Disclaimer: I do not own, nor am I making any money from, the X-Men movie-
verse. Duncan and Hana belong to Corrinth, as does Ilehana Xavier should
she be mentioned. Star owns Golan, should he be mentioned too. All other
OCs belong to me, especially Blaze and Jessie.
A/N: Post X2 spoilers, and spoilers for Corrinth's Guardians of Destiny, which incidentally is excellent so go read it! Reviews always appreciated.
Scene 11
"You want tea Laura?" Remy asked gently of the redhead stood so close next to him as the kettle boiled.
"Better make it coffee." Blaze yawned, meeting his eyes with a tender smile, wishing they were still curled up in bed rather than preparing for another day. But they'd lingered there together too long already that morning...
"Late night?" Bobby asked; eyebrow raised with a smile. Besides him at the kitchen table Jubilee munched avidly on her cornflakes and Rogue flicked through the morning paper with her own coffee steaming. Kitty leant on her elbows as she waited for the toaster to release the toast it was holding hostage. Screams and yells came from the dining room down the hall, where the children ate breakfast under Kurt's relaxed watch.
"Early mornin'." Gambit smiled as he dropped heaped spoonfuls of instant coffee in two mugs. Blaze only yawned again, leaning on her love's shoulder with her eyes closed and dopey grin on her face.
"Blaze, hon, you best be careful or your face'll stick like that." Jubilee grumbled, waving her spoon around in mid air. "What's goin' on with you two anyhow?"
"Yeah," Kitty contributed, growing bored of waiting and reaching through the toaster to pull out her breakfast, dropping the slices on the counter as she burnt her fingers. "Normally mornin' after you two are all, like, avoidin' each other an' stuff."
"Hum." Gambit poured the boiled water carefully as Blaze heaved the milk from the table like it weighed as much as a baby elephant. Thinking up excuses and explanations before she'd had her daily caffeine injection was not her strong point, so at Gambit's glance she shrugged, blushing slightly.
"Up to you." Blaze took a gulp of her too hot coffee, grimaced and reached for the sugar bowl. Four pairs of eyes put Remy on the spot.
"We got set up." He shrugged, putting an arm around Blaze's slim waist. "Big style. By Jess."
"You didn't?" Rogue looked up suddenly as the bell rang to signify the start of lessons. "She don't know right?"
"Course not." Blaze calmed her friend's fears as all five teachers began to make their ways to the door. Gambit grabbed Blaze's trailing arm before she could escape and kissed her softly.
"Busy day today?" He asked, hopeful her answer would be no.
"Yeah," She sighed. "Lessons all day, then I'm tutoring Clara in Spanish this evening. Why Scott thought he'd sign a French girl up for second language French I've no idea, but I can't honestly put her in for that exam, so Spanish it is..."
"So bunk off, let Gambit take you somewhere nice?"
"I can't, Scott'll kill me." Blaze kissed him again softly before leaving. "See you at lunchtime?"
"It a date." He smiled at her back, shaking his head slightly, wondering what he'd got himself into this time. Then he went back to his coffee, poached Rogue's abandoned newspaper and swiftly polished off Kitty's untouched toast.
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But lunchtime found Gambit with Bobby breaking up a game of tig that had gotten too violent. Blaze and Ororo sat with Golan indoors, enjoying a moments quiet from their respective languages, humanities and geology classes. Storm spotted the strange car coming up the drive first, and asked her colleagues if they knew about a visit planned for today at all?
"No." The four armed earth mutant Golan replied, blinking his strange eyes slowly in confusion. Normally speaking he knew everything that was going on at the school, made it his business to know. "No, no one told Golan dey was coming, no." Storm nodded her acknowledgement, well used to Golan's babbling speech.
"There's no kid, so it's not a drop-off." Blaze went to the window to see if she recognised the faces in the car. "And I don't recognise them, so they've not been here before."
"I'm sure if its important Cyclops will fill us in." Storm tried to close the subject though something was still bothering her slightly. Perhaps Blaze put a finger on it with her reply.
"Are you? We all know he's trying to run this place pretty much by himself these days, trying to live up to his own imaginings of what the Professor and Ilehana would have wanted him to do. I'm sure if it weren't for Jean he would have cracked up already. It's been weeks since he's really told us anything we needed to know."
Golan's eyes met Storm's in a puzzled glance, had he really just heard Blaze openly criticising the leader of the X-Men, not in the heat of an argument but in logical, educated conversation? And perhaps more importantly, did she have a point?
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**Gambit, Blaze? ** Jean's telepathic voice cut across whatever it was Blaze had been about to ask her class. **Please come meet me outside Scott's office. **
"Yes boss." Blaze muttered sarcastically under her breath before addressing her waiting pupils. "I have to go, mes enfants. Don't kill each other on the way out, okay?" Even before she'd reached the door chaos had already erupted behind her, the joys of working with children.
"Any idea what Jean wants Amie?" Remy asked her when he caught up with her.
"Probably just calling us in for Scott to have another go at. Doubtless for having romantic relations without prior permission or something..."
**Don't be so harsh on Scott, Blaze. He's doing a very difficult job here. ** Jean's telepathic voice cut in again, making Blaze scowl. **And he doesn't know I've called you, so my guess is it will be me he's angry with, not you. **
**Why, Jean? ** Blaze asked, confused. Her past loyalties to Jean's long- term rival Ilehana had not left any room for Blaze to get to know Scott's wife, not something she usually rued. But it made this sudden call all the more confusing, why would Jean want to help them?
**Jessica's adoptive parents are here, talking with Scott now. They are pulling her out, and wont give a reason. I feel something is very wrong and I thought you might be able to help... **
Blaze and Gambit rounded the corner at a run, took in Jean's concerned expression in a microsecond and burst into Scott's meeting without even knocking. Jean followed them; closing the door behind them and offering her husband a brief telepathic apology. Could he understand why she had done this? If the meeting had been between strangers deciding Duncan's future, would he be able to stand back and let their son be taken away from them? But Scott refused her explanation. That was different, Duncan was their son in every way, and Jessica was Gambit and Blaze's daughter in genes only.
"What's this?" Mark Price asked, glancing from the three new arrivals back to the Principle. "Our decision on our daughter's future suddenly is under debate by your whole staff?"
"No, Mr Price, I'm sorry about this..." Scott stood to stop the progress of the X-Men into his office. "This isn't the time people, give me half an hour..."
"Please," Blaze ignored Cyclops and turned frightened liquid brown eyes on the couple to which she had all those years ago given the right to raise Jessica as their own. "Don't take Jessie away, at least not right now. She's happy here, she's learnt so much..." Was she going to lose her child again just as Blaze had begun to find where she belonged?
"Why is it any of your business?" Lila snapped, on edge. "As educators surely you know the best place for a child is at home, with their family? I'm sure you've done everything you can for Jessie, but as we've already discussed with the Principle, our minds are made up."
"What does this have to do with?" Jean pried as Scott's beautiful chestnut eyes narrowed against her. "Are there changes you'd like making to her curriculum or..."
"This ain't got nothing to do with Jess." Gambit cut across Jean's questioning. "You were so happy for her to come here when I came callin'. Maybe the house too quiet without her, or walking the dog too much hard work? You want her back for yourselves, that it?"
"How dare you!" Lila stood up and yelled at Gambit. "How dare you stand here and accuse us of being that selfish! We are concerned for Jessie's health, that's all. She told us on the phone the doctor here has given her a clean bill of health. But the specialist she was seeing in California is insistent that cannot be the case."
"Ahem," Jean cut in, angry that her medical expertise was being called into question. "May the said doctor have a word in her own defence?"
"This all about Jessie's eyes?" Gambit cut across Jean again, but this time she sided with the Cajun. Scott, however, did not.
"Gambit," He warned harshly. "Say what you're thinking right now and you are fired."
"Fire him Scott and I leave too." Blaze cut back, glaring at Cyclops with fury.
"Nobody's firing anybody!" Jean tried to calm the situation. "They own part of the school too, Scott, you can't just sack them!"
"Look at me." Gambit ignored Scott's threats, ignored Jean's pleading, even ignored Blaze's outburst. "I not have a familiar look to you? Or maybe you people fooled coz I'm not blind?"
Mark and Lila swallowed almost in unison, doing as this angry schoolteacher told them. Could it be? Blaze came and stood besides Remy, slipping her hand into his clenched fist, raising her tearful eyes to meet the confused adoptive parents.
"Please don't take our daughter away from us..."
"You can't be..." Mark stuttered, looking from Blaze to Gambit like he was seeing ghosts. Jean folded her arms across her chest and scowled openly at the adoptive parents.
"Trust me, they are. I have done all the necessary DNA tests and there is no doubt that Laura and Remy are Jessica's biological parents. Unless perhaps your Californian specialist would like to disagree with my medical expertise on this matter too?" Mark and Lila didn't even look at Jean as she spoke, though she could sense how deeply her words cut them both.
"Our daughter, not yours." Lila admonished Blaze; barely believing what she was hearing but knowing she had to make a stand. "You gave her up, a tiny baby..." The woman choked on the words, unable to bear children of her own she had never understood, could never understand why anyone would give such a perfect child away like Jessie's natural parents had. Now confronted with them they hardly seemed the demons she had imagined all these years, but they still had no rights. "You've only made my mind up more. Seeing as Jess hasn't told us anything of this, I presume you've kept it from her. We're taking her now, today, and she will never know how close to permanently damaging her you people have come."
A/N: Post X2 spoilers, and spoilers for Corrinth's Guardians of Destiny, which incidentally is excellent so go read it! Reviews always appreciated.
Scene 11
"You want tea Laura?" Remy asked gently of the redhead stood so close next to him as the kettle boiled.
"Better make it coffee." Blaze yawned, meeting his eyes with a tender smile, wishing they were still curled up in bed rather than preparing for another day. But they'd lingered there together too long already that morning...
"Late night?" Bobby asked; eyebrow raised with a smile. Besides him at the kitchen table Jubilee munched avidly on her cornflakes and Rogue flicked through the morning paper with her own coffee steaming. Kitty leant on her elbows as she waited for the toaster to release the toast it was holding hostage. Screams and yells came from the dining room down the hall, where the children ate breakfast under Kurt's relaxed watch.
"Early mornin'." Gambit smiled as he dropped heaped spoonfuls of instant coffee in two mugs. Blaze only yawned again, leaning on her love's shoulder with her eyes closed and dopey grin on her face.
"Blaze, hon, you best be careful or your face'll stick like that." Jubilee grumbled, waving her spoon around in mid air. "What's goin' on with you two anyhow?"
"Yeah," Kitty contributed, growing bored of waiting and reaching through the toaster to pull out her breakfast, dropping the slices on the counter as she burnt her fingers. "Normally mornin' after you two are all, like, avoidin' each other an' stuff."
"Hum." Gambit poured the boiled water carefully as Blaze heaved the milk from the table like it weighed as much as a baby elephant. Thinking up excuses and explanations before she'd had her daily caffeine injection was not her strong point, so at Gambit's glance she shrugged, blushing slightly.
"Up to you." Blaze took a gulp of her too hot coffee, grimaced and reached for the sugar bowl. Four pairs of eyes put Remy on the spot.
"We got set up." He shrugged, putting an arm around Blaze's slim waist. "Big style. By Jess."
"You didn't?" Rogue looked up suddenly as the bell rang to signify the start of lessons. "She don't know right?"
"Course not." Blaze calmed her friend's fears as all five teachers began to make their ways to the door. Gambit grabbed Blaze's trailing arm before she could escape and kissed her softly.
"Busy day today?" He asked, hopeful her answer would be no.
"Yeah," She sighed. "Lessons all day, then I'm tutoring Clara in Spanish this evening. Why Scott thought he'd sign a French girl up for second language French I've no idea, but I can't honestly put her in for that exam, so Spanish it is..."
"So bunk off, let Gambit take you somewhere nice?"
"I can't, Scott'll kill me." Blaze kissed him again softly before leaving. "See you at lunchtime?"
"It a date." He smiled at her back, shaking his head slightly, wondering what he'd got himself into this time. Then he went back to his coffee, poached Rogue's abandoned newspaper and swiftly polished off Kitty's untouched toast.
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But lunchtime found Gambit with Bobby breaking up a game of tig that had gotten too violent. Blaze and Ororo sat with Golan indoors, enjoying a moments quiet from their respective languages, humanities and geology classes. Storm spotted the strange car coming up the drive first, and asked her colleagues if they knew about a visit planned for today at all?
"No." The four armed earth mutant Golan replied, blinking his strange eyes slowly in confusion. Normally speaking he knew everything that was going on at the school, made it his business to know. "No, no one told Golan dey was coming, no." Storm nodded her acknowledgement, well used to Golan's babbling speech.
"There's no kid, so it's not a drop-off." Blaze went to the window to see if she recognised the faces in the car. "And I don't recognise them, so they've not been here before."
"I'm sure if its important Cyclops will fill us in." Storm tried to close the subject though something was still bothering her slightly. Perhaps Blaze put a finger on it with her reply.
"Are you? We all know he's trying to run this place pretty much by himself these days, trying to live up to his own imaginings of what the Professor and Ilehana would have wanted him to do. I'm sure if it weren't for Jean he would have cracked up already. It's been weeks since he's really told us anything we needed to know."
Golan's eyes met Storm's in a puzzled glance, had he really just heard Blaze openly criticising the leader of the X-Men, not in the heat of an argument but in logical, educated conversation? And perhaps more importantly, did she have a point?
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**Gambit, Blaze? ** Jean's telepathic voice cut across whatever it was Blaze had been about to ask her class. **Please come meet me outside Scott's office. **
"Yes boss." Blaze muttered sarcastically under her breath before addressing her waiting pupils. "I have to go, mes enfants. Don't kill each other on the way out, okay?" Even before she'd reached the door chaos had already erupted behind her, the joys of working with children.
"Any idea what Jean wants Amie?" Remy asked her when he caught up with her.
"Probably just calling us in for Scott to have another go at. Doubtless for having romantic relations without prior permission or something..."
**Don't be so harsh on Scott, Blaze. He's doing a very difficult job here. ** Jean's telepathic voice cut in again, making Blaze scowl. **And he doesn't know I've called you, so my guess is it will be me he's angry with, not you. **
**Why, Jean? ** Blaze asked, confused. Her past loyalties to Jean's long- term rival Ilehana had not left any room for Blaze to get to know Scott's wife, not something she usually rued. But it made this sudden call all the more confusing, why would Jean want to help them?
**Jessica's adoptive parents are here, talking with Scott now. They are pulling her out, and wont give a reason. I feel something is very wrong and I thought you might be able to help... **
Blaze and Gambit rounded the corner at a run, took in Jean's concerned expression in a microsecond and burst into Scott's meeting without even knocking. Jean followed them; closing the door behind them and offering her husband a brief telepathic apology. Could he understand why she had done this? If the meeting had been between strangers deciding Duncan's future, would he be able to stand back and let their son be taken away from them? But Scott refused her explanation. That was different, Duncan was their son in every way, and Jessica was Gambit and Blaze's daughter in genes only.
"What's this?" Mark Price asked, glancing from the three new arrivals back to the Principle. "Our decision on our daughter's future suddenly is under debate by your whole staff?"
"No, Mr Price, I'm sorry about this..." Scott stood to stop the progress of the X-Men into his office. "This isn't the time people, give me half an hour..."
"Please," Blaze ignored Cyclops and turned frightened liquid brown eyes on the couple to which she had all those years ago given the right to raise Jessica as their own. "Don't take Jessie away, at least not right now. She's happy here, she's learnt so much..." Was she going to lose her child again just as Blaze had begun to find where she belonged?
"Why is it any of your business?" Lila snapped, on edge. "As educators surely you know the best place for a child is at home, with their family? I'm sure you've done everything you can for Jessie, but as we've already discussed with the Principle, our minds are made up."
"What does this have to do with?" Jean pried as Scott's beautiful chestnut eyes narrowed against her. "Are there changes you'd like making to her curriculum or..."
"This ain't got nothing to do with Jess." Gambit cut across Jean's questioning. "You were so happy for her to come here when I came callin'. Maybe the house too quiet without her, or walking the dog too much hard work? You want her back for yourselves, that it?"
"How dare you!" Lila stood up and yelled at Gambit. "How dare you stand here and accuse us of being that selfish! We are concerned for Jessie's health, that's all. She told us on the phone the doctor here has given her a clean bill of health. But the specialist she was seeing in California is insistent that cannot be the case."
"Ahem," Jean cut in, angry that her medical expertise was being called into question. "May the said doctor have a word in her own defence?"
"This all about Jessie's eyes?" Gambit cut across Jean again, but this time she sided with the Cajun. Scott, however, did not.
"Gambit," He warned harshly. "Say what you're thinking right now and you are fired."
"Fire him Scott and I leave too." Blaze cut back, glaring at Cyclops with fury.
"Nobody's firing anybody!" Jean tried to calm the situation. "They own part of the school too, Scott, you can't just sack them!"
"Look at me." Gambit ignored Scott's threats, ignored Jean's pleading, even ignored Blaze's outburst. "I not have a familiar look to you? Or maybe you people fooled coz I'm not blind?"
Mark and Lila swallowed almost in unison, doing as this angry schoolteacher told them. Could it be? Blaze came and stood besides Remy, slipping her hand into his clenched fist, raising her tearful eyes to meet the confused adoptive parents.
"Please don't take our daughter away from us..."
"You can't be..." Mark stuttered, looking from Blaze to Gambit like he was seeing ghosts. Jean folded her arms across her chest and scowled openly at the adoptive parents.
"Trust me, they are. I have done all the necessary DNA tests and there is no doubt that Laura and Remy are Jessica's biological parents. Unless perhaps your Californian specialist would like to disagree with my medical expertise on this matter too?" Mark and Lila didn't even look at Jean as she spoke, though she could sense how deeply her words cut them both.
"Our daughter, not yours." Lila admonished Blaze; barely believing what she was hearing but knowing she had to make a stand. "You gave her up, a tiny baby..." The woman choked on the words, unable to bear children of her own she had never understood, could never understand why anyone would give such a perfect child away like Jessie's natural parents had. Now confronted with them they hardly seemed the demons she had imagined all these years, but they still had no rights. "You've only made my mind up more. Seeing as Jess hasn't told us anything of this, I presume you've kept it from her. We're taking her now, today, and she will never know how close to permanently damaging her you people have come."