Disclaimer: The X-Men belong to Marvel, Ilehana Xavier to Corrinth, Blaze
and all other OCs to me.
A/N: Last chapter; hope you enjoy! All reviews greatly appreciated.
Epilogue
"You know, swimmin'll improve your fitness and stamina........."
"If my stamina's in doubt Wolverine," Blaze replied, "You can take me on anytime."
"Give her a break, Logan." Ilehana quipped. "If she doesn't want to go in the pool then we have to just give her a little........." Blaze, stood on the edge of the Xavier Institute swimming pool suddenly felt herself knocked off her feet by something very, very strong and hairy. PUSH! Ilehana- as-bear couldn't keep the laughter from her mind voice as her friend hit the water with a splash, and half the pool's contents suddenly disappeared in a cloud of steam. Logan, not to mention all the other X-Men gathered for the spontaneous pool party/barbecue, cackled pleasantly as Blaze dragged herself sulkily from the water. She wasn't exactly the water-babe type.
"This a private pool party," A familiar voice asked, "Or can anyone throw Blaze in the water?"
"I'd like to see you try it, Cajun." Blaze replied stubbornly, before smiling at her friend and shaking the water from her body and hair with a splinter of power. Wearing little besides a halter-necked chestnut brown bikini, the suggestion of power dried her off well before she crossed the grass back to her waiting sun lounger to pick up her book.
"How'd you get in here, Bub?" Logan accosted Remy cruelly. "You break our security systems, or someone let you in?"
"Whatever help you sleep at night, Wolverine." Gambit shrugged agreeably, as Rogue jumped to his defence.
"Gambit don't work for Magneto no more, Wolverine, so you might as well keep a few manners in that thick head of yours." Dressed in her normal get- up, nobody had even suggested Rogue take a dip with the other students, for which she was grateful; even if she did feel a bit overshadowed by the bikini-ed likes of Blaze and Storm. Still, at least Gambit wasn't too distracted, right?
"An' I even brought peace offerin's." Remy pointed out, perching on the end of Rogue's sun lounger and holding up a pack of bottled beers. Logan's stern expression melted a little as Ilehana and Beast, who was minding the barbeque, grinned. Those three appeased as to his presence, Remy turned to Blaze and offered her a bottle.
"You know I'm not sure I can allow........." Xavier was all too aware that most of his students now knew Blaze was not much older than them. Drinking underage in front of them was hardly the example he needed Blaze to set. Besides him, the now human Ilehana warned him off disciplining Blaze again with one glance and a hasty "Dad........." Did he really want to start all this off again? Xavier nodded, and shut his mouth, but Blaze had already cottoned on.
"No thanks, Rem. I don't think that's such a good idea." Blaze answered sweetly, before turning to Xavier. "Not that that means you can enrol me in that daft high school of yours, Professor." Xavier nodded his appreciation as Gambit shrugged and opened the bottle for himself, starting up an easy conversation with Rogue and Kitty about the concert he'd missed. Kitty was quite chatty, but Rogue was a little shy to begin with. Blaze stoically ignored Remy's efforts at flirting with her rival, leafing casually through her book and enjoying the hot sun on her bronzed skin.
"What is your book about, Blaze?" Xavier asked, hoping to begin again with this fire-elemental who'd become a part of his team without him knowing hardly anything about her. Appreciating that Xavier was really trying, Blaze closed the text and met his eyes.
"Meditation." She answered honestly. "It seems my powers are harder to control when I'm emotional about something." Dropping her long eyelashes to cover her big brown eyes, she didn't need to elaborate. Unthinking, Xavier's glance fell on Gambit and Rogue, alone now Kitty had gone back in the pool with Kurt. "I thought meditation might help me stay in control, and I'll try anything once." Blaze smiled, "Just ask Ilehana."
"No," Ilehana enthused, "Please don't. Too many painful memories!"
"So," Xavier ignored his daughter as half of the X-Men now tried to get out of her exactly what Blaze had exposed her to. "Are you glad to be home, Blaze? To be back where you belong?"
"I don't know." Blaze answered honestly. "It depends."
"On what?" Xavier wanted to know.
"On how long those burgers of Beast's are gonna take to be ready? I'm famished!" Blaze chirped, smiling. Xavier could only sigh in relief.
(Roll credits..........................)
A/N: Last chapter; hope you enjoy! All reviews greatly appreciated.
Epilogue
"You know, swimmin'll improve your fitness and stamina........."
"If my stamina's in doubt Wolverine," Blaze replied, "You can take me on anytime."
"Give her a break, Logan." Ilehana quipped. "If she doesn't want to go in the pool then we have to just give her a little........." Blaze, stood on the edge of the Xavier Institute swimming pool suddenly felt herself knocked off her feet by something very, very strong and hairy. PUSH! Ilehana- as-bear couldn't keep the laughter from her mind voice as her friend hit the water with a splash, and half the pool's contents suddenly disappeared in a cloud of steam. Logan, not to mention all the other X-Men gathered for the spontaneous pool party/barbecue, cackled pleasantly as Blaze dragged herself sulkily from the water. She wasn't exactly the water-babe type.
"This a private pool party," A familiar voice asked, "Or can anyone throw Blaze in the water?"
"I'd like to see you try it, Cajun." Blaze replied stubbornly, before smiling at her friend and shaking the water from her body and hair with a splinter of power. Wearing little besides a halter-necked chestnut brown bikini, the suggestion of power dried her off well before she crossed the grass back to her waiting sun lounger to pick up her book.
"How'd you get in here, Bub?" Logan accosted Remy cruelly. "You break our security systems, or someone let you in?"
"Whatever help you sleep at night, Wolverine." Gambit shrugged agreeably, as Rogue jumped to his defence.
"Gambit don't work for Magneto no more, Wolverine, so you might as well keep a few manners in that thick head of yours." Dressed in her normal get- up, nobody had even suggested Rogue take a dip with the other students, for which she was grateful; even if she did feel a bit overshadowed by the bikini-ed likes of Blaze and Storm. Still, at least Gambit wasn't too distracted, right?
"An' I even brought peace offerin's." Remy pointed out, perching on the end of Rogue's sun lounger and holding up a pack of bottled beers. Logan's stern expression melted a little as Ilehana and Beast, who was minding the barbeque, grinned. Those three appeased as to his presence, Remy turned to Blaze and offered her a bottle.
"You know I'm not sure I can allow........." Xavier was all too aware that most of his students now knew Blaze was not much older than them. Drinking underage in front of them was hardly the example he needed Blaze to set. Besides him, the now human Ilehana warned him off disciplining Blaze again with one glance and a hasty "Dad........." Did he really want to start all this off again? Xavier nodded, and shut his mouth, but Blaze had already cottoned on.
"No thanks, Rem. I don't think that's such a good idea." Blaze answered sweetly, before turning to Xavier. "Not that that means you can enrol me in that daft high school of yours, Professor." Xavier nodded his appreciation as Gambit shrugged and opened the bottle for himself, starting up an easy conversation with Rogue and Kitty about the concert he'd missed. Kitty was quite chatty, but Rogue was a little shy to begin with. Blaze stoically ignored Remy's efforts at flirting with her rival, leafing casually through her book and enjoying the hot sun on her bronzed skin.
"What is your book about, Blaze?" Xavier asked, hoping to begin again with this fire-elemental who'd become a part of his team without him knowing hardly anything about her. Appreciating that Xavier was really trying, Blaze closed the text and met his eyes.
"Meditation." She answered honestly. "It seems my powers are harder to control when I'm emotional about something." Dropping her long eyelashes to cover her big brown eyes, she didn't need to elaborate. Unthinking, Xavier's glance fell on Gambit and Rogue, alone now Kitty had gone back in the pool with Kurt. "I thought meditation might help me stay in control, and I'll try anything once." Blaze smiled, "Just ask Ilehana."
"No," Ilehana enthused, "Please don't. Too many painful memories!"
"So," Xavier ignored his daughter as half of the X-Men now tried to get out of her exactly what Blaze had exposed her to. "Are you glad to be home, Blaze? To be back where you belong?"
"I don't know." Blaze answered honestly. "It depends."
"On what?" Xavier wanted to know.
"On how long those burgers of Beast's are gonna take to be ready? I'm famished!" Blaze chirped, smiling. Xavier could only sigh in relief.
(Roll credits..........................)