Caliente: Thanks for review my story! What can I say, I just don't see how the Warren/Paige thing could work. I like both characters but not together. The original X-Men camaraderie is a personal favorite of mine, and the underrated X-Factor always had a lot of that. I miss that too, now all they seem to do is fight, and complain about their love lives. X-Treme is my fave X-book at the moment so it's sad it's ending soon but at least Excauilber will be coming back.

Anything but ordinary3: I was trying so hard to come up with a story for Bobby to tell and for some reason the 'Ice-Knight' bit came to me. I think because the idea that Warren and Hank would like to get Bobby in trouble with Jean was too appealing. Glad you liked it! Besides the whole confusing family tree the only thing I hate with the Summers is Havok. Every time I see him the character does something that annoys me to no end. Scott isn't as bad, though he's slowly getting there given recent events.

allyson-fireRay: Thank you, it's always good to get new insights from new readers. You're right originally Bobby was Xaviers' second student. Then, I think it was Chris Clamount, wrote that Jean was Xaviers' first student since she was about ten, which pushed Bobby to number three. Bobby is still the second X-Man though.

Okay I started this as the last chapter but it didn't read right. So I needed an intro to that, which the chapter basically is. The next chapter will be the last though.

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As the years passed many changes occurred in Xaviers' first X-Mens' lives. To the sorrow of all Scotts' son had to be given up in order to save him from the virus that was destroying his body. There never was a choice really; it was the only option a father could make. Though all them would always ponder the 'what ifs.'

Bobby had finally mastered his powers again, at least enough to overcome the power Loki s' tampering had unleashed. He found a woman, Opal, who he had fallen in love with. At least he believed he was in love with her. She had put up with him for awhile, and Bobby had done everything in his power to please her. But no matter what he did it never seemed to be good enough for her. As much as he strived to do right by her part of him wanted it to end. End the fighting, the insults (which were always one sided) and seeing those stupid skull earrings. So he stopped seeing her for a few weeks till he could figure out where to go from there. And she ended it.

Warren was slowly healing from his own pains thanks to his friends and his new found love with Betsy Braddock. He even had re-grown his feathery wings, a joy that had brought back a little bit of that old Worthington.

Hank was still seeing Trish. Their on again off again relationship had greatly irked his friends, as most of them blamed her. Bobby had stopped trying to reason with Hank about the woman's' priorities. She may be a reporter but she seemed to care far too much about her career, and not nearly enough for her boyfriend.

Scott and Jean had married and had overcome many obstacles together. Unfortunately there was one difficulty they could not stop. The gathering of the fabled twelve. Apocalypse had lured the X-Men together to use these chosen mutants to attain power that had been beyond his gasp. To became immortal. Cyclops had halted the process hurling himself forward. His body merged with the ancient ones' and the Scott Summers they had all known was no more.

Jean had claimed that she could still sense her husbands' life force though. Xavier however thought she was being manipulated by Apocalypse. Needless to say not many X-Men agreed with Jeans' view. So she had taken off from the X-Men to her home with Scott in Alaska.

In response to her departure Warren had suggested to visit her to offer what comfort they could. Just him, Hank and Bobby. On the flight the trio hardly spoke being to consumed by their own thoughts to make an attempt at levity. It wasn't until the cab ride that they actually talked about what was to be said to their friend when they arrived.

"Should we dance around the obvious or get straight to the point?" Warren asked staring at his friends, giving up on trying to spot the elusive moose that Bobby claimed to spot every few minutes.

"We can not merely spring such an atrocious topic upon our beloved carrot-top. We must pace ourselves to ease her into a state of--" Hank ranted on, not noting the inpatient sigh Warren made. The two of them argued their own points for sometime. How Jean would know what they were thinking anyway and hiding it would only annoy her. How she might prefer to pretend nothing was amiss. The two finally stopped themselves when they noticed that their friend had not joined in the discussion.

Bobby was pouring over a magazine, his eyes focused on what appeared to be a dancing T-rex. The corners of his mouth curving into a sad smile.

"Bobby…?"

"Hmm…oh sorry. I guess my mind was somewhere else."

"What were you reflecting on, icecube? It is quite appalling that you have not joined our  friendly squabble. Should we be concerned?" Hank asked in mock concern. Warren shot Bobby a knowing look but wisely chose to say nothing.

"Nah, it's nothing, Blue. Just thinking about…the old days."

"Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe none of us have sat down to view the televised childrens' program for our amusements in ye old days." Hank remarked in a joyous voice. "Unless of course I am mistaken and you were perusing the

*ahem*  swimsuit issue. In which case I speculate what you have not been enlightening us about our angst teen years." He added gesturing to the magazine sticking out of the seat in front of his best friend. Bobby blinked and did a double take causing the other two to laugh at the amusing look of shock on his face. Then at the interest he showed as he glanced a second too long at the image. Gasping in mock horror Bobby stared wide-eyed at Hank.

"My Stars and Garters! How horrendous!" He cried in a dead on melodramatic Henry McCoy impression that caused Warren to snicker.

"Not only do you affront my personage, you choose to mock my most beloved phase!"

"Oh please, it's a freaking catch phase. Face the facts, your becoming as predictable as the Human Torchs' 'flame on.'"

"That's a battle cry, Frosty." Warren joined in. Bobby rolled his eyes, grateful that at least the subject of his thoughts about the 'old days' had been dropped.

The taxi halted at the Summers home and the men piled out to collect their things. Their dark thoughts had returned in full force. Now they had to face the grief they had tried so hard to deny to help another deal with hers.

"Hey there." A soft female voice called. Jean came down the front pouch and made her way towards them almost cautiously. "I've missed you all." She murmured hugging Bobby tightly, painfully reminding him of the last visit the three of them had made there. When it was the five of them. He felt a lump in his throat at the thought and tightened the embrace. She held on for a little longer than normal and gave him a quick weak smile before turning to Hank. Though she tried to hide it they all saw how flushed her face was. The redness of her eyes and the tremble of her voice.

"And we've missed you as well, Red." Hank murmured gently planting a kiss on her temple.

"Hi stranger."

"Hi Jeannie." Warren held her close, tenderly, understanding better than any what she was feeling. She had lost her love to a great evil, perhaps the greatest they had ever faced. He hadn't been there when she had packed up and left. He had been with Nightcrawler, Shadowcat, Jubilee, and Wolverine. The five of them had been sidetracked in Genosha that fateful day.

"Well…let's go inside now." Jean murmured. They followed her inside each one shooting the others with a worried glance or two. They stayed with her for two weeks putting their lives on hold like they always did when one of them needed help.

 Hank had left Trish and left the medical work to a friend of Morias'. Warren put his company in capable hands and informed Betsy that he would return as soon as he could. Bobby had worked part-time as an accountant so he had a more flexible schedule than the others. There was never a discussion about doing so, they all simply felt their friends came first and put aside everything else. They were family first.

The first few days were the hardest filled with awkward moments and tense conversations. Harsh words were spoken with Jean occasionally lashing out at the others for not supporting her belief that her husband was alive. Surprisingly it had been Warren that had been the most level headed one. When the others had left the X-Men when the new class arrived it had been Warren they looked to, who told the Professor they had to leave. Now after all he had been through he still played the role of mediator. If this had happened a couple years ago Bobby would expect part of his friend wanted to be there for Jean partially because of his own romantic feelings for her. That was before Betsy though.

Hank had spoken wisely and gently smoothed her nerves. He even to Bobbys' great horror agreed to watch a soap opera marathon with her.

"Just when I broke him of it", he moaned.

 Jean didn't really enjoy them, but she watched them sometimes out of humor. Other times to tell herself that her life was NOT that messed up. By the end of the marathon they had found her in Hanks' arms at last finding the sleep that had eluded her.

"Hey, how's it been?" Bobby whispered. He and Warren had gone to town to stock up food since the refrigerator was bare. Jean had showed no interest in shopping herself.

Hank sighed wrapping the blanket tightly around the crimson haired woman. "Not good I'm afraid. Jeannie's doing better I suppose but I still fret about her." He laid a furry hand on her shoulder pulling her closer to him. Then raising his free arm he clicked off the television. "Alas I can no longer find amusement in the trials of such shows. All of them on reflection are needlessly complicated and tragic."

"Just like our lives." Warren muttered darkly under his breath.

The next day Bobby spent trying to cheer her up. He told jokes, played around with the guys and even let himself be talked into seeing a 'chick flick.' Jean herself had fun, for a while forgetting or at least ignoring what was missing in her life. After watching 'Steel Magnolias' she handed her younger friend the tissues as he hastily wiped his eyes.

"Jeez, if Warren and Hank were here I'd never hear the end of this…" He muttered.

"If they had watched this they would be choked up too." She said snuggling against her 'little brothers' arm. Just as she was getting comfortable her head shot up.

"What is it?" But she didn't seem to hear him as she rushed over to the front door.

"Where's the fire Red?"

"My stars--"

Without another word she used her telekinesis to throw back the door. All three mens' breath caught the throats as they gaped at the man on the other side of the door. Short white hair, massive muscles that were noticeable even with the civilian clothes and the scarred profile. Bobby felt himself recoil a bit, not out of fear per se but from shock. Of all the people to come knocking on Jean Greys' door he would never have guessed this man to do so. They never seemed that close.

The man gazed over at the four sets of eyes following his movements, giving all of them a better view of his face. Mental glimmered in the light adding a chilling effect to his already dark appearance. His eyes narrowed at the three men, perhaps wondering what they were doing there with this woman. Then grunting looked down at Jean. The solider looked quite comical however when she caught him off guard when she embrace him tightly.

"It's so good to see you, Nathan."

"Uh…it's…uh, good to see you to Jean." He replied patting her back awkwardly. The warrior named Cable was pulled inside and once again was in the presence of his fathers' dearest friends. Nathan Christopher Charles Summers had returned to home.