Author's note: Thank you to Torchwhovian, NotMarge, Shelllee24, Muirgen79, NicoleR85, partygirl98, ZabuzasGirl, NerdGirl101 and With a freaking y (your name is absolutely hilarious!) for the reviews.

And I'm back! Hope everyone had a great Christmas. Mine was hectic, and I had no time to write! I was having some serious withdrawal haha. And I just missed being in my own home. This year has been so hectic- moving back to the US, living in a hotel/ my in-laws' house for almost five months, driving across three states at a time every other week... Forgive me if I say I'm perfectly content under my own roof for the foreseeable future!

NerdGirl101- thank you! I'm not sure how many chapters this will be yet, but this is definitely the last part of the story. I have a certain stopping point in mind, and then I want to write an epilogue to show where everyone ends up. Other than that... I have a vague plot outline in my head, but we'll see how long it takes.

Anyway, today Zoey makes a bold move (hence the title, haha). There's a couple of characters here- Burton, in particular- that have been mentioned in passing before, but aren't really important. We probably won't see them again, but they had to show up here. This chapter provides the impetus for the rest of the story in a way. :-)

Zoey's Big Move

"This has to be the craziest thing you've ever done," I muttered.

"I would argue that inviting my borderline stalker into my apartment for dinner alone after speaking to him for only five minutes was much more insane," Zoey retorted, giving me a mischievous grin.

I winced, remembering our rather unorthodox beginning.

Touche, I suppose.

At least we could laugh about it now.

She sighed. "They're going to find out eventually, Hank. This is being proactive."

We were currently sitting in Zoey's office, waiting for her company's board of directors to congregate down the hall for a meeting.

A meeting in which Zoey would inform them that yes, her husband was indeed a mutant, and so was she. And they should otherwise mind their own business about us.

Gwen, being the good friend and secretary she was, had been keeping her ears peeled for any rumblings from the board about my sudden change in appearance via the other secretaries.

She didn't even have to seek out the information- it basically came to her in whispers from the other women. Rumored sightings of Dubois Enterprises' CEO out and about in Salem Center with a giant, blue ape had quickly begun to circulate around the office.

"Gwen, do you have any idea what's going on?"

"What happened to that dish with the glasses she was married to?"

"You know Mr. Burton has always hated Dr. McCoy. Well, I heard him talking to Mr. Ryan about-"

It had taken a month of me being "out," but the rumors were starting to gain too much traction for Zoey's comfort.

When the news reached her that one of her board members- Frank Burton, always her biggest critic- was going to make a move of no confidence against her on the basis of moral grounds, Zoey decided to approach the issue in a typical "Zoey" manner: by addressing the problem head-on and then kicking it in the teeth.

Metaphorically speaking, of course.

"I'm thinking about telling them I'm a mutant, too," she'd said when she first approached me about ending the rumors.

It had been less than a week since we moved into our new house. Our first house, where we would be bringing our babies home after they were born.

"Why?" I'd asked blankly.

"Because I hate people looking at me like I'm 'normal,' like I'm somehow betraying the human race by being with you," Zoey had replied. "I'm just as much a mutant as you, and I don't want to hide it anymore."

"B-but hasn't this been bad enough?" I'd argued, referring to all the stares and sneers we already got. "Zoey, you could lose your company."

"Then I'll lose it," she'd retorted. "If I haven't been a good enough leader to keep that boardroom's loyalty despite what I am, I deserve to lose it. I really want to do this, Hank."

That shut me up, of course.

She wanted to proclaim herself a mutant as a show of solidarity with me, and she was willing to risk the company her family had built over five generations to do it.

I was admittedly terrified at the prospect- it would be just one more way that I wrecked Zoey's life, when all I ever wanted was for her to be happy.

But I swallowed my guilt and resolved to support her decisions, just as she did mine.

And so here we were, waiting for Zoey to come clean to her boardroom about both of us. She'd told me I didn't have to be there, but I wanted to be. For support, moral or otherwise.

A quiet knocked sounded on the door at that moment, and Gwen poked her head in.

"Show time, boss lady," she announced. Though she gave us a smile, it didn't quite mask the worry in her eyes.

"I wish you'd stop calling me that," Zoey muttered as she stood up.

"Yeah, I know. But it suits you."

My wife rolled her eyes and linked her arm in mine. "Ready?"

I didn't trust myself to speak, so instead I just nodded.

All three of us were silent until we reached the conference room door.

"Good luck, Zo," Gwen whispered, giving her friend a hug. "You can do this."

"Thanks."

Zoey stood on tiptoe to press a quick kiss to my lips and took a deep breath. I did the same.

Here goes everything. Literally.

The five men that comprised Zoey's board of directors all politely got to their feet as their CEO entered the room. Their eyes bugged out of their heads when they saw me trailing behind Gwen.

The two of us sat on chairs pushed up against the wall, away from the large table that was the centerpiece of the room and essentially my wife's domain.

"Good morning, gentlemen," Zoey greeted the board genially. "Please, take your seats."

I noticed Burton exchange pointed glances with Ryan as they sat down. I recognized both of them from the horrifically dull company Christmas parties I'd dutifully attended over the years at Zoey's side.

Maybe now that I look like this I can be excused? Wouldn't that be a silver lining...

"I called this meeting because it's come to my attention that there's some dissension in the ranks," Zoey announced, perfectly calm. "And I thought I would give all of you the opportunity to clear the air."

Dead silence.

No one spoke aloud, though all five of them kept looking furtively at me.

Mr. Evers, a rabbity-looking man, actually jumped a little when I shifted my weight- like he thought I was getting ready to spring at him. I almost rolled my eyes.

Sir, if I wanted to attack you, I'd move so fast you wouldn't even see me.

Zoey sighed and leaned against the back rest of her chair, determined to wait them out.

Finally, Burton spoke. But it wasn't the requested airing of grievances.

"Who's the mutant?" he asked, gesturing towards me.

"He's my husband," Zoey answered promptly. She looked over at me with love evident in her eyes. "He had an accident that made his mutation express itself more strongly, but that doesn't change anything for me. He's still the best man a wife could ever ask for."

I gave her a tiny smile in reply, ignoring the way everyone else was fidgeting uncomfortably in their seats.

Right back at you, my love.

Zoey turned back to her board of directors, her expression becoming thoughtful.

"Seven years," she mused. "It's been almost seven years since my father died and left me this company. I'd like to think I've done a good job of it so far. I mean, our profits have more than tripled, we've diversified our holdings, become a Fortune 500 company... And all of you have become very rich men."

You could've heard a pin drop in that boardroom. None of the men at the table seemed to know where she was going with this little speech.

But I did.

"I don't think any of us expected it to go so well. I imagine some of you were just waiting for me to drop the ball somehow. Change is hard to accept, and in a way I can understand that," Zoey said, laughing softly. "I had a lot to live up to in your eyes, coming in here after my dad."

Her smile turned nostalgic. "My father was a good man, a leader worthy of the respect you gentlemen gave him. I remember wondering if I would ever have the ability to command a board like he did, back when I was younger. I would sit there in the corner of this room and listen to your meetings during the summer. Do you remember that?" she asked, looking at each man in turn. "You watched me grow up, from when I was a little girl until now. I know I would never have gotten this far if it weren't for all of you, and the trust you put, not only in my father's memory, but in me as well."

I tensed up, because I knew the big reveal had to be coming soon.

"You've known me since I was a child, and I've led us to prosperity. So, with that in mind..." Zoey began.

She cupped her hands together. A little bird made of flames formed in her palms and took flight, flitting around the room for thirty seconds before it dissipated.

"I'm a mutant. I have been, for my whole life. Does knowing that really change anything?"

The responses differed, though the same element of surprise and bewilderment was evident in every man's expression. Otherwise, they varied from a sort of horrified disgust (Mr. Burton) to an almost amused fascination (Mr. James, always Zoey's strongest supporter on the board). Zoey, Gwen and I waited tensely for their emotions to be arranged into words.

Burton jumped to his feet. "You're a freak!" he cried. I could see him looking at the others, as if hoping to spark some sort of righteous outrage he could use to his advantage. "We can't let-"

"Oh, save it," Mr. James snapped, regarding his colleague coldly now that he'd recovered from his surprise. "The knowledge of Dr. McCoy being a mutant changes nothing. She's still the best CEO this company has ever had."

"I agree," Mr. Greene added simply.

Burton turned to Mr. Ryan, his last hope, his cohort in the scheme to lock Zoey out of the boardroom on moral grounds.

But the other man seemed to have been moved by Zoey's masterfully worded speech. Her reminders of the success she'd led them to and her nostalgic appeals to her father's memory had worked wonders on Mr. Ryan, just as she'd intended.

"Dr. McCoy, did you father know you were a mutant?" he asked carefully.

"Yes, sir."

I held my breath, waiting for his pronouncement. If Ryan deferred, Mr. Evers- always easily led- would go along with the majority. And then Burton would have no allies.

Zoey's company would be safe.

"And he still trusted you enough to leave this company to you. That's enough for me," Mr. Ryan announced simply.

Yes! She's got them.

"Thank you," Zoey said warmly. "Mr. Burton, do you still have any objections to my leadership? Moral or otherwise?"

Burton's face was an ugly shade of puce as he sullenly shook his head and re-took his seat. He'd been thoroughly defeated, and he knew it.

"Wonderful. Now, on to other business..."

My heart swelled with pride as I watched Zoey effortlessly handle the rest of her meeting. She was amazing, incredible...

With her by my side, perhaps anything was possible.