The Institute's Newest Instructors

Another week had passed. "So has Kitty finally stopped taking her frustrations out on the Danger Room?" Althea asked. The Misfits were visiting. She, Todd and Pietro were talking to Scott, Jean and Kurt in the kitchen.

"No," Jean sighed. "Not that I blame her. Things have been really rough for us lately. But this whole divorce thing with Kitty…Man."

"It's bizarre that's what it is," Scott shook his head. "Talk about a small world."

"And I thought things between Rogue and I were weird," Kurt sighed.

"Are you still not talking to her?" Todd asked. "Come on Fuzzy you can't hold this against her forever!"

"She killed our mother Toad!" Kurt snapped.

"You don't know that!" Todd said. "For all you know she was already dead when she was turned to stone!"

"Toad I know what I saw and she was crying!" Kurt snapped.

"Kurt you have to admit that there is a possibility that it was only condensation," Scott remarked.

"Why can't you admit that she might have been alive?" Kurt snapped.

"Well I see the Institute has been a fun place to live lately," Althea quipped.

"Tell me about it," Jean groaned. "And there's still a lot of anti-mutant sentiment in this town. I hate to admit it but even I'm nervous to leave the Institute most of the time. So most of us stay here all day. And I don't need to tell you we're all starting to get a little cabin fever."

"I think Forge and Jamie have already gone around the bend," Scott groaned. "They've formed some kind of weird secret club and they've already converted Jesse to it. And I have a feeling the others are not that far behind. Something about Dungeons and Dragons. They have these weird little conversations where nobody understands them and it's starting to creep us out."

"Wow things must be that bad if you're willing to talk to us," Althea observed.

"Oh god she's right!" Kurt groaned. "We really have hit rock bottom!"

"Yeah too bad," Pietro was reading something. "Oh my this one is really hot!"

"What are you reading?" Scott asked.

"My fan mail," Pietro grinned. "I've got a new fan club and everything."

"Goody for you…"Jean glared at him icily.

"Oh you're not still miffed over that two hour stint in the county clink are you?" Pietro sniffed. "Hey Magneto and Mystique used to beat us up all the time so you guys didn't exactly suffer in my book! Trust me, you guys got off easy!"

An uncomfortable silence followed. "Scott why don't you tell them the good news," Kurt finally said.

"What good news?" Althea asked.

"Yeah we could all use some," Pietro said.

"Well as of tomorrow Jean and I will be instructors for the New Mutants," Scott said.

"You two are gonna be teachers?" Althea looked at them. "Oh this I gotta see!"

"Why do you keep calling them 'New Mutants'?" Todd asked. "They've been here quite a while!"

"I guess it's easier than calling them the Nuts Who Blow Everything Up!" Althea grinned. "Oh you guys are going to really have a lot of fun with this!"

"I'm just glad I'm not in the class," Kurt grinned. "Being a senior X-Man does have its privileges. Hey I just realized something, where's the Blob? I didn't see him here today."

"Well the babies got sick and Freddy caught it," Althea explained. "He's got the flu."

"Well I need to talk to him," Kurt sighed. "I need to borrow one of his psychiatric books for a report. And quite frankly I really don't want to chance going to the library."

"I dunno Fuzzy," Todd said. "I mean the rest of us got our flu shots in time but poor Freddy is really bad."

"Don't worry," Kurt waved. "I won't get sick. I'll just go in, get the book and get out."

"Okay," Todd shrugged. "Come on." He took his hand and they teleported to the Pit.

"Uh you guys might want to get your flu shots just in case," Althea said.

"You have a point," Scott said. "Well I guess we'd better be working the final details of our lesson plan tomorrow. Wow. I just said lesson plan. It feels so strange to say that. I mean, we just graduated and now we're gonna be teachers."

"I guess it's finally hit you that you're a grown up now huh?" Pietro smirked.

"Some of us will never grow up," Jean remarked.

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Pietro said.

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"I heard the kids were so desperate to get rid of Scott and Jean they were planning on asking Logan to take over the class," Lance said the next day as the Misfits teleported to the mansion.

"That is desperate," Xi remarked. He heard laughter coming from one room. "What is that?"

They walked in and saw Xavier, Hank, Ororo and Warren laughing their heads off at something on screen. It was Scott trying to give out handouts. Amara kept burning hers. Tabitha blew hers up. And Jamie made dozens of copies of himself.

"You're taping their lesson?" Althea grinned. "I gotta see this!"

"Uh…" Xavier startled. "We were just…going over their technique."

"Yeah right," Lance grinned. "We want in!"

"No this is for the teaching staff only," Hank and Ororo started to escort them.

"Well we could always watch another video," Pietro had an idea. "Hey Althea you still have that one you guys made when some of us went to the Museum and you guys stayed behind?"

Immediately Ororo froze. "Video…" She remembered the incident too well.

"Oh yes," Xi got the hint. "The one where there was all that fun at the mall and the pool party where…"

"On second thought it couldn't hurt to have them watch!" Ororo said quickly.

"What?" Hank said.

"Well it is family…" Ororo was trying to come up with an excuse.

"Thanks Storm," Pietro grinned. The Misfits got good seats. "Oh that is hilarious! I want a copy of this!"

"Okay what have they got on you?" Hank whispered to Ororo.

"Nothing!" She said defensively. Then she moaned. "Don't ask. Please!"

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Later that evening. "So how was your first day of class?" Xavier asked, feigning ignorance.

"Fine," Jean said brightly. Then her face fell. "It was a total disaster!"

"So I've heard," Xavier raised an eyebrow as he sipped his tea.

"You know?" Scott asked. "What am I saying? What did we ever do to you?"

"Well I do recall a few certain incidents when you both first got here," Xavier grinned. "Like the time you tried to 'improve' the Danger Room."

"In other words this is payback?" Scott groaned.

"Well not completely," Xavier said. "You two did manage to take control of the class…eventually."

"Well that demonstration was interesting," Hank said as he walked up with Warren with a bottle.

"And I thought my first day was rough," Warren laughed. "But you two got control pretty quick after that apple demonstration."

"We were doing fine after that," Scott sighed. "Right up until Bobby got bored and decided to ice the floor again."

"Well now that you both have had your first official day as instructors I believe it is time to renew a not so long standing tradition at the Xavier Institute," Hank poured a few small glasses of gin.

"Let's have the traditional First Day of Teaching Toast," Warren gave Scott and Jean a glass each.

"Are you sure this is okay?" Scott looked at his glass suspiciously.

"I believe the two of you have earned this," Hank grinned. "Welcome to the wonderful world of Education. Good luck, you're going to need it!"

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Jean took a gulp and winced. "Wow. Although now I understand why you guys drink a lot after lessons!"

"Just don't make it a habit like these guys," Logan walked in. He looked very tired and haggard.

"Where were you Logan?" Warren asked. "You were gone all day!"

"Don't ask…" Logan groaned.