Title: New Mutant Reunion Part 1
Author: Ethiercn
Rating: T
Characters Used: Firestar, Cannonball, Sunspot, and Boomer (Meltdown). Mention of Husk.
Disclaimer: Don't own any of the characters. I am making no profit.
Author's Note: Story is set in the X-Men movie universe and takes place a month after "Hellfire" (found in the files section). Ajax, a football (soccer) club (team) plays out of Amsterdam. The correct pronunciation, which is how Angel says it, is I-Ax. The Noble Dead series is by Barb and J. C. Hendee.
Looking up from his book, Sam stared at the airport gate, daring it to produce people. Roberto's plane had arrived ages ago, he thought. Maybe there was some problem with the luggage. He hoped customs hadn't decided to search all of 'Berto's bags; if so, they would be here for hours.
He went back to reading Thud!. He was more of a straight sci-fi man, but Angel was right; he did like Commander Vimes. While he made his way though Discworld, Angel made her way though his Iain M. Banks. It was nice to talk books with someone. Despite his enjoyment of the story, Sam was tired of the airport. He had dropped some students off for the start of their school break and then had come to this terminal to wait for 'Berto. At this rate, he would finish the book before getting back to the mansion.
Finally, he thought as people began to trickle out though the gate. He scanned the crowd looking for his friend.
"Sam!!" someone shouted just before a buxom blonde threw herself at him. She hugged him tightly and pressed her body against his. He was too surprised to do anything. He looked over her head at Roberto DaCosta who shrugged apologetically as he walked though the gate.
"Be back in a sec," Tabitha said letting go of Sam. "Have to run to the ladies'."
"Sorry bro," Berto said as he came up pushing a luggage cart. "Ran into her in Rio. Didn't seem right to leave her. I would've called, but it was sudden." The two man clasped hands. The good looking Brazilian glance around, "Where's this new girl of yours?"
"She had a meeting with the publishing house she works for," Sam replied. He frowned in the direction of the ladies' room. It was strange to see Tabitha again. The last of the anger had faded with Angel coming into his life, and now he felt indifferent to his ex. "Where's Ric?"
'Berto shook his head, "She didn't say. Didn't say much really, which as we all know is unusual. The only thing she would say is that she wanted to come back and that she made a mistake. Something happened, for she didn't have money for a plane ticket. But she isn't talking." He looked at his watch. "How long is she going to take?"
"Isn't that the pot calling the kettle black?"
"Just want to see if your girl is as flaming hot as you say."
A smile tugged at Sam's lips, "She is. I see that you realized your models wouldn't be able to compete."
"One has a shoot in Miami. The other has a shoot in Milan," 'Berto quickly retorted.
"Uh-huh."
"I'm back!" Tabitha announced as she appeared, throwing an arm around each of the men. "Let's go."
His feet propped on one chair, Sam sat on another in the common room as he graded the papers. So far most of the papers had been lack luster due to too much bad padding. He was going to have to hand out copies of "How to Say Nothing in 500 Words" when the students returned. He should have gone into the sciences like Jean, he thought. Then he could use a Scan-Tron to grade. His fell on the remaining stack, and he sighed. At least, Paige hadn't tried to kill Tabitha yet. Of course, Paige could just be planning something. The curl on his younger sister's lip upon seeing Tabitha again hadn't been pretty.
He was aware of Angel entering the room before she came up behind him. She put her arms around his neck, leaned down, and kissed his cheek. Her long red hair tickled his neck. "In my opinion, humble as it is, The Scarlet Letter is a book about adultery, which is when a person has an affair," she read out. "Surely Bobby knows better than that."
Putting down the paper, he reached up and entwined his hands with hers. He loved the fact that her hands were never cold. She never felt cold. All he had to do was touch her and he felt warmer. He wondered if it was an aspect of her mutant power or something only he felt. "Ah hope so," he replied. "Didn't he and Rouge get into a fight last night?"
She nodded, "Where's your friend?"
"Unpacking. He packs like a girl." He grabbed her hand when she tried to swat him and pulled her laughing into his lap. "How was your meeting?"
"They want me to illustrate a new edition of answer of Andersen that they have in the works," she said with justifiable pride, throwing one arm around his neck and making herself comfortable.
He tightened his hold on her, "Congratulations. We'll go out and celebrate," he finished with a kiss.
"Tomorrow," she replied smiling against his lips, her hand teasing the hair at the nape of his neck, "Don't you men have some welcome back ceremony to perform? A weird, no women allowed bonding ritual? Perhaps involving alcohol and chest thumping?"
"Who's to say we didn't do it on the way back from the airport?" he nuzzled at her neck.
"And it would be my pleasure if you accompanied us to dinner," a new voice added.
Angel looked over Sam's shoulder and saw a tall, dark, good looking man entering the room. He was boarder in the shoulders than Sam, a little shorter as well. With one arm across her lap, still holding her in place, Sam introduced them, "Angelica Jones met Roberto DaCosta."
"'Delighted to met you. You can call me 'Berto," Roberto said taking her hand and pressing it to his lips. "I might just have to spend more time in your part of Kentucky if girls like this show up there," he said to Sam.
"You're right," Angel said with a glance at Sam, "he's smooth."
"I guarantee you, everything he told you is true," 'Berto said with a charming smile before flopping into a chair. "We'll go out when Sam is finished grading those papers." He smiled mischievously.
Sam groaned. "Either of you is more than welcome to help."
'Berto shook his head and reached for the television remote, "Unlike some I was smart enough to be a business major. And the Champions League is on," he finished, his voice becoming more business like.
Sam cocked an eyebrow at Angel.
"Don't look at me," She laughed. "I should start on the Andersen bios I picked up on the bookstore."
"Did you at least get me anything?" Sam asked as she reached for the bag she had rested against the side of his chair.
"Actually, yes. For some reason it just screamed you," she handed him a book as she reluctantly got off his lap.
Sam took the book from her. It was small, the kind of book that was more pictures than text, Down Cut Shin Creek about the pack horse librarians in Kentucky during the Great Depression. He smiled. 'Berto gave an approving nod; at least the new girl cared about his friend.
"And I picked up the new book in the Noble Dead series, but you'll have to wait until I'm finished that one," Angel added as she sat nearby. She pulled out a book, notebook, and pen from her bag. "Are you rooting for Arsenal or Ajax?" she asked Roberto as the match came on.
"Finally an American who knows how to pronounce Ajax correctly," Roberto said with real pleasure in his voice. "If you ever deicide to leave Sam, I'm yours at a drop of a hat."
"Hey!" Sam said with mock anger as he picked up Bobby's paper. "You already have two. Don't be greedy."
"Don't worry," Angel said with a look at her boyfriend, "Your accent's sexier."
"Ah always thought so," Sam crossed out another line on Bobby's essay.
She looked back at 'Berto, "Two?"
A few minutes into the match, a whirlwind entered the room. "Whacha doing Mason-Dixon?" she said as she plopped down next to Sam on the arm of the chair.
Mason-Dixon? Angel studied the newcomer. Blonde, buxom, pretty, energetic. What was more interesting, and a little stranger, was the expression on both of the men. Berto's lips had compressed into a thin line, almost one of distaste. Sam had gone tense, his face unreadable, but his hands had tightened on the pen and the paper he was holding, a sure sign that at the very least he wasn't comfortable. "Angel," he said. "This Tabitha, she went here to."
"Hello," Angel said studying the woman, trying to figure out what exactly she was missing.
Tabitha looked over at her, "Charmed," she said dismissively before trying her attention back to Sam who was trying to get back to his papers.
Was she an ex, Angel wondered watching the woman brush up against Sam who, to be fair, didn't look too happy at the attention. He moved away as far as he could without appearing too rude. With a sigh, Tabitha draped herself against the back of his chair and looked over his shoulder. Was she just pushy? Angel resisted the sudden intense dislike she felt for the other woman and tried to focus on her book. 'Berto caught her eye, mouthed the word 'later' and offered what seemed to be an encouraging smile, "You do like the Brazilian national team don't you?"
Before she could reply, Tabitha spoke up, "What are we doing for dinner?"
