A/N - these boys are really something else. 3 As far as what will happen next, well .. it's the mid-80's. Things are rough, my friends. ((Cruden - sorry for the crossed wires but I've had a few reviewers in the past that insisted on getting shitty with me about my stories not following canon ... as if the disclaimer that it's not canon and the fact that I assign each new universe it's own number isn't enough for them to get the clue. You have not done that, so we're cool. NONE of us liked the AvX garbage, so don't worry about that hideousness happening here.))

Chapter 34- Shattered Ice

Scott was beyond frustrated.

He hadn't been able to get his powers to work right for him since what had happened with the department, and it was the worst possible time for this kind of thing to happen. His parents were out there actively hunting down the department, and Bobby was getting death threats along with the rest of the X-Men after the pictures had come out of him and Johnny kissing in the elevator at the Baxter building. It wasn't a total loss. He was still able to help. He could plug through intel and run training simulations in the Danger Room. But he couldn't get even a glow to his eyes and he'd long ago accepted that like his parents, he needed to do something more hands on.

It was like the Phoenix fire had locked away his access to his powers. He could feel them, just at the edges of his fingertips, but he couldn't quite reach them.

It was driving him nuts.

But that wasn't even the worst part.

The worst part was that he knew exactly why his powers were off. He had only been through a couple days of frustration before he could hear the Phoenix from inside his own head - and the worst part was that it was using his memory of Jean's voice to outline how much power it had.

The thing could turn his power off - or it could give his power back and more if Scott would only just let it out.

The voice was a totally new development, and Scott wasn't happy about that at all, but he wasn't going to tell his parents, not when they were already on the warpath with the department and he didn't want them even more worried. And the professor was working with Bobby, who was freaking out over the sheer volume of threats on his life.

Scott had been prepared to keep his power troubled to himself - it wasn't like there was anything anyone could do to help - but he should have known that his team wasn't going to let him do that. Which was how Ororo ended up coming to find him while he was still in the Danger Room booth, pulling up a seat next to him after Kurt had teleported them both up there.

"You guys looked great," Scott said, already trying to steer the conversation so Ororo wouldn't ask the question it looked like she was gearing up to ask. "That was a nice catch on your part when Kitty had that stumble…"

"It would have been smoother if you'd been in the middle of the action with us," Ororo said.

Scott tapped his temple near his eyes - which were uncovered, since his powers were still off. "Working on it."

"You still would have been welcome with us," Ororo repeated. "Better to see our angles while you're with us, I think."

"Yeah, I would have, but I've been distracted, and - you know - it was a fast-paced sim," Scott admitted.

"Isn't your dad the one always telling everyone to run the sims without their powers?" Kurt asked with a troublemaking smile.

"Fair," Scott said, tipping his head Kurt's way before he let out a sigh and decided his team should probably know anyway. He waved a hand near his temple. "Just having an internal fight with an unwanted occupant."

"Ah, yes, I keep forgetting that little monkey wrench," Kurt said.

Scott shrugged with a tight smile. "You'll know when I win when I've got my glasses back," he said. "Right now, this thing is playing keep away with my powers to try to get me to let it out." He held up both hands. "Which isn't happening. Not if I can help it."

"So the Phoenix is being strategic with you," Kurt said, tipping his head.

"That's one way of looking at it," Scott said. "I was going to say it's being petulant."

"I think it might be taking on part of your personality," Kurt teased before he teleported out of the room, laughing as he went.

Scott rolled his eyes and shook his head as he turned Ororo's way. "Team's doing well with you running things, though," he said. "Thanks for stepping in for me."

"My pleasure," Ororo said. "But it isn't the same without you."

"Thanks." Scott leaned back in his chair as he thought over his next words. "You know this isn't going to last, right?" he said at last, thoughtfully. "This truce between me and the Phoenix."

"Yes, we all are aware of the dangers," Ororo said.

"Which is why I'm glad the team's getting practice with you at the helm," Scott said.

"Scott, you don't know how this will end," Ororo replied, though her expression fell when she realized where Scott's head was. "We can find a way to deal with this too, I'm sure."

"Just prepared for every eventuality," Scott said, frowning as he turned back to the readouts from the last sim.

"And what is your plan if it ends up that all of us are out of commission and it's only your parents to handle things?"

"I'm working on that," Scott said. "Believe it or not, Stark and I have an understanding. He's got an alert system if this thing crops up again. Even if the X-Men are down, someone will get the alert." He paused. "And we're working on non-lethal options first. I'm not going to do that to my parents."

"Do you really think that will make a difference?" Ororo asked gently - trying to make it clear she wasn't picking on him but genuinely wanted to make sure that he was alright.

"I think there aren't many options when the worst-case scenario means the planet's gone, 'Ro," Scott pointed out. "Best-case means I get a handle on it and survive. I'm working with what I've got."

"Then let's lean toward that option," Ororo said as she put her arm across his shoulders.

"I am," he promised. "I've been working with the professor constantly. Meditating with Dad in the mornings." He glanced up at her. "It's just - it sounds like Jean."

"It's a lie," Ororo said firmly.

"I know," Scott said, though he didn't look up. He didn't know how to say the rest of what he was thinking - that his whole chest ached every time he heard Jean's voice, and he struggled to remind himself every day that she was gone.

"We'll find a way to make it work," Ororo promised. "All of us will."

"I know," Scott said again, then paused and pulled Ororo into a hug. "We're the X-Men. This is what we do."

Ororo hugged him until he pulled back - and then she was smiling at him. "And in the short term, I think we're safe. So, if you'd like to join us, tonight is a pizza night, since Bobby is previously engaged with more pressing matters."

Scott couldn't help but laugh at her description. "I'm glad he and Johnny are sticking with it. I know he's freaked out, but they really do work well together."

"It's just a matter of them finding what works in this hostile climate," Ororo said. "This forced public outing was not good for either of them."

"Yeah, I know. We've sort of been lowballing Bobby on how much mail we've gotten," Scott admitted.

"He doesn't need to know the real numbers," Ororo said.

"No, he doesn't," Scott agreed as he and Ororo started to head out of the booth. "But, hey, what about you and Kurt? That seems to be going well. It's nice to see you both happy and not hiding and - well, it's nice."

"It's just a nice change of pace for what you're used to lately," Ororo admitted, some of the smile dropping from her eyes as she thought of all the hate she and Kurt had received. "But we're still staying close to home for the most part. Better to be cautious as ourselves. Lord knows I have trouble even when he's in his inducer."

"I hadn't heard that," Scott said with a frown. "I thought he was going into town without it more and more lately."

"He has been," Ororo said. "But paired with me, that seems to be too much for some to handle."

Scott put a hand on her shoulder. "I wish it wasn't like this, 'Ro. For you, Kurt, Bobby-"

"It will change," Ororo said confidently. "They can only point to so many things that they hate about us. The fact that our races don't mix is just as preposterous as them having trouble with us being mutants. Their idiocy will catch up to them."

"Of course it will," Scott said. "Peaceful coexistence - that's for everyone. We wouldn't be here if we didn't believe in it." He gave her shoulder a squeeze. "Come on. Let's go find some pizza and razz Warren about that terrible attempt at flirting with that cute bystander on the last mission."

In an attempt to stay out of trouble, Bobby had been skating in the skies above the Baxter Building when he came to see Johnny - and vice versa, Johnny had been flying to go see Bobby, too. They tried to stay mostly in the Baxter Building, though, since they didn't want to pull down too much trouble on the X-Men on top of everything else going on.

But he was looking forward to seeing Johnny, because there would be so many jokes about the murder dress and matching murder tux when he told Johnny what had been going on with the reports coming in of the department getting flattened for daring to screw with Sam and Scott.

What he didn't realize, of course, was that some lunatic had been waiting by the Baxter Building, watching Bobby's progress on the ice slide until he was close enough to take a shot - and the next thing Bobby knew, the slide had shattered with the impact of a bullet, and then everything hurt too much to do more than react.

Honestly, it was only the fact that he was an X-Man that saved his life. It was second nature for him to react with his powers, even if he was out of steam and hurt and confused. He managed half an ice slide on the way down and then skidded the rest of the way, so at least he didn't splat.

The crowd all gasped and parted, and the shooter took off running when a few flashbulbs went off. But once the guy took off, the crowd coalesced around Bobby again, murmurs going up around them and a few tentative questions about who should be calling police - or the Four.

"Probably just going to arrest him anyhow," someone in the crowd said. "Leave him where he is."

"Do the police even do mutant calls or do we call in a specialist…?" someone else mused as the first person bumped Bobby with the toe of his boot, and Bobby winced instinctively - not that anyone seemed fazed by the fact that he was obviously hurting.

"Probably someone else. No reason to bother the cops."

"Anyone know the number of that pastor that does mutants?"

"Gotta be a flyer around here somewhere," someone shouted out. "I got a quarter. I'll take care of it."

The crowd tightened around Bobby, murmuring their opinions and poking at him, wondering out loud when he was supposed to shift back to a human. Or if he did. But it wasn't until Ben Grimm got down to the ground floor that the crowd dispersed - or at least stepped back when he started pushing his way through.

"Move it," Ben said. "This ain't a road show."

"We already called the authorities," a voice called out from the far side of the crowd.

"Good for you," Ben said, already bending down to pick Bobby up and get him off the street and out of the crowd. It was hard to gauge how bad it was when Bobby wasn't bleeding, but there was a big shattered hole in his side. Still, Ben figured it was better than leaving him there, even if, judging by the little noise Bobby made when Ben picked him up, it definitely didn't feel good. "C'mon, frostbite," he muttered under his breath, at least encouraged that Bobby was hanging onto his shoulders, so he wasn't unconscious. Not completely, anyway. Though he definitely wasn't fully with it, either.

"Oh my God," Sue breathed out when Ben got inside with Bobby, who finally lost his fight to stay conscious before they were even in the building.

Reed met them in the lobby as Ben came in, and as he was trying to get an idea of how bad it was for Bobby, a few policemen showed up outside the door - knocking on the glass to get their attention before they stepped inside.

"We can take him from here," the first cop said.

"We've got medical facilities here," Reed said without looking up from what he was doing.

"Yeah, but … there are probably charges to be filed, too."

"For what," Reed said, finally looking up. "Being shot?"

One cop pushed his hat up and gestured to the crowd. "They're blocking traffic because of the scene he made, for one thing."

"Then find the shooter," Reed said, his eyes narrowed.

"Don't know nothin' about a shooter," the second cop said. "No one reported a shooting."

Reed gestured angrily at the obvious bullet wound - though admittedly, it was only obvious to him because he could see the path the bullet had taken. "Then I'll be happy to give you a copy of my building's surveillance. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think the bullet might still be in there."

"You'll let us know if he wakes up, right?" the cop said. "I'd hate to have to put out a warrant for you too."

Reed looked livid. "Get out of my building."

"When you're harboring a fugitive? Come on, man. That ain't gonna happen."

"I'm trying to save a young man who was shot on my doorstep!" Reed thundered back. "All you've done is show up and try to blame him for his own shooting. Are you going to ticket him for not bleeding too? What kind of law enforcement is this?"

"Just doin' my job, Richards."

Sue stepped in the middle, and though the cops didn't know it, she'd thrown up a force field, too. "If you want to come back with a warrant, then we'll talk to you, but until then, you really don't have any reason to be here."

"Go deal with the people that are blocking traffic," Reed said with his eyes narrowed, still obviously furious over the whole thing.

The police officers looked like they were ready to square off against Reed, but with Sue steadfastly standing in between them and Ben standing behind Reed with his arms crossed, they decided to leave.

Reed glared until they were gone, then turned back to Bobby and let out a breath, shaking his head. "I'm not even sure how to start," he told Sue in an undertone. "Everything's ice. If he wasn't in his ice form, the stuff that's hit… he'd be dying. I'm not entirely sure he isn't. It's hard to gauge."

"So what's the play here?" Ben asked.

"First, we get him upstairs and secure so no one tries to take him," Reed said angrily. "And… someone needs to call Xavier. Their team should know how to patch him up."

"I'll do it," Johnny put in, breaking into the conversation in a tight tone that they hadn't heard from him before - and looking downright sick.

Reed nodded, though Sue was already moving to catch up to Johnny, grabbing hold of his arm to support him before he could get upstairs to the phone. She didn't say anything, but her expression made it clear that she was trying to look out for him.

Johnny was uncharacteristically quiet as he made the call and Scott picked up on the other end. "Bobby got shot," he blurted out without any preamble.

There was a beat of silence on the other end before Scott replied. "How bad?"

"He's unconscious and in his ice form," Johnny said. "Reed is looking into it, but … we're really kind of out of our depth here, Scott."

"Alright," Scott said, obviously shocked as well. "I'll send Hank your way with Kurt - that's the fastest way to get him there. Do you have a power dampener? If you can get him out of his ice form-"

"Ah, no, I don't think we have anything like a dampener," Johnny said.

"Okay, I think we have some collars we confiscated from the department. I'll send Hank with one of those," Scott said. "Once he's in his 'normal' form, you should be able to operate - that's what Hank had to do last time Bobby got in trouble. Shi'ar left him with some internal bleeding… long story." It was obvious Scott was worried by the tone of his voice and by the fact that he was almost rambling, something that Johnny had never heard the guy do before.

"Just … be careful when you guys show," Johnny said. "The crowd outside was rallying for his arrest."

"That somehow doesn't surprise me," Scott said in a sigh. "Don't worry. I'll make sure Kurt knows. He'll try to teleport right to your floor. He's been there before, so that should be doable." He paused, then said, "Keep us in the loop, alright?"

"Yeah, will do," Johnny said.

It was only a few minutes after that before Kurt and Hank showed up, but all of the Four were clearly agitated and worried until they arrived. Hank went right to work, slipping a collar onto Bobby that turned him back to his blonde, surprisingly pale self - and once that was done, Reed and Hank both went right into it, working fast to staunch the bleeding and see the damage more clearly.

"What happened?" Kurt asked, his tail totally still behind him and betraying his shock.

"Idiot with an attitude, apparently," Sue said.

Kurt narrowed his eyes at that and muttered a few words in German that didn't sound like they translated well.

"We won't let anyone get to him," Sue promised. "Now that he's here and safe, too."

"I believe you," Kurt said, but he sat down nearby all the same. "But I don't think you realize how determined some can be when they mean to do us harm. I'll stay in case we need to leave quickly."

"I really hadn't expected anyone to do anything like this," Sue admitted.

Kurt gave her a tight smile. "It's always better to hope the better angels win, yes."

"Yeah, but seeing as how they've treated your Angel …"

"Yes, and he has much more of an advantage," Kurt said, gesturing dryly to himself.

"You're a wonderful person, Kurt," Sue said. "And it's criminal that people think they way they do."

Kurt waved a hand. "That's why we believe the X-Men are so important. We must change minds in order to survive."

"And we'll back you up," Sue said. "I just don't understand why they're so ... " she let out a breath and let her shoulders drop.

"Ignorance, fear… it's not for us to unravel the mysteries of hate," Kurt said in a sigh. "Just to combat it." He leaned forward and watched Reed and Hank working on Bobby.

"Can I get you anything while you wait, Kurt?" Sue asked. "There isn't a thing we can do right now but wait."

Kurt shook his head gently. "Nein, danke. I'm more concerned for your brother, truth be told." He gestured with his tail to where Johnny was hanging back, watching from the other side of the room, like he was reluctant to get too close.

"He's best left to pace," Sue said. "He might panic and take off otherwise."

"I'm truly sorry that your family has been pulled into our mess," Kurt told her honestly.

"I'm sorry that it's an issue at all. It shouldn't be. It hasn't been for us, and maybe that's why we didn't think it would be a big deal. No one gave us any flack when we came back from space with … abilities."

"Ah, but you weren't born to it, and that seems to be the point of contention," Kurt said.

"Which is more maddening," Sue said. "You couldn't help it, and we … went somewhere that no one was supposed to be to begin with."

"But we're a new branch of human evolution," Kurt said gently. "You don't think I've heard the arguments? Surely you must have heard a few - that we're not what God intended."

"That goes against how it works," Sue said dryly. "At least if they believe that God doesn't make mistakes."

Kurt gestured to himself. "We're creatures of the devil, Sue Storm. That's the argument."

Sue crossed her arms. "But even the devil was once an angel."

"You're preaching to the choir, my friend. I'm only giving you the arguments I've heard," Kurt said, finally breaking into a smile.

"Idiots," Sue said, shaking her head.

"Fearful, hateful, ignorant people, yes," Kurt said. "And Bobby in particular has been a target twice over, I'm afraid."

"Which is ludicrous. He's a sweetheart."

Kurt nodded, though before the two of them could get too lost in grousing, Bobby started to come around, drawing their attention as Hank put a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't try to run circles around us just yet. You've got quite a few stitches."

"You get the number of the bus?" Bobby asked tiredly.

"Oh good, the patient survived with his sense of humor intact," Hank said.

"You didn't surgically remove it while you had the chance? Nice. Restraint," Bobby said, frowning as he blinked around and realized he had more of an audience then he realized. "Oooh. Right. Baxter Building."

"What do you remember?" Reed asked, and though he was speaking gently for Bobby's sake, he still looked livid.

"Umm." Bobby shifted slightly, then let out a noise that said that wasn't a good idea. "Ice exploded, I fell a few stories… then I think Ben came and rescued me from the Museum of Oddities on the sidewalk?"

"We had to put you through surgery," Reed said. "We've got the bullet - and normally, I'd hand it over to the authorities, but I'm sure that's an exercise in futility."

"Sounds right," Bobby said in a breath.

"You're on some pretty heavy painkillers," Reed warned.

"Also sounds right," Bobby said, though he tipped his head back, finally spotted Johnny, and grinned. "Oh, hey. How long have you been there?"

"Um. I live here," Johnny pointed out.

"Right." Bobby nodded. "I was gonna tell you about the murder dress and the murder tux. It's ongoing."

"Um … what now?" Johnny asked, trying not to laugh when Bobby came out of sedation with that on his mind.

"Whole facilities just… flat. Poof! Gone," Bobby said, gesturing with one hand, while the other had an IV in it.

"What are you talking about, Bobby?" Johnny asked as he sat down next to him. "What kind of facilities?"

"Remember those guys that tried to kidnap Sammy and Scott?"

"Yeah, the guys I didn't hear about until after the fact," Johnny said.

"Wait. Who's kidnapping who?" Reed asked, his attention back to the conversation.

"Keep up, Reed," Bobby said with a crooked smile. "Sammy. Scott's awesome baby sister? Slobbers all over Johnny every time he comes to visit? Only evil people kidnap her. And these guys are super evil."

"Why didn't I know you were playing with a baby, Johnny?" Reed asked, turning toward Johnny with a frown.

"Because the baby wasn't part of an antimatter universe?" Johnny said with a shrug. "You don't pay attention to half the stuff we do."

"Well, whose baby is it?" he asked.

"Wolverine and K," Kurt put in. "That's why she was kidnapped - along with Scott. That department has been after them for years now, trying to use them as weapons." His tail was twitching at the thought of it. "Haven't you heard this? The Avengers have been helping us with this ongoing problem."

"I didn't realize …" Reed shook his head. "And they want the baby? Where is she now?"

"At home, probably with Scott or Alex," Kurt said. "That is, if she isn't also playing with Charles or the Avengers who have appointed themselves babysitters."

"And where are Wolverine and K?" Reed asked.

"That would be the question of the day," Johnny said.

"Murder dress," Bobby stage-whispered, grinning up at Johnny.

"She said there was no murder dress," Johnny laughed.

"Lies," Bobby said. "Dirty, dirty lies."

"He's not wrong," Kurt said. "They have been decimating the department - and we can't see the pattern they're following. Apparently neither can the department, either."

"That's what they get for kidnapping the murder baby!" Bobby sang out.

"She's not a murder baby," Kurt said with a deep frown.

"Kills people with cute," Bobby insisted.

"Ignore him," Hank said. "He has quite a few drugs in his system."

"And there are no fatalities from cute yet," Kurt said with a chuckle.

"No, not yet," Hank said with a teasing smile. But when Reed still looked like he couldn't stop frowning, Hank sighed. "I'd be more than happy to give you a full recounting of the many misadventures we have seen of late, but if that happens, I'd advise that we do so elsewhere. Bobby needs rest."

"Please," Reed said. "I didn't realize I was this far behind."

"Ignorance is no sin," Hank told him kindly, already leading the way, leaving Johnny sitting with Bobby and trying to slow his heart rate down after the huge scare Bobby had given him while the Four and the others dispersed.

"You gotta stop telling people about the murder dress thing, snowflake," Johnny said quietly.

"But it's hilarious," Bobby said, grinning upside down at Johnny.

Johnny didn't wait for the room to clear entirely. "You scared the crap out of me, bud."

Bobby frowned at his tone and then reached over with the hand that didn't have an IV and grabbed Johnny's arm. "I'm fine. I'm an X-Man!"

"Hard to just take you at face value when you're this far gone," Johnny pointed out.

"I'm on a lot of drugs," Bobby agreed solemnly.

"And you're really hurt," Johnny said. "You may have to stay here for a few days just because."

"Oh no," Bobby said in mock horror.

Johnny started to smile a little more. Even with how scared he'd been, Bobby was impossible not to laugh with. "I know. Serious room service issues, you know."

"If I say I'm dying, do I get breakfast in bed?"

"You get breakfast in bed anyhow," Johnny pointed out. "You were shot."

"Oh, right." Bobby shrugged lightly. "Right. I think I'm supposed to be under arrest, too?"

"You have the right to remain in bed," Johnny said. "And under heavy drugs - because you're more hilarious that way."

"Aww, I knew you couldn't love the real me," Bobby teased.

"Oh, it's just that much more entertaining, not better - and I sure couldn't handle it if you were an addict that needed it all the time."

Bobby nodded seriously. "No way. I'm not a fan. I don't usually get cold, but this stuff is cold? And it's weird."

"It'll fade," Johnny promised.

"Okay." Bobby squeezed Johnny's arm. "Stick around?"

"Can't get rid of me in my own house, Bobb-o."

Bobby did end up staying in the Baxter Building while he was still recovering - since they didn't want to have to move him if they could help it, and honestly, they didn't want to have to navigate the press and the crowd either. But that meant that he was spending a lot of time sleeping off painkillers - and that Johnny had some time to watch the tapes of what had happened.

The shooting itself was upsetting enough, but what happened after had him ready to spark up and hit something. Not just the way the crowd was talking about Bobby but the way they were poking at him while he was clearly hurt and acting like they just didn't… care.

And yeah, he knew Bobby specifically had been targeted because of his relationship with Johnny. But what the crowd was saying? It was so blase and so matter-of-fact and so dehumanizing.

So when he sat down with Bobby when Bobby was awake again, it was impossible for Bobby to miss the pensive look on his face. "Hey, what's up, hot stuff?" Bobby asked tiredly.

"You, finally," Johnny said, though he didn't have a very excited tone.

"Okay, besides me," Bobby said, tipping his head to the side. "You look like someone ran over your dog."

"Wow. Poor choice of words," Johnny said. "I think you meant to say 'like someone shot my boyfriend'."

Bobby broke into a grin. "Maybe I just like hearing you say it."

Johnny smirked crookedly at that. "Yeah, just makes me angrier when you have to put up with crap like that."

"I did warn you," Bobby pointed out.

"You didn't say there were shooters."

"Okay, admittedly, that part is new," Bobby said, trying to sit up a little better. "Usually, if I'm getting shot at, it's by weapons groups or aliens."

"Bobby, I saw the tape and how those … idiots were talking about you after you hit the ground."

Bobby's expression fell. "Oh."

"That shouldn't … I can't believe that's how they think."

Bobby let his gaze drop. "Yeah. I know. You don't have to put up with it if you can't deal-"

"I am not … No. That's not the point, Bobby."

"I'm just saying. You're not a mutant-"

"I'm not a lot of things, but that doesn't mean I'm going to ignore this level of stupidity!"

Bobby let out a breath and grabbed Johnny's hand to pull him over so he could reach him to kiss him. "Okay, message received. Love you too, man."

"You're still on drugs," Johnny said after a moment of shock.

"And?" Bobby said, blinking at Johnny like he didn't follow his train of thought.

Johnny smiled widely. "And I think I need to get some food to you before you pass out or something. Wilting flower that you are."

Bobby looked supremely insulted. "Wilting flower?" he teased. "Seriously?"

"You're so delicate, Iceman."

"Oh yeah. And you're so together, Torch."

"Well I'm not shot," he teased.

"Okay, that's one point in your favor…" Bobby grinned and looked Johnny over. "Well. One point in the relative scale of delicacy. You have other points."

"Delicacy like … delectable?" Johnny teased with a grin as he walked backwards out of the room .

"Umm, yes. We'll go with yes," Bobby laughed, leaning back with a crooked grin as Johnny headed out.

For a couple days, Bobby stayed with the Four, not just until he was safe to move but a little longer to make sure no one was watching or waiting for the move.

They were, but the team didn't want to make it easy.

But while the Four might have been expecting more X-Men out in force, they were surprised when it was just Hank and Charles who came, with Charles looking serene.

"I trust you're ready to return to Westchester?" Charles asked in his usual calm tone.

Bobby nodded. "I mean, I could just stick around and play video games with Johnny endlessly, but I'd miss being an X-Man, I guess," he teased.

"Don't rush off on my account," Charles laughed.

Bobby grinned that much wider. "Nah, I think Sue would like to get the angry crowd off her doorstep, right, Sue?"

"I'm used to them now," Sue said with a sniff, not about to let Bobby act like the Four weren't perfectly willing to go to the mat for him.

"Yes, but it's not exactly something you're used to," Hank said.

"We'll live," Sue said, waving her hand. "Are you sure you don't need… more?" She gestured between the two of them. "There are a few anti-mutant groups that have made it pretty clear they'd like to get their hands on him as soon as he leaves, and no offense, but you two aren't exactly the cavalry."

"I assure you," Charles said, "it won't be an issue."

"All the same, we'll be on the lookout until you call us to let you know you're back safe," Sue decided.

"You can watch us leave if you're concerned," Charles said.

"It's a great show," Bobby promised.

"Honestly, if I didn't need assistance driving, I'd have come alone," Charles said.

"That's our Professor X," Bobby said. He waved Johnny over. "Seriously. Watch this. We'll just coast on through." He winked, and then Hank helped him up before they went to the elevator - and to the utter bemusement of the Four, the crowd acted like they didn't even notice the three X-Men in their midst.

"Do you feel as though you've been properly rested?" Charles asked Bobby as they started to head out of the city, with Hank at the wheel.

"Well, I probably could be more rested, but it was more fun to race Johnny…" Bobby admitted, not looking terribly sorry about it, though he dropped the grin slightly and then shrugged. "I guess we've got to figure out something new if I don't want to get shot out of the sky next time."

"You could try the front door," Hank said.

"Yeah, but, see, getting to the front door is the trick. Because I'm perfectly happy with people not knowing I'm Iceman so only one version of me is getting attacked."

"Why not walk in as yourself?" Hank asked.

"People are going to start noticing if myself keeps visiting the Four," Bobby pointed out.

"There has to be a way to make it look as if it's normal. There is other business in the building, isn't there?"

"Yeah." Bobby let out a long breath. "It just sucks."

"You'll adapt," Charles said.

"Yeah. I've heard."

"And you're a quick study," Charles said. "I have faith it will work for you both."

"Now you sound like Kurt," Bobby said with a small smirk.

"I'll take that as a compliment."

Bobby nodded, though he was still uncharacteristically quiet for much of the drive home. He was more shaken than he was letting on - but he didn't want to admit it, and he definitely didn't want Johnny to get freaked out even more. But being shot and then having half the street watching him hurt was not something he could walk away from without feeling terrible.

Don't let this situation shape you too much, Charles projected to Bobby. It was unfortunate, and it could have been far worse, but … you have survived, and so did Johnny. And he didn't run, even if that would have been easier.

Yeah, that's something, Bobby agreed, watching the trees pass by instead of Charles. This is exactly why I didn't want to start anything.

You can't let your fear rule your decisions. Particularly those of the heart.

Easy for you to say, Bobby grumbled.

Of course it is, Charles replied. I speak from experience.

What, is there a Mrs. Xavier out there in the world somewhere you never told us about? Bobby asked, one eyebrow raised as he turned to face Charles.

Charles smirked to himself, though he kept his gaze forward. I believe you've met him. A few times. He turned toward Bobby. Think about it.

Bobby blinked at Charles once, then twice. "Shut up," he said in obvious shock.

"I haven't said a word, Robert."

"Shut up. Seriously?" Bobby was starting to grin out of sheer surprise.

There is always a way to make things work, if you choose to.

Yeah, but, um, he harasses your team on the regular and kidnapped you that one time? I'm still … holy crap. How long have you two been - I mean, are you still - with the Genosha thing and all the - holy crap.

Bobby, you're missing the point.

You have a thing with a supervillain!

No one is perfect, Charles replied, clearly amused with Bobby's reaction.

Bobby was starting to grin steadily wider. No one knows, though. I mean, I think it's kinda easy to suspect, but it's not like you two are obvious? So I guess I'm still missing the point, because you flew under the radar so hard.

That's the only way that works for us, Charles said.

Secret dates as chess meetings in Avengers custody… Bobby started to laugh. This is amazing. How long? I mean, seriously. It's bad now, but it was worse when you weren't a dinosaur, right?

The climate has never been friendly in that regard, Charles told him. But it is better now than it was when we started up years ago in Israel.

That is seriously so cool, Charles, Bobby said.

Don't get downhearted, Bobby. Not over something that is so easily worked around.

Yeah. Bobby shrugged, though he looked a lot more like his usual, carefree self. I think I'm allowed one small freakout per surprise shooting, though, right?

I think that's reasonable.

Bobby nodded. Thanks. Seriously.

Anytime you need to talk - you know where to find me.