Late 1962
"I know I should've called months ago," Ivory was on a long phone call with Sister Theodosia, her first since she'd left the orphanage and the Sister had a lot to say about that, "You wouldn't believe me if I told you what's been going on the last few months," She toyed with the winged necklace around her neck, bringing it up to her mouth to bite on the edge,
"I've met some amazing people, here. I think that- I think I found myself here. I'm thinking of becoming a teacher if you can believe it," She huffed a laugh.
"I think this might be the most spiritual place I've ever been. And I haven't even told you the best part," Ivy turned resting back against the wall where the phone was mounted,
"I met someone here. He's incredible, so smart, and kind, I think you'll really like him." She blushed thinking about Alex.
"No, I know. I miss you all too. I'll talk to you soon. Bye."
'Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters' was successfully bringing in students and even a few teachers the school was doing fairly well. The few teachers that Charles had hired were both mutant and mutant-friendly humans.
Charles himself was of course a professor and Hank assisted him, and the two of them together were helping to assist Ivy and the boys in one day becoming teachers as well, though predictably Ivy was much more interested after having rediscovered her love of literature.
There were only about 40 students max but Charles was overjoyed. It was the happiest any of them had seen him since Cuba. The majority of the students were under 15, and surprisingly had to beg their parents to come to the school so they could learn out to properly use their mutations. And for the most part their parents were supportive of their endeavors, but there were the few that were anti-mutant. But for their beliefs, they were quiet in their distaste for mutants because they wanted the best for their child.
"You know what," Sean said loudly tossing his hand, "Next time I'm gonna hang out with the potheads on the beach, and you guys can go to hick town."
Alex laughed, "How about next time we draw straws?"
"You got a deal," Sean joked taking a large gulp from the bottle in his hand, before passing it to his left where Hank sat as he took a drag from the joint in his other hand, blowing the smoke up where it evaporated into the night air, "You guys have no idea the people I met."
"Definitely weren't as friendly as the ones we did." Ivy joked.
"Not even close." Sean responded passionately.
The four of them were outside on one the other side of the mansion away from the rooms that had been converted into dorms for the students since it was getting rather late winter was fast approaching and the chill in the air suggested snow as well, hence the bottle they were drinking from to keep warm. They were in an almost circle pushing around the bottle, Hank sat on the far left, Sean was in the middle, then it was Ivy's seat that Alex was sitting in and she was on his lap with her feet resting in the edge of Sean's chair.
"What did the professor have you doing?" Alex asked the furry blue mutant seen as he didn't go out recruiting by his own choice, because of his appearance.
"Honestly not much," Hank responded with a shrug, "I spent a lot of time downstairs in Cerebro, he handled instructing the workers that he brought in, other than that he pretty much stayed in his room." Then he sighed, "He did bring in some guys to clean out the other rooms on our floor." Hank said after a moment of hesitation.
There was a brief moment a silence before Sean broke it, "All of them?" he asked carefully for Hank's sake knowing that he was still sensitive about Raven, but also for Ivy's sake.
"Yeah, he said something about donating them. You know Christmas and everything."
"I'm sure it will make a lot of people happy." Ivy said sincerely and that was the end of that conversation.
"What are the plans for Christmas anyways?" Sean asked tossing his hair.
"I think the professor wants to bring all the kids families to the mansion, instead of the other way around."
"That should be really nice."
"You wanna know what I'm wondering."
"Enlighten us."
"How long's it gonna be before these kids start throwing parties in these woods."
"Sean, these are actual children here, you realize that right?"
"Well they're not gonna be kids forever." He shot back. "Besides didn't you guys ever sneak out to hang out with your friends?"
Both Ivy and Alex gave him blank looks with raised eyebrows, "Right." He said nodding his head, "What about you big blue?" he turned dropping a hand onto Hank's shoulder.
"Definitely not."
"You guys are lame." Sean said with a good natured shrug, "Jeez the first time I snuck out, was after my middle school dance. Jenny Clarke changed my life." He said with a sigh.
"My middle school dance was the worst," Hank added, "Sadie Hawkins, girls choice so." He said with a shrug.
"What nobody picked you?" Ivy asked for clarity.
"It was girl's choice." He repeated.
"Those bitches."
"I know."
"That's ridiculous," Ivy scoffed, "You know what? No, I will not stand for this. C'mon get up," she said standing and moving in front of the blue scientist taking the bottle from his hand and passing it over to Sean, "On behalf of the eighth grade girls, allow me to make it up to you."
Hank looked up at her in embarrassed confusion then glanced at Alex nervously, the blonde gave him a kind smile and a nod. "I don't know how to dance." He admitted bashfully.
"Neither do I." Ivy responded with a shrug shaking her hand, Hank sighed but took her hand pulling himself to his feet.
She let out a noise a triumph and pulled him out further onto the patio, Sean turned up the radio that had been their background noise. Ivy smiled and placed her hands on Hank's shoulders, the scientist hesitated for a moment before placing his hands on her waist careful not to knick her with his claws.
"Ahem." Sean exaggerated clearing his throat and they turned to seen him toss his bud aside and flamboyantly hold out is hand to Alex, "Alexander?" he teased shaking his hand in his face, the other boy grinned and stood to his feet.
"Please do me the honor of sharing a dance with me Sean?" he asked his redhead friend bowing slightly at the waist in front of him.
"I thought you'd never ask." Sean responded playfully as he stood and after a moment of playful stumbling around they settled into an exaggerated waltz with their arms outstretched and deep lunges across the patio and around Ivy and Hank.
"You know," Ivy told Hank quietly as she rested her head on his shoulder as they kept up their slow rock that could barely count as dancing especially compared to the way their friends were bouncing around the patio, "Between you and me, I think all those girls that rejected you were idiots."
Hank huffed, "You didn't know me then Ives."
"But I know you now. And any girl would be lucky to have you."
"Thank you."
True to Hank's prediction the professor did indeed invite many of the family's of the students to the mansion for Christmas dinner, the ones that accepted the invitation were predictably those who were mutant friendly, those that weren't the kids didn't seem to mind at all, in fact it seemed like they were all to happy to not have to spend Christmas with their families and were excited to spend it with their friends at the mansion.
Ivory volunteered to make the trip to the grocery store to buy the food's for Christmas dinner and dragged Sean along with her to the packed grocery store, fitting for the many people buying their last minute Christmas dinner fixings, while Alex, Hank, Charles and some of the kids were preparing the mansion for the holiday.
"Does anyone actually know how to cook a Christmas dinner?" a grocery bag carrying Sean complained as he and Ivy exited the store after about a half an hour of waiting at the checkout line alone.
"You know that I lived with nuns for most of my childhood right? Christmas was one of our biggest celebrations," Ivy explained as she opened the trunk and help Sean load in the bags. "I was a master of the turkey by the time I was sixteen."
"Isn't Christmas like, a big no-no for most Catholics?"
"Sometimes, but it gave the kids something to look forward to you know?" she explained easily, "Plus their convent, pretty progressive for who they were."
"Really?"
"They took me in," she said with a shrug.
"Fair point, I'm driving." Sean said snatching the keys from her hand and quickly rounding the car, Ivy smiled and moved to follow but paused at the slight sensation of being watched came over her. She scanned the parking lot quickly but couldn't spot anything out of the ordinary. As she rubbed her hand over her neck and climbed into the car she dismissed it as paranoia. As Sean pulled out of the parking lot they both missed the figure starkly clad in all white watching them closely before it disappeared when a puff of black smoke appeared then disappeared just as quickly.
Magneto didn't know why he was surprised by the fact that the expensive luxury submarine wasn't the only luxury that Sebastian Shaw indulged himself in. It had been quite sometime since that day on the beach and he along with his group moved from one of Shaw's hideaways to the next. But Magneto know that, that particular movement couldn't last for much longer. He had left Shaw's dead body on that beach in Cuba, along with a government agent and allies. It didn't take long for the government to follow the trail left behind by Shaw in an attempt to track them down.
Emma Frost was good at keeping them off of their scent but she could only be pushed so far to her limit so many times. And for as much as he didn't fully trust the telepath, she was a necessary ally.
As for the other two members of Shaw's Hellfire club, he got on surprisingly well with Azazel, the red skinned mutant having his own unfortunate past with experimentation, not to mention he was exceedingly loyal in a way the Emma and Riptide were not. To his credit though the weather mutant did get along well with Raven and Angel, but he gave Magneto a wide berth after getting a bit too comfortable with the metal benders presence and commenting too boldly his opinion about Erik's dear friend.
A week or so had passed since the events of Cuba and the weather mutant had complained almost non-stop about his broken ribs courtesy of one earth manipulator, and for a good while Erik had done well to ignore him silently proud of the number Ivy did on him. It was only when Riptide vowed to get revenge on 'the little bitch' did Magneto snap. With nothing more than a wave of his hand a large knife flew from the block and was pressed tightly to the man's throat.
"You even think about touching her again, and a few broken ribs will be the least of your worries." Erik warned in a steely calm voice, Riptide nodded as best he could with the knife pressed against his throat and after a moment, Erik let it drop.
Since then the man had done well to stay far out of Magneto's way.
He heard familiar footsteps on the stairs behind him and easily brought the metal helmet into his hands and firmly onto his head by the time Emma Frost made her appearance.
"Already prepared, as always." She teased and he didn't offer the reply she was looking for. Even though his relationship with Charles had been rocky from the start, he could trust the telepaths word when he said he wouldn't go poking around inside his mind unbridled, with Emma he took no chances.
"Did you do as I asked?"
The blonde woman sighed before falling gracefully onto the couch, "I don't know why you still bother keeping tabs on your old telepath friend, and he has no interest in fighting you."
"Better to stay prepared."
"Well, just like last time." Emma sighed, "He isn't making any substantial moves that would interfere with our mission. He's too busy running a school."
"Good." Erik nodded, "Well be leaving the state soon, best that he stays busy, he won't have time to track our movements. Or alert the CIA."
Emma hummed, "Aren't you going to ask about your little friend?" Magneto couldn't deny the instant response to the teasing remark. As much as he would refuse to admit it out loud he missed Ivy dearly, though his anger did spike as well, he hadn't ordered Emma to follow up with Ivy as well, "Too bad she's gotten real cozy with one of those boys, the blonde one." It took him a moment longer than it normally would to realize what Emma was implying, since well, it was Ivy she was talking about. Luckily rather unluckily, she practically spelt it out for him, "That must really bother you."
He scoffed, "That's hardly the case."
"I don't blame you," the blonde telepath said with a shrug, "She's cute."
"Stop."
"If you were fucking her too-"
"Enough!" Erik practically roared ignoring Emma's flinch, his fists clenched by his side but he didn't turn away from the window where he was observing the night skyline, though he did meet Emma's gaze in the reflection as he warned in a low voice, "Not another word about Ivy, and never see her again unless it's under my command, understood?"
"Understood." She replied meekly.
"Good." He muttered under his breath rolling his shoulders back, "We need to discuss our next move."
"No Sean we have to let the Turkey soak for at least a day better baking it."
"Tell me again why you don't just do everything the day of?"
Ivy glared at him from across the kitchen, "Have you ever watched your mom cook Christmas dinner?"
He snorted, "No. I played video games."
"Then you don't know how much of it is mostly prep." She scoffed closing the fridge just as Hank came into the kitchen looking nervous.
"Hey, we thought we heard you guys come home." He breathed out.
"Yeah hasn't been too long." Sean responded.
"I'm trying to convince Sean to help me cook Christmas dinner."
"It's not working."
"I'm wearing him down," Ivy teased, "Where is everyone we haven't seen you guys or the kids since we got back."
"Yeah, all the kids are in the sitting room decorating the tree, but Ivy uh," he took a deep breath ringing his hands together, "Your mother's here."
Ivy froze, "What?"
"She came while you guys were out," he explained and she shared a look with Sean before they left the kitchen, Hank quickly falling into step with them, "I wasn't sure who she was at first, then she started asking about you and Alex stepped in, the professor intervened before he could tell her anything and they've been in his study waiting for you guys to get back."
Hank finished just as they came to a stop outside of the professor's study, Ivy took a deep breath and pushed the doors open, the scene inside was one Ivy never thought she'd see. Charles was seated behind his desk as usual a polite yet tense smile on his face as he spoke to her mother, Alex was leaning against the wall, an open glare on his face.
When they entered Ivory's mother immediately stood and turned to face them and Alex looked up but didn't move.
"Ivory."
"What are you doing here momma?" Ivy questioned sparring an icy glance over the woman who gave birth to her, she looked just as Ivy remembered. Perhaps a bit more disheveled, as her shifty eyes couldn't stay focused.
"We should leave," Sean said already turning back towards the door.
"No you stay," Ivory told him grabbing his hand without looking back, "You too." She snapped at Hank who had also tried to creep back out the door. "This won't be long."
"Ivory-Anne." Her mother tried again.
"Don't call me that." Ivy snapped again, "What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to see you."
"Why? You made it pretty damn clear all those years ago wanted nothing to do with me, or my kind." At her mother's silence and shifty glances around the room filled with mutants, especially the furry scientist Ivy spoke again, "How'd you know where I was?"
"A couple around the neighborhood were talking about their kid going to this special school in New York, they weren't very clear on the details but I figured I'd give it a shot. Stop by, say hi."
"Hi." Ivy said blankly.
"You've grown up so much."
Ivy raised a brow, "Yeah, I was seven when you kicked me out remember?"
"Ivory please, I'm trying to-"
"Trying to what? Make amends? What for? Why now?"
"I just-" she looked around her eyes staying on Charles for a moment who still sat behind his desk his head in his hands as he watched the confrontation with a concerned frown on his face, "I need money."
She scoffed, looking her mother over, "I can't believe you."
"It's been so hard Ivory, you don't know what it was like for me when you left."
"You mean when you kicked me out."
"I had cops coming to my house looking for you for what you did. I was so scared."
"And you don't think I was scared," by this point both women were yelling, "No of course you don't because all you ever think of is yourself."
"You owe me, I gave you life. I raised you. You should be thankful-"
"You didn't raise me-"
"That I forgave you for making your father leave-"
"You always blamed me for dad leaving-"
"It was your fault, he never wanted a child and then you were born as one of them." She spat, "I just wanted a normal daughter."
"And I wanted a mother!" Ivory roared her pupils expanding slightly in her eyes, while the others in the room had been watching the confrontation with worry and intrigue it turned to slight fear when after Ivy's outburst it felt as if the very foundation of the school rocked slightly. Neither woman seemed to notice to busy screaming at each other but the guys did and they looked at the professor with slightly wide eyes and he only raised a calm hand keeping them focused on the argument at hand. "But all I got was a drunken bitch."
Her mother gasped and raised her hand to slap her daughter but Hank grabbed her wrist before she could make contact, she struggled against the blue scientist still spewing insults at her daughter and so Hank wouldn't accidently hurt the woman Sean grabbed her other arm, while Alex grabbed Ivy in his arms, "I don't even know where you came from, you're just so damn evil!"
"I am my mother's daughter." Ivy sneered as Charles, ever the pacifist wheeled his was in between them.
"I think that's quite enough," he said loudly, "Ivy, Ivory please." He said to his friend who stopped struggling in her boyfriend's arms, "Ms. McCambridge, I think it's best if you leave."
"Happily," She snapped roughly shoving Sean off of her, "Don't even think about crawling back to me when this place crashes and burns."
"Fuck you." Ivy spat as her mother made another move towards her but Hank blocked her path, so the woman huffed and finally turned to make her exit. "Charles." Ivy said after a moment of tense silence in the study.
"Are you alright dear?" the professor asked immediately concern glinting in his blue eyes as he took her hand.
"That woman doesn't deserve to have me in her life," She told the telepath plainly and he understood what she meant right away, "Any part of me." She clarified.
"Are you sure? Charles asked carefully.
Ivy nodded, "I'm sure."
"Very well." The man said squeezing her hand once before releasing it, "Hank?" he called for the scientist nodding his head towards the door and the blue man went with him after sparing an apologetic glance at Ivy and she nodded her thanks.
"I'm gonna go check on the kids." Sean said taking his leave as well after placing his hand in Ivy's shoulder in support.
"Are you okay?" Alex asked his girlfriend carefully after the fight in Charles' study only moments again she was completely silent as she took his hand and dragged him upstairs into his room that they now shared.
"I'm fine," Ivy snapped, peeling off the layers of clothing she'd worn for her trip to the store, "Why wouldn't I be?"
"You seem a little tense." He explained carefully.
"The woman never gave a shit about me since I was born and she's gonna track me down in my new life to ask me for money." She scoffed sitting on the bed to pull her boots off, "The nerve."
"Anything I can do to help?" he offered with shrug and he didn't expect her to respond so straight forward, "What?" he blinked.
"Take off, your shirt." She repeated slowly and he paused to gauge whether or not she was serious and once he saw that she was he did as asked pulling off the long sleeve shirt he'd been wearing. There was a hint of a smile on her face before she leaned in and connected their lips pushing him back against the door he'd been leaning against as she tilted her head, sliding her tongue into his mouth as her hands moved down and attempted to undo his pants.
"Wait, Babydoll, wait," he said grabbing her hands and leaning her forehead against hers for a moment, "Now? Are you sure? Sure you don't want to talk about what happened?"
Ivy leaned back slightly to catch his eye, "You wanna talk about my deadbeat mother, or do you wanna have sex?" she asked with a slight tease at the end of her question.
Alex's eyes widened slightly at her bluntness and he seemed to really contemplate for a brief moment before nodding to himself and kissing her again, spinning them so that she was pressed up against the door, they broke apart long enough for Alex to rid Ivy of her own long sleeved short before he picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he walked them the short distance to the bed.
Some time later the two of them were catching their breaths laying in bed, Ivy rested her head on his chest, and Alex had his arm wrapped around her back, his fingers playing with the ends of her hair. It wasn't long before he felt the warm tears roll down his bare chest. Alex sighed hugging her closer.
"Was I that bad?" he joked and he felt her smile even as she pinched his side, "You ready to talk?"
"I should hate her right?" Ivy asked rhetorically after a few moments of silence, "I mean I finally had a good thing going for first time in a long time. She just had to come and ruin it."
"Hey," Alex cut in rolling them over so that he laid on top of her and cradled her in his arms, "She didn't ruin a damn thing, we all know how amazing you are. We all still love you, even if your mom's a bitch."
Ivy smiled raising her head to kiss him, "I love you too."
"I'm not supposed to tell you this yet, but Charles and I called Mother Mary's." he said softly and she stared at him in slight confusion. "They're coming down for Christmas."
"Really?" she asked with a large smile sitting up as Alex shifted to the side to make room but kept an arm around her.
"Yeah. My parents and coming down, and so are Sean's, all the kids. You should have your family here too."
"My family is here," Ivy told him with a smile which Alex returned before bringing a hand up to the side of her neck and pulling her into another gentle kiss. "Promise me you won't leave?" she whispered lowering her head.
"I promise." Alex responded instantly rubbing his thumb along her cheek.
"Everyone always leaves."
"Not me," Alex said simply before kissing her again, tilting her head up so he could look her I'm the eye, "Marry me?"
Would you guys believe that I wrote the last two words of this chapter before I wrote anything else?
Fin-Fish Jun-Tenshi: Hippity hoppity.
ZabuzasGirl: Thank you!
Ivana Bocanegra: Thanks babes, I'll admit some of your comments didn't help my writer's block, but I know you weren't being intentionally malicious.
Y'all I'm not even American, and I now know more about the Americans involvement in the Vietnam War than I ever intended too.
This chapter went a little bit of everywhere but now I hope you get a feel of where everyone is and what's going on. Also I really wanted to close Ivy's relationship with her mother once and for all. Y'all can probably guess what the next time jump is gonna be, so feel free to tell me what you'd like to see. Also what you want to see happen in between now and Days of Future Past, still taking suggestions.
As always let me know what you think, and what you'd like to see in the future.
You guys remember a couple chapters ago when I asked you who your faceclaim for Ivy was, like always feel free at imagine her anyway you'd like but for writing purposes I'll be using Madison Beer as inspiration.