39.

The Future

Chapter Theme Song: We Belong - Pat Benatar

Twenty-five years later...

"Nate, come on, the party's already started!"

"Are you sure they want us old people there?"

"We're not old! And yes, they do! It's for students and staff! Now come on - you don't have to dance, but it will be more fun if you do!" She practically dragged him out of the house and to the mansion grounds where students and staff had already assembled for the end-of-term party.

Their own children were students at the school now - Hope was twenty years old now, and Alex was fourteen.

"There's Hope." Nina nodded to their daughter, catching a glimpse of her bright red hair through the crowd.

"Who's she dancing with?" Nathan asked as soon as he saw her, eyeing the guy she was dancing with. Nina rolled her eyes at his overprotectiveness.

Hope caught sight of them and waved. Then she grooved her way over to her parents, she and Nina laughing and dancing together, while Nathan, as usual, refused to dance.

As she danced, Nina noticed a lone hooded figure step away from the crowd and disappear into the shadows and trees. She sighed - she knew that figure. She stopped dancing and followed.

She found him sitting at the base of a tree with his head down, hood of his hoodie pulled down as low as it would go, covering his face.

She sat down next to him; he didn't acknowledge her presence and neither said anything. Then she gave him a gentle nudge. "Hey, what are you doing all by yourself over here when clearly everyone is having fun over there."

He didn't answer, remained silent.

She reached up and began pulling back his hood, but he grabbed it and held it low over his face.

She sighed.

Their son, Alex Summers Jr. (Not Wade Summers, as Wade had begged them for the entire nine months of her pregnancy, and even after he was born) had always struggled. Poor Alex struggled with insecurities because of his powers. Just as Nathan had wondered - and feared - he had passed on his techno-organic virus onto his children. But while Hope hadn't started displaying signs of it until her mid-teen years, Alex had been eight years old when he had started displaying his own rapid-onset signs. Already, now at fourteen, one of his arms was metal, and the side of his face. He had one amber glowing eye like his dad, and one deep purple eye like his mum.

He hated his powers and the way they affected his appearance and was deeply insecure about it. Poor Nathan felt responsible for it, even though his son didn't blame him.

Alex had always been shy, but these powers had only increased that. This wasn't the first time she'd had to help her son through his anxieties about his obviously visible mutation, something his father had faced and, to a certain degree she believed, still faced.

"Listen, if you want to be alone, that's fine. But those are good people out there, the least judgemental people I've ever met. If you're looking for acceptance, you don't need to worry, because you've already got it here. You know my opinion, and you get to have yours. It's up to you." With that, leaving him on that note, she headed back to the party, leaving him to ponder her words and decide for himself.

She rejoined the party. Hope was back dancing with her friends so Nina began dancing again herself. She met eyes with Nathan across the way, and gestured for him to join her. He just shook his head, to which she rolled her eyes.

Then she saw Alex - he had rejoined the group and was hesitantly approaching some mutants his age. She watched as Billy, also known as Wiccan, gestured to Alex, waving him over. Alex took Billy's hand and began dancing along with him, seeming to grow more confident with each passing minute. This made her smile.

"Now who's he dancing with?" Nathan asked, eyeing their son.

Nina rolled her eyes again. "Leave it. Just relax and have fun. I think after almost thirty years of being married to me, you'd know what fun is." She grinned. "You don't need to be so protective all the time."

"Habit, I guess. I love you."

"And I love you, too." They shared a kiss. "Now, are you going to dance with me or not?"

I imagine Hailee Steinfeld as the young adult Hope and Asher Angel as Alex! :)

So maybe I over-complicated some things, but eventually we made it! We've reached the end!

I thoroughly hope you've enjoyed reading this story as much as I've enjoyed writing it! :) I'm still thinking I may write prequels, writing Nina into Apocalypse and Dark Phoenix, so we can see what she was up to in the '80s and 90s ;)

But for now, that's the end. One last time, thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed overall! :)