"Alex?"
"Yeah?" Alex said.
He picked up a screwdriver and began to make sure that the front bumper was secure. Now that dinner was over, he could try to get some real work done. Scott watched him for a few minutes without saying anything. It irritated Alex. You didn't just start a conversation and then leave it.
"Spit it out Scotty boy," he said.
"I heard the Professor say that Lorna was gonna be an X-man," he said.
Alex crouched down in front of the bumper. He glanced over at where his brother sat on the counter, his legs dangling over the sides. He didn't bother asking how Scott had heard that. The boy had a natural talent for eavesdropping.
"Looks like," he said.
"And you're cool with that?" Scott asked.
"Yeah," Alex said, unsure where this conversation was going, "She talked to me about it a coupla months ago."
He still wasn't really sure how he felt about it. The thought of Lorna in danger sent butterflies into his stomach, as did the mere thought of her presence. He thought of the way that Azazel's swords had nearly ended Sean's life. Lorna might find herself in that position someday.
Even he hadn't left that encounter unscathed. Azazel's sword strikes to his head had left a cross-shaped scar on his forehead. Alex had told Scott he'd gotten it when someone had slammed his head into the wall. He wondered if he'd ever be able to tell him the truth.
He cleared his throat.
"The Professor isn't exactly happy about it, but it's gonna be pretty good to have another pair of eyes watching our back," Alex said.
That, at least, was true. The Brotherhood was getting bigger, and there were only three X-men. While he was glad that they had the Professor, and now Moira, as their support team, it wasn't the same as having someone there with them.
"So, yeah, it's settled," Alex said.
Scott fell silent again. Alex hated when his brother paused like that. It always meant that he was busy figuring something out. That usually meant that Alex was going to have to tell him a secret, and every time he did that he let his brother in on the dangerous life that he led. He wished he could get away with saying nothing at all.
"She's gonna get trained, right?" Scott asked.
"Yep. Me, the Professor, and Moira," Alex said, "And Hank and Sean, although I'm not sure she's gonna be great for aerial combat. I mean, I guess she'll be able to fly sooner or later. Still don't get how that shit works."
He hadn't understood when Erik had floated out of the submarine, but Hank had told him it had something to do with magnetic lines. Alex had soon decided he didn't care. It was enough to know that Erik could fly now, and that they needed to watch out for that.
Now they had to make sure that Lorna knew that too.
"She's gonna start sparring sessions soon," Alex said.
"She's gonna be okay, right?" Scott asked.
Alex put down his screwdriver.
"Scotty boy, what's wrong?" he asked.
Scott looked down at the floor.
"Nothing," he said.
"Don't bullshit me," Alex said, "Okay?"
Scott swung his legs.
"Alex," he said, "It's just...it's like everyone's joining the X-men."
"Not really. There'll only be four of us when Lorna joins up," Alex said.
"But...a lot of the people I care about are in it," Scott said, his voice trembling, "All of the older ones. I mean, you, and Sean, and Hank, the Professor and Moira, and now Lorna."
Alex got up.
"You like Lorna, don't you?" he asked.
He didn't know why his brother's approval suddenly mattered, but he needed to know. A sinister voice inside him told him exactly why Scott's approval mattered, but he tried to keep it down. He didn't have time for that sort of thing.
"She's funny," Scott said, "She's good with Rahne, and she says I don't bug her. I don't like the idea of anything happening to her."
"Neither do I," Alex said.
"That's different," Scott said.
"Oh?" Alex asked, "Why's that?"
Scott didn't say anything. Alex rubbed the scar on his forehead. From time to time it itched.
"Scott, I have no desire to play games with you right now," he said, "I want you to tell me what's bothering you. I might be able to help-"
"You like her," Scott blurted.
Alex winced. Trust his brother to figure something like that out.
"I know you do," Scott said, "And I get it. I think."
"I...I don't really have time for that right now," Alex said, "If I did. Like her I mean. Which I don't."
Scott made a face.
"You're lying," he said, "You do. And I'm not being dumb or weird when I say it."
Alex continued to rub his scar, trying to figure out what to say.
"Okay, so what if I do?" Alex said.
Scott stopped swinging his legs.
"I just mean that I know you're worried about her too," Scott said, "And...it can be tough, you know, watching people you care about..."
His brother trailed off, his face a picture of misery.
"Scott," Alex sighed.
"It's hard, isn't it?" Scott asked, "You know it's hard."
Alex crossed his arms and looked down.
"Yeah, it's hard," he said, "One of the hardest damn things that I've ever had to do, let her suit up. She hasn't even done anything yet, and I'm already worried."
"Does she know?" Scott said.
"No," Alex said, "I don't have time."
"Bull-shit," Scott said.
Alex looked up.
"Don't say that shit," he said.
"You do," Scott said.
"I'm an adult," Alex said, "You're just a kid."
Scott began swinging his legs again.
"You could be happy, I think," Scott said, "Together."
Alex smiled to himself. Trust Scott to phrase it that way.
"I think she likes you too," Scott said.
Despite himself, Alex couldn't stop the words that came out next.
"What makes you think that?"
Scott grinned.
"Rahne says she does."
"You two playing matchmaker or something?" Alex said.
"No," Scott said, his voice innocent and hurt.
Alex laughed.
"Well, your little scheme's come to an end. Rahne won't have much time to do that in the future," he said.
"Why's that?" Scott asked.
"You'll see," Alex said.
"You're gonna be my mama?" Rahne asked.
Moira smiled and sat next to Rahne. The girl's eyes were wide and her lower lip was trembling. Moira reached out and touched her face. Rahne didn't flinch at the gesture, a sure sign of how far she'd come since coming to the Institute.
"Yes," Moira said, "The paperwork should be going through soon."
Her smile widened.
"A friend came through for me," she said.
She thought of Levine, of his incredulous voice when she'd asked him for a favor. She knew that what happened at the CIA hadn't sat well with him. She had been hung out to dry and publicly humiliated. She knew that he'd been ready to resign over the situation. Moira had asked him not to, and he'd reluctantly agreed. He still kept in contact though, the only friend who'd stayed by her after her fall from grace.
He'd been so shocked when she'd told him she was trying to adopt a child. Once he met Rahne she knew that he would understand.
"We'll still live here," Moira said, "But, well, you'll be my daughter."
Rahne stared at her, her lower lip trembling.
"Rahne?" Moira asked her.
"Why?" Rahne asked.
"What?" Moira asked.
Rahne's lip trembled even more. Her whole body seemed to be trembling.
"Why would you do that?" she asked.
Moira reached out and tucked some of Rahne's hair behind her ear.
"Because I love you," Moira said.
There was a pause. Rahne's eyes widened and shined with tears. Then Rahne threw her arms around Moira's waist, burying her face in her shirt. Moira wrapped her arms around her, holding her as close as she could. She stroked her hair as Rahne sobbed.
The child in her arms had been through so much. Moira held her tighter when she thought of the crowd, of the men ready to kill her because she was different. No child should have to feel the fear and pain that Rahne had felt.
Hopefully Moira would be able to keep her from that from now on. She stroked Rahne's hair soothingly, waiting for her sobs to subside. She didn't want to rush her though. Moira had held Rahne through enough of her nightmares to know that there was much to cry about.
"Let it out Rahne," she said, "It's going to be okay."
Rahne grabbed Moira's shirt tighter. Moira could feel her new daughter's tears soaking through her shirt, but she still didn't say anything. All it did was support her decision. Rahne was too young to be forced to face the world without someone fighting in her corner. She'd been defenseless for so long, but now she had someone to protect her. Moira wouldn't fail her.
When Rahne's tears finally subsided Rahne looked up at her.
"Why would you?" she asked, "Why...?"
"Because you're a wonderful child," Moira said, "I can't help but love you. And you deserve to be loved Rahne."
She kissed the top of her head.
"No matter what those monsters told you, you deserve to be loved," Moira said.
Rahne wrapped her hands around Moira's.
"You're like Ruth," she whispered.
"What?" Moira asked.
Rahne gave her a small smile.
"I've seen the way you look at the Professor, how he looks at you," Rahne said, "You're Ruth."
Moira furrowed her brow. Rahne leaned her head on Moira's chest and snuggled close to her.
"You came with Lorna to a people not your own, and found love with people not your own," Rahne said.
Moira froze, suddenly realizing what Rahne was talking about. Ruth, the Biblical heroine who wouldn't leave her widowed, childless mother-in-law. Her heart clenched: this was how Rahne saw her. She saw her as the woman who was willing to follow a loved one into a strange land, and live amongst a strange people that she had never seen before.
She wanted to cry. What had she done to deserve such love and respect from Rahne? She had only done what she had thought that anyone with a heart would do. It appeared that there were not as many people like that as she had thought.
"Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee," Rahne whispered, "for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God."
Her eyes met Moira's. Moira could feel the weight behind the words that Rahne was reciting. How long had it taken for Rahne to learn them? How long had she spent pouring over the words, hoping to see that kind of devotion and love with her own eyes?
"Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried," Rahne said, "The LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me."
Moira kissed the top of Rahne's head again. She tightened her grip on Rahne, her responsibility enfolding her.
"Amen," Moira said.