Flashback—
Alberta, Canada—
Scott's point of view—
I had traveled up here to Canada to talk to James. Hermione would be coming here in a few week from England. After James let me in he asked me to wait in the living room for a minute or two. So I waited. As I waited I noticed something I didn't before.
The moving wizard pictures. Harry and Hermione had one shelf each. Almost like a shrine. From the looks of them they were taken during the summer. Harry's pictures were taken later in the summer when he knew he could come here.
But Hermione's pictures were taken through out the summer. There were a couple on both shelves that looked like they were taken at Christmas. And there were some pictures that looked like that they were taken through a memory of sorts. Like Harry and Hermione took out their memories and put them into a pensive so James could take pictures.
One of Hermione's pictures was of Hermione and I. I was standing to the camera. Hermione's body was snuggling up to mine with her right side to the camera. My arm was around her waist.
Hermione was wearing her hair up and a Yankees cap and had on a spaghetti strap tight tank top, a unbuttoned Yankees jersey, jean shorts, wedged sandals and shades. I was wearing a Yankees cap that was on backwards, jeans, sneakers, a blue shirt with a unbuttoned Yankees jersey over it and shades. I was holding a clear solo cup of a drink. I can't really remember what was in it.
This picture had been taken last year by James before I got my powers. As proof to the color of my shades. They were brownish instead of the ruby red that was made for me at the school by Hank.
We had gone to a Yankees home game with James and Hermione's Aunt Laura, Uncle Clint and unofficial godmother Natasha, while Hermione's mother watched her cousins Lila and Cooper. In the background of the photo you could see Clint and Natasha smiling as they flipped off the camera when they walked up the steps to the concession stands to get more beer. Which was probably what was in my cup.
They both had Yankees stuff on. Clint had his hat on backwards like me. But if you really knew them, the two agents had SHIELD approved under shirts on with the logo on them.
Lily-Anne, my parents, Natasha and Laura have this same picture in their living rooms. Clint and I also have this picture scanned into our laptops with a bunch of other pictures. Mia and I from different outings on mine.
And as I looked at the rest of the pictures on Hermione's shelf I noticed one thing in particular. She was happy. The happiest I had ever seen her.
I looked at the picture of Harry, Hermione, Jean and I on Harry's birthday from a few of years ago. It was the best day, and the only birthday Harry could sneak off for on the day. All the other days were before and after the birthday. James attempt to throw Harry a party one day two years back which ended in disaster for all.
I hear James come up behind me. I turn to look at him in the eyes. I give him a weary smile. James was leaning up against the door jam. He was wearing a tight shortsleeved blue T-shirt, jeans with a belt and his work boots. James had his hands in his pockets.
"I remember that day. You four were so damn happy." James said with a smile
"Yeah we were. We did not have a care in the world that day. Well, till Remus called Harry later to get him back to England for his so called birthday dinner." I say
Which was true. In 12 Grimmauld place the library had a fireplace and so Harry on his birthday supposedly locked himself in the library not wanting to be disturbed. Said he needed alone time away from traitors and such.
"So Scott. What do you need to ask to me about?" James asked
"I know you've been the only father Mia has known that's why I'm up here. I would really like your permission to ask her to marry me." I said
"Are you sure want to go into marriage? It's not a thing to take lightly. For Hermione it's forever and a day." James asked, "It's part of our culture not to get a divorce. It's basically unheard of. Unless you marry two muggle borns together. Or a muggle born and a muggle."
"Yeah, I do. And I love and respect her. And I respect you too much to not to ask this of you." Scott said, "I love Mia with all of my heart and I want her by my side forever."
James walked over to the antique China hut. He opened a door and grabbed a ring box. He turned back to me.
"This was my mother's, Elizabeth Howlett's, ring. On her deathbed she gave it to me for if I had a daughter and she was going to marry." James said
He handed me the antique black velvet ring box. I opened it. The ring was simple. Just what Hermione would want.
"This is perfect." I say
I look up.
"James are you sure?" I ask, "This ring is like 200 years old."
"Yes I'm sure. It's a family heirloom. And it's three hundred years. It's supposed to go to Hermione." James said, "Now how did you get up here?"
"My parents, brother and I are camping near here. When I got my bearings I walked over here with the excuse that I wanted to go hiking by myself." I say
James decided to walk me back to the campsite I was staying at. We talked on the way there. It didn't take very long as James knew the woods very well.
And you can not forget that James here revealed that his mutation involved a very good sniffer. And while we were James asked about the glasses. So I told him the truth knowing he could smell a lie. I told him about my mutant powers and how I could not turn them off because they are always on 24/7.
"There you are. Where have you been?" Mom asked once we reached the site
"I was with James." I say
"Sorry Katherine. It won't happen again." James said
"Sure it won't James. I'll make sure of it." Mom said giving James one of her murderous glares
James didn't take one ounce of the glare. This just proves that his will is made of iron or something.
End of flashback—
Upstate New York—
James Logan's point of view—
"I went there. There is nothing but ruins." I said
"The base is not on the surface. It's underground." Jean said
Jean and Hermione came up with a plan if they both got separated from the group as they were both connected to me and were easy targets for Striker.
Jean went to go and check the work on the blackbird and John's progress. Hermione went to check on her aunt and cousins and to check the wards around the house.
The rest of us went to set up camp as they had planned to take off in the morning if the engine worked well enough.
I heard Jean come down, looked up and made eye contact with her. Jean gave me a little smile. I was smoking a cigar near the ramp of the blackbird with a oil soiled rag in her hands. Jean came down the ramp.
"Hey." Jean said
"Hey." I said
"You okay?" Jean asked
"Yeah." I said
"Are you sure?" Jean asked
"How we doing?" I asked
"Pretty good so far. John is did a good job with the tools he had. We will be able to leave when scheduled in the morning." Jean said
"That's not what I meant." I said
"I'm worried. With Scott under Strikers control, I'm worried what it will do to Mia. It may bring her PTSD up. Give her Flashbacks to the war." Jean said
"Jean I'm worried about you. You are not only my niece but you're my goddaughter too and it will kill me if I loose you." I said
I put my hand onto Jean's cheek like I did when she was little and was worried about something. We hugged each other.
"Uncle James I love you." Jean said
"Love you too Jean." I said
We parted. I went to my tent as I got out my phone. I went to my contacts. Once in the tent I pressed onto Lily's number. It begun to ring.
It was good. Hermione had used her own funds to have herself, Harry, Jean, Scott, myself and now Lily to have phones with magic resistance under the cases we each chosen. Scott being the sap he is, ordered a case with a picture of himself and Hermione that I had taken at a Yankees game in the city last year. That was the best day ever.
In that picture one could see Hermione's uncle and godmother flipping off the camera. But from what I was told by Laura Barton, Hermione's aunt by marriage, that Clint and Natasha were flipping me off and not the camera.
Lily answered and we began to talk about what happened last night and where it lead us now. Luckily she was talking to a cousin of hers and stayed the night there. She had stayed there when Harry admittedly said he texted her about the intrusion.
Upstate New York—
Third person point of view—
What the two didn't know, before they left, was Mystique nearby listening in. Mystique was expecting Jean and James to be lovers the way they acted around each other not uncle and niece. Kurt walked up to Mystique.
"Excuse me. They say that you can imitate anybody. Even zeir voice." Kurt asked
"Even zeir voice." Mystique said in Kurt's voice
Then Mystique went to go and talk to Erik about the mission and killing all the humans.