Disclaimer: I do not own the X-men or any other Marvel characters. The only thing that is mine is the plot.
A/N: Three more months have passed, and Scott is still Captain America. He has been using his free time to look into his past, in hopes of finding out about his family. This story will tell the tale of a new origin for the X-Men's first leader, the man known as Cyclops.
The Makings of a Hero
Chapter.6. – Dinner Date
Scott finishes adjusting his tie, and looks at himself in the mirror. He brushes his hands down the front of his suit, before making a slight adjustment to his hair.
"Getting ready for your date?" Wasp asks from the doorway.
"It's not a date, Jan; you know that." He says, turning around and walking past her.
Wasp falls into step with him. "Right, not a date; just like the last five dinners weren't dates either."
"She's my lawyer, Jan, and she's helping me with some personal legal matters."
"Hey, I know that already; I'm the one that introduced you two." She says, following him into the garage. "But I've never known any lawyer who would spend so much time on a case that they're not getting paid for; let alone spend that time dining and dancing with their client."
Scott stops and faces her. "We only had the one dance, and that was because there was a party a couple of tables over, and they made everyone in the restaurant dance." He continues walking and stops next to a glacial blue car.
"Well, if it's not a date, then why are you taking Tony's new Aston Martin?" She asks, as he pops the trunk and places his shield, along with a duffel bag, inside.
"I'm taking her because she's a beautiful car, and I want to see how she handles. If it was a date, then I'd be taking Tony's Bugatti." He replies, leaning against the car with a smile on his face.
Wasp starts fiddling with his tie. "Alright, I was trying to be subtle, and drop you a hint, but you're obviously too dense to understand; so I'll just come out and say it." She places both hands on his shoulders. "Jennifer is a good friend of mine, and, unlike men, women talk to each other about everything; so listen to me when I tell you that this is a date, and so were the last five dinners."
Scott is about to say something, but Wasp cuts him off. "Ah, ah, ah; let me finish." She adjusts his lapel. "Have fun on your date with Jennifer tonight. I won't be waiting up for you." She winks at him, shrinks down, and flies away before he can reply.
Brushing off her comment, he gets in the car, and starts the engine. "I may not be able to fly, but this is close enough." He takes off, and pulls into New York traffic.
In no time at all, he pulls up to the Baxter Building, parks right in front, and gets out. A short woman, with brown hair and glasses, wearing a tiny purple dress, walks out of the building, and towards him.
He meets her halfway, and gives her a friendly hug. "Hi, Jen. You ready?"
She returns the hug, and replies. "Yes, I am."
He walks her back to the car, and opens the door for her, then helps her get in, before closing the door, and walking around to the driver's side. He looks at her and smiles. "You look lovely, tonight."
"Thank you, Scott; you look quite handsome yourself." She replies with a smile of her own. "I love the car."
"Working for Tony Stark does have its benefits." He says.
He starts the car, and pulls into traffic. "You never really told me exactly what you do for Tony, and how you know Janet." She says while playing with the hem of her dress.
Scott is having a hard time focusing on the road, as he keeps glancing at her hands, noticing just how short her dress is, and how much leg she is showing. "Ah, I'm his official liaison to the Avengers. That's how I met Jan."
"I thought that Tony usually dealt with the Avengers directly?" She asks.
"Usually he does, but he's a very busy man; so lately, I've been filling in for him." Scott brings the car to a stop.
A valet opens his door, and he steps out. He accepts the ticket, and walks around to the passenger's side, where he opens the door, and helps Jennifer out. "Thank you, Scott."
"You're welcome." He says, placing her hand on his arm, and leading her up the stairs and into the building. They step into an elevator, and he presses the button for the top floor restaurant.
"You never told me how you know Jan, or how you managed to get an apartment in the Baxter Building." Scott says.
"The answer to both questions is that even super-heroes need lawyers, sometimes. The firm I used to work for had had dealings with Tony Stark, and he recommended us to Janet when she needed some legal help. We ended up becoming good friends, and when I left the firm to start my own practice, she put me in touch with Reed and Sue Richards. Now I live and work out of the Baxter Building." She replies.
The elevator comes to a stop, and the doors open. Scott leads her to a podium, with a man in a black suit standing behind it. "Good evening, Madame." He says, bowing his head to Jennifer, then turning to Scott and repeating the gesture. "Monsieur."
"Good evening, to you too. We have a reservation; Summers, party of two." Scott says.
"Ah, oui; Monsieur Summers. Monsieur Stark just called not long ago, and all the arrangements have been made." The man replies with a smile.
"What arrangements?" Scott asks, confused.
"Monsieur Stark said that one of our regular tables simply wouldn't do for two personal friends of his, and had us set up a private table for you on the balcony upstairs; away from the other patrons."
"Ah, I'll have to remember to thank Tony when I see him." Scott says.
The host, gestures to another man, who leads them into the restaurant, and up the circular stairs in the middle. From there, he leads them through some open glass doors, and out onto the balcony, where there is a table set up for them.
Scott pulls out a chair for Jennifer, and pushes it in once she sits down, then sits down across from her.
Another man approaches the table with a bottle of wine, and says, "Here is the Chablis Blanchot Raveneau '04, as ordered by Mr. Stark." He then pours a small amount in Scott's glass, and looks at him expectantly.
Not exactly sure what to do, but not wanting to look stupid, Scott raises the glass to his nose, swirls it, and then smells it, before taking a sip. He smiles back, and nods to the man, who then fills Jennifer's glass before topping off Scott's. He then places the bottle in a bucket of ice beside the table, and walks away.
Scott turns to Jennifer and says, "I had no idea what I was supposed to do there."
She smiles at him and says, "Well, you could have fooled me; it looked like you'd done it a thousand times."
Scott smiles back as they pick up their menus. Several minutes later, the waiter approaches the table and takes their orders.
Once he leaves, Scott turns to Jennifer and asks, " So, how is everything going with my case?"
Her smile falters slightly, before she replies, "Um, it's going great, actually. I'm supposed to hear back from that Nebraska state judge early next week. I expect him to rule in our favor, and then we're good to go. With a court ruling to back us, we can gain access to the orphanages records; then it's a simple matter of research."
"Really? Are you serious?" Scott asks, nearly bouncing in his seat.
"Yeah." She replies, smiling again.
"Wow. Jen, you are awesome. Wow. I don't know how I can ever thank you enough, for this. I mean, even with my connections in Stark Industries, the Avengers, and the US Military, I've been stonewalled at every turn; but in less than two months, you've done what I've spent years trying to do."
"All I did, was manage to get you access to the orphanages records; the information you're looking for might not even be there."
"I know, but everything I've found so far points there; so I can't go any further until I check it out. If it's a dead end, then so be it; at least I'll know." He says, as he reaches across the table and takes her hand. "So, thank you."
Their conversation is interrupted by the waiter bringing them their entrees.
"You know, you're the first person I know who, when they found out that I had been in an orphanage, didn't ask me how I got there." Scott says to her.
"Well, I think that that's something very personal, and it's not my place to pry. Everyone's past is their own, and who they decide to share it with is their choice." She replies, taking a sip of wine to wash down some of her salad. "Everyone is entitled to their secrets."
"That's how I know I can trust you, Jen; you understand that." He says.
They eat their entrees, until, suddenly, he says, "My parents died in a plane crash, when I was ten."
She looks up, to see him starring off at the New York skyline. Realizing that he is sharing something very personal and private, she decided not to interrupt him with questions.
Eventually, he turns back to look at her. "I can still remember it, like it was yesterday. My dad was flying us into the mountains for a family camping trip, while my mom was busy checking up on my brother Alex and me, when the plane shock violently. It wasn't long before I could smell the smoke from the fire that had made its way into the cabin. My dad was trying his hardest to keep the plane steady, while my mom grabbed the two remaining parachutes that hadn't been damaged by the spreading fire. She handed me one, and told me to put it on, while she strapped Alex into the other; then she tightened my straps, and lead us to the emergency exit."
Scott pauses, and takes a deep breath. "She hugged and kissed us both, and told us that she loved us. Then she placed Alex's hand in mine. My dad was still trying to control the plane, but he did manage to look back over his shoulder and say that he loved us both. Then he said his last words to me 'Scott, take care of Alex.'. The next thing I knew, my mom had pushed us out the door, and we were falling. I was still holding on to Alex's hand, and he was crying. I reached over and pulled his ripcord, then watched as his chute opened fully, and his hand was ripped from mine. I then pulled my own ripcord, and was jolted, as my chute opened."
"I looked up to see if I could see Alex or the plane, but instead I noticed that my chute had a hole in it, that was getting bigger by the second. An ember must have landed on my pack while I was being pushed out of the plane, and had somehow managed to burn through to my chute. I started to fall faster, and the ground was getting closer. I managed to release my main chute, and activate my back-up. It prevented me from dying, but I still hit the ground hard."
"Fourteen months later, I woke up from a coma in a hospital in Omaha. The doctors told me that I had survived the plane crash, but my parents had not; however, no one could tell me anything about Alex. Once they deemed me recovered physically, I was placed into state care, and ended up in The State Home for Foundlings, under the care of Dr. Milbury."
Scott finally stops talking, and Jennifer reaches over and takes his hand. "Thank you, Scott." She says, giving his hand a squeeze.
"Why are you thanking me? I should be thanking you, for listening." He replies.
"I'm thanking you for trusting me enough to share that with me."
Scott smiles at her, then says, "Wow, do I know how to kill the mood or what? Here we were, having a nice dinner, talking about some god news, and I go and bring everybody down."
She smiles back. "Well, the night 'is' still young; so there's plenty of time to still enjoy it."
"Right you are, Jen; right you are." Scott says, raising his glass. "Let's talk about something more interesting. Why don't you tell me more about yourself?"
"What do you want to know about me?" She asks him, as the waiter removes their plates, and places their main courses in front of them.
"Everything." He says, with another smile.
"Everything? That could take a while."
"That's okay; I'm not going anywhere." He says, as he tastes his fish.
"Okay then. Well, I was born and raised in Los Angeles…"
A/N: That's it for this chapter, hope you enjoyed it. Reviews are always appreciated.
In the next chapter: Can it be? Ultron?
Text in *Italics* represent thoughts.
