Chapter 13: Bonding Moment part 1

"Where have you three been?" Scott demanded as he locked his car. He stood outside the mansion with Jean when Kurt, Hawks and Rouge showed up.

"Out," Rouge told him. "Let me know when dinner's ready."

Scott watched as she walked past him and into the mansion.

"You went with her?" Scott asked as he glanced over at Hawks. The ashy-blonde boy gave a wary glance up at him. "I don't remember seeing you leave." he said, narrowing on Hawks while crossing his arms

Feeling Scott's intense stare through his red shades, Hawks fidgeted nervously as his crimson wings wrap around him trying to shield him from the older teen's burning gaze.

"Yeah!" Kurt jump in, smiling. "Hawks wanted to see the town so, we went with her." The blue-haired teen said. As Hawks' wings retracted back, the boy noticed a blue tail twitching behind Kurt. Almost cat like in a way.

"No trouble?" Scott asked looking from Hawks to Kurt. "Nope, none at all." Kurt said while his tail flicked behind him.

"Keigo!" Hawks flinched, as his wings straighten the fell limply against his back. He gulped and looked away as Jean kneeled down in front with concern in her green eyes. "Hawks?" she lowered her voice to a more gentle tone. "What happened?" she asked.

With a sigh Hawks glanced up at her meeting her gaze with his own. "I tried to fly my own and crashed landed in a bush over the wall, but that was before Rouge and Kurt showed up," he said.

Jean looks up at Kurt as the blue-haired teen rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, Rouge took care of it."

Hawks shifts his feet as Jean looks back at him. "Do you mind if I have to look, promise I'll be gentle."

"It's still sore and hurts," he watches as she lightly touches it.

"It was reckless. You could have asked me to come along."

"I'm.. sorry," Hawks looked down in shame as his wings pressed against his back. Jean places a hand on his good shoulder causing him to look back up at her. "Just be careful next time okay, Hawks."

"Okay," he said with a shy smile.

"Alright, let head back in." Scott said, turning around to make his way back to the mansion.

Kurt followed.

"Come on, I know how we ease the pain." Jean said as she stood up placing a hand Hawks' back as she lead him inside.

Jean grabs a couple of ice packs from the freezer as Hawks stood next to her shifting nervously in place.

"What's wrong?" Jean asked him as she closed the freezer door and glanced over at the winged boy.

"Uh, does Scott hate me?" he asked, "he did look very happy." Jean reached down and rest hand on Hawks' shoulder causing him to fix his gold-brown eyes on her.

"No. I don't think so," she smiles. "He cares about you just as much as the rest of us do. He's just not in best mood right now."

"Oh, okay," he said as he relaxes glad to know Scott didn't hate like he feared he did.

"Come on, let's get you taken care of now." Hawks smiles and followed her out of the kitchen.

-line break-

"Take a seat on the bed," she said once she opened the door to his bedroom.

Hawks scrambled best he could onto the bed using his wings to help him balance as Jean sets the two icepacks down on the mattress next to him.

"I'm going to remove the sling, it will make it easier to treat your shoulder and arm." she told as she began to remove it once he was facing her.

Hawks sat legs touched the edge of bed as he held his arm still as he watched her undo the sling. The tension loosened causing a his shoulder and arm throb slightly.

"I guess.. I still need more practice and help, huh?" He said looking from his arm to her.

Jean smiles as she places the sling aside. "Everyone does," she reaches for an icepack. "Hold this against your skin, it be cold but will bring down any swelling."

Hawks hesitates to remove his uninjured hand away, but feeling the calmness he felt from Jean made him reach out and take the icepack from her.

As he placed it against his arm the coldness of icepack began to ease away the throbbing he felt in his arm. "Your.. like a mom." he smiles at her.

Jean face turns light shade of pink, "thanks Hawks, but still high schooler." She said shyly.

Hawks titled his head. "Sister, then?" he asked her with a cheeky grin plastered to his face.

Jean smiles as she picks up the other ice pack. "Call me whatever you makes you feel comfortable."

"Okay," Hawks flinched as the icepack touched his shoulder.

"You know, Kurt is a bad lair," she said, sitting down next to him holding the ice pack to his shoulder.

Hawks' eyes widen as he a sheepish grins back. "What gave it away?" he asked.

"His tone, plus Rouge, was seen leaving from the front, and other students would have seen you before then and— she paused and smiles. "His tail was showing."

Hawks chuckled. "I saw it but, didn't think much of it." he admitted. He let a sigh, "best come clean huh..?" It wasn't like he was to lying about it. Truth he didn't want hide it and lie about, especially not to her. Lying wasn't something he liked at all.

"Only if you want to."

Taking a a deep breath Hawks began to explain everything to her-

"I wanted to explore outside past the gate, and I was an idiot and didn't check to see if it was open. So, I tried to fly over it. Which in turn didn't work, causing me to fall before I could make it fully over, I lost my balance and fell in a brush, landing my shoulder and arm funny hurting them both. Afterward Rouge showed up and told me the gate was open. She tended to me, then me and Kurt went to explore the town, but we ran into mean people… then Rouge came along with us and now we're here."

Hawks kept his gold-brown gaze on her his wings raised a bit. Is she going to be mad with me?

Jean let's out a long sigh before speaking, "It could have been a lot worst. Lucky you didn't break a bone," she pointed out.

Hawks sighs as wings relaxed along with his body, she's not mad.

Hawks lets go of the ice pack his wings flared out straight behind as he leaned over to hug her. "Thanks, Jean," he said.

Jean smiles softly back as she pulls him into half hug. "Your welcome," she smiles, pulling back. "Now, best we remove this other icepack before your arm goes completely numb," she said as Hawks laugh, he didn't even realize how numb his arm and shoulder had gotten.

"The ice will help for now." Jean said, reaching for the sling. "But tomorrow it will feel, a lot worst." she carefully put his arm back into his sling. "We don't have doctors here, meaning we all have pitch in and learn to trust each other even more."

"Okay," he said as he got up to follow her out. "Don't worry, no else will know about the incident with the gate, but us. Though Professor X will find out on his own mind you," Hawks nodded as they left his room.

-line break-

As they made their way to the dining room. He kept looking at the photos on the wall as they went. "Curious, I see," Jean said taking notice of Hawks wondering eyes. "Yeah," Hawks stopped in front of a portrait. "What do you want to know?" she asked him.

"Who are the others in this photo besides, you, Scott, Logana and the Professor?" he asked pointing up at portrait they stopped at.

Jean smiles softly. "Well, they used to be part of the team when we first started out. Both me and Scott were a bit older than the age you are right now. Over years they left. Logan stuck around. Professor X started looking for more mutants. Wanting to give them a second chance at a normal life. There other portraits about but, this was the first group here."

"I see.. Jean..?"

"Yes?"

Hawks look away from the portrait and up at Jean with wide round eyes. "Someone said I was a freak with wings earlier." Hawks' eyes began to water. "Am I.. am I really that different, that strange, it still hurts, I don't like it."

"Oh, Hawks, you're not a freak." Jean said, kneeling down pulling Hawks into a comforting hug. As the boy buried his head into her and cried.

"There's nothing wrong with you. Those lovely wings are what make you who you are." She said, gently as she ran her hand through his hair.

"But.. Why do they have to be so mean about it?" He let out a hiccup. "Why can't they treat us like we're normal like them? Why do we have to be different?"

Jean sighs as she rubs his back. "Many people are scared of things they don't understand. While very few will embrace it. There are those who won't and treat them poorly even still we do what we can to help them all. Do you understand Hawks?" Jean asked, pulling him away from her chest.

"Yes.." Hawks hiccups as he looks up at Jean. The redhead smiled and carefully brushed back his tears.

"Jean..?"

"Hmm yes?"

Hawks sniffs. "I.. I had a nightmare last night." he said. "It was strange and a bit scary."

Jean rests her hand on his head as Hawks blinks up at her. "Would you like to speak with your- er.. I mean the Professor about your nightmare he's good with those."

Hawks looked back up at her uncertainty his eyes. "You're sure he'll want to help me?"

"Of course Hawks," Jean gives a reissuing smiles "He's helped me, Logan, Rouge and many others, I know he will be happy to help you with that ever is troubling you." Hawks blinks, "will you come with me?"