the conference room in silence, with Logan bringing up the rear, a scowl on his face. Xavier mandated that every Monday morning the Institute's teachers gather to discuss the upcoming week's schedule, the students and their needs, and the business of the X-men. Logan was still not sure how he had been roped into being a teacher in the first place, but he knew that only absence or ill health could excuse on from the meeting. This meant that Logan was likely to be at every single meeting. He had nowhere to go, except to search for his missing past and Xavier was helping him do that from the comfort of the mansion. Jean and Hank were always off at some conference or other. As for ill health, well Logan's very mutation denied that ever happening, unlike Summers, who suffered sever headaches from the brain damage that refused him control over his powers.
Today, however, all the teachers were present. Xavier sat at the head of the table, upright in his wheelchair, exuding a calming influence on his annoyed or exuberant teachers. Dr. Henry McCoy, big, blue and burly, sat at his right hand, already off on some long-winded tangent, ready to turn the meeting into a philosophical debate. Elegant Storm sat at Xavier's left, her long hair drifting lazily in the gently wind she had picked up, looking thoughtfully down at her notes as she considered all of her students. The Beautiful and Powerful Jean Grey sat next to the African beauty, her eyes fixed on the window as she readied herself for her weekly report and tried to avoid looking at her boyfriend. Scott Summers, said boyfriend, sat rigid in his chair, head titled to the right as he listened to Hank talk, always perfectly mannered, always quiet, always firm when he spoke. Finally there was Logan himself, surly, strong and bored Logan who rarely caught more than half the meeting anyway, forcing Storm to fill him in afterwards.
The meeting began normally. Most of the teachers filled the others in on the respective students they mentored, the exception being Summers, who served as a sort of counselor for the more damaged children, and did not speak of the confessions he heard. Jean gave a medical report on the more serious accidents that had occurred among the children; Summers gave a brief outline of the x-men schedule and the children allowed to partake in the training; finally Logan would, as quickly as he could, list the security improvements needed. An open discussion followed, which Xavier, Hank and Storm as always dominated. Logan tried not to interject his opinions into this friendly discussion about the children they protected, Summers usually only spoke up if requested too and Jean varied between adding her two cents and surreptitiously using her telekinesis to rearrange the pictures on the wall.
Hank began to wax eloquent on Bobby Drake's improving character and emerging leadership skills. Xavier and Storm agreed with smiles at Scott, who mentored the young icicle. Summers offered no opinion of his own. Xavier suggested making Bobby the leader of the younger x-men, x-men only in training.
"Rogue could be considered for this role, too." Storm suggested, catching Logan's attention and making him listen. Rogue was sort of his kid, though Summers also mentored her.
"Perhaps they would work well together." Xavier suggested.
Jean giggled.
Everyone but Summers glanced at her in surprise for Jean was not a big fan of the growing fondness between the two. She feared Rogue could get easily hurt. It was also not like the red headed doctor to laugh in the midst of a serious conversation, even when bored or nervous.
"I'm sorry." She covered her mouth in embarrassment. "My mind was elsewhere."
Xavier turned back to his more vocal teachers. "What about young Miss Pryde? She is very mature."
"I do not think Kitty could handle the pressure of being a leader. She does show natural talent for computers. I would say she was more of a gatherer of information." Hank suggested. Storm nodded.
"So we are agreed that our emerging leaders among the children appear to be Mr. Drake and Rogue?" Xavier raised an eyebrow.
"How interesting that they are both children from hard lives." Storm commented. "Struggles build character indeed."
Jean giggled again, instantly blushing hotly. The three teachers actually taking part in the discussion glanced at her with scandalized looks. Even Logan was faintly shocked.
"Jean! Please at least keep your mind on serious things if you can't listen to us." Xavier scolded.
"I am so sorry." She hung her head, but it appeared it was more to conceal her red face from her boyfriend's questioning look. Once he had returned his attention to Xavier, she managed to school her features into a becoming serious attitude and gave or at least faked her attention to the conversation.
"Both children have grown so much recently. I think Scott's mentoring has been particularly helpful in Rogue's case." Storm continued. Everyone glanced at Summers, but he returned no comment. Logan had yet to discover why Mr. Perfect Summers was chosen to talk with the kids who came from messed up lives. He resented the fact. Rogue however said that Summers was good at listening without uttering useless platitudes.
"Rogue's happy here." Logan offered protective of the girl he had saved.
"I mean to start working on control with Rogue soon. I believe she has the capacity to manage her power and only borrow memories and power when she chooses. There is nothing physically wrong with the dear child, but she was badly traumatized by her power's emergence." Xavier said in his instructing tone of voice. "Poor child. To be unable to touch must not help her emotional state at all."
Jean Grey burst out laughing, saw the horrified looks on her peers' faces and leapt up with a red face. "Oh, I'm sorry. It's not my fault!" She fled the room, alternating between laughing and scowling at herself for her lack of control. Logan stared after her in shock. Could telepaths go mad easier than other people? He was surprised to discover the other teachers had all turned to look at the straight-faced and apparently uniformed Scott Summers sitting upright, hands in his lap.
"Scott, I do understand that you believe a weekly email would work just as well in place of these meetings, but I do not require you to speak up more than you do, but only to have respect for those of us who are edified by our discussions." Xavier sighed. Logan was utterly confused, since he had not seen Summers do anything and Jean had been avoiding looking at Scott through out the whole meeting. "What are you reading?"
Scott smiled and lifted a flat board from his lap. A wide, thick book lay open on the board. "Peter Pan." He explained. Logan could see that the book was blank, with only raised bumps marking the white page. "Jean never could resist Tinker Bell."
"I suppose we should draw the meeting to a close." Xavier sighed after a reproachful glance at his math teacher and leader of the X-men. Scott gave him an unrepentant smile. Logan was utterly confused by now. What did Scott's reading material have to do with Jean?
"Storm!" He called as the other teachers filed out of the room. She turned around. "Was Jean reading his mind?" He asked for clarification.
"Oh, Jean's always reading Scott's mind. She created a telepathic bond one night after Scott got lost. They are always talking to each other." She explained. "Normally Scott raises his shields to let her concentrate on the meeting. She must have asked to see what he was reading today."
"You mean he's always reading during the meeting?" Logan was shocked. "He looks like he's paying close attention to the conversation."
"Scott is one of those happy people who can divide their attention. If asked he could tell you what we were discussing. He dislikes the meetings as much as you do and since he can fake his attention and read in Braille at the same time he usually catches up on his reading Monday mornings." Storm grinned. "It took me several months to figure it out, Logan. Scott's sneaky about it."