Standard disclaimer: I don't own them; I'm just borrowing them for our entertainment.

Scylla and Charybdis

Part 11 - Graduation: Safe Harbor

Scott finished his final semester without so much as a ripple. He jumped through every graduation year hoop and did well in all his classes. On the final day of exams, there were plenty of tears and hugs. Everyone was going to be moving on now. It was part of growing up and having their own lives.

The whole of the Xavier Institute came to see Scott graduate. There were now twelve teenagers in residence. While three of them were graduating from high school themselves that year, they all knew this was the last year any of them would be in a public school, hiding what they were, and they were thrilled that all that was going to change.

Jean had gotten the day off and was sitting next to Ororo. They were chatting about Ororo's graduate program and her hopes to finish at the end of the summer.

"This seat taken?" It was Warren. There was a spate of hugs all around.

"Oh, come on," he protested. "Did you really think I'd miss seeing our fearless leader graduate from college?"

"I suppose you doubted this day would come," Ororo smirked.

"No, I didn't," Warren replied, surprising both women. "I know once he decides to do something, it's done." He grinned. "After all, he wanted Jean -- he got Jean. It took long enough, but he got his way in the end."

The two women looked at each other for a moment before punching him.

"Ow!"

x x x x x

They followed the commencement ceremony in the program and waited impatiently for the 'S's.

"Scott Summers."

A roar of approval went up from the Xavier Institute group. Afterward the ceremony was over, they made their way through the throng of caps and gowns to find Scott. Hugs were given and pictures were taken, just like all the other families around them.

"Scott, Scott!" It was Nancy, followed by Maggie. He found himself blinking back tears as he said goodbye to them. The two young women had been a big part of his life for the past four years. Now, they were moving to California where Maggie was going to go to graduate school. He knew it would be years before they saw each other again.

This life was over. A new one was about to begin.

x x x x x

Contrary to expectations, Scott did not immediately return to the Institute. Jean's residency didn't end until July and he point blank refused to be separated. When they moved, it would be together. They were a package deal.

And since that was the case, they still had to have a conversation with the Professor. While they had spent the night together at the mansion several times, they weren't sure how he really felt about it. Scott and Jean went to the Institute to see Professor Xavier together. Scott forced himself not to appear nervous. They went to the library and found tea was laid out for them.

Jean poured the tea while they began with pleasantries. As always, the school was the main topic of discussion.

"The children are becoming something of a handful," Professor Xavier admitted. "Of course, understandably so, but still, I'm looking forward to you taking up residence here again." There, the Professor thought. That would be a nice opening for the boy.

"Yes ... about that," Scott began, taking the opening presented. "There's something we needed to talk to you about -- living arrangements."

"Yes?"

"Well, since Jean and I are living together now ..." he stumbled.

Jean jumped in. "If you'd rather we live off grounds, that's fine. We understand."

Professor Xavier held up his hand to stop them. "Please," he said. "Our experience has shown that many, if not most, of the students here will be runaways. I doubt after what they'll see living on the streets they'll be shocked to find two teachers living together. In fact, seeing mutants like themselves in an established relationship might be good for them. As long as you and Scott maintain a certain level of decorum, I have no objection to you living here, at the mansion. Would you like to move into the blue room? It has a private bathroom and an alcove that could easily be furnished as a study."

Jean and Scott looked at each other. They were being offered the choicest room in the house. This was sweet -- and completely unexpected.

"Are you sure?" Scott asked. "We know you've never been in favor ..."

The Professor interrupted him. "What I considered to be wrong for you at eighteen is obviously right for you now, at almost twenty two. To be honest, I do still have some reservations, but that you've been very successful at maintaining your relationship this past year speaks for itself. It would be far more convenient for you to live in the house. If privacy becomes an issue, we can discuss other options at that time. But for now, I would prefer you to stay."

Scott looked at Jean again, who nodded. "Okay," he said. "We'll move back in August."

x x x x x

The summer zoomed by. Even though he was still living in Yonkers with Jean, Scott spent several days a week at the Institute, working with the kids and keeping them out of trouble. His brother Alex also returned for several weeks and the summer was a little less tense than last year. Alex's relationship with Lorna was even stronger and she would be joining him at Berkeley in the fall. Scott still hadn't decided how he felt about that, but he was getting used to the idea. Finally, Jean passed her Board examinations and her residency came to an end. She was ready to start as the resident physician at the Institute, as promised, in August.

A few weeks before they were to move, Scott and Jean began packing.

"Not those," Jean said suddenly to Scott as he began to pack a stack of books. "Those are coming with me to New York."

"New York?" he echoed.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I've been talking about it with Hank and Professor so much, I forgot to tell you. Hank's asked me to join the Genome Project with him!"

"Oh," Scott said. So much for being partners, he thought. "I thought you were set to be the doctor at the school?"

"Hey!" she replied sharply. "I caught the 'partners' crack." Her tone softened. "It won't interfere with my being at the school; I've worked it out with Hank and the Professor. I'll be commuting to New York twice a week; the rest of the time I'll be working in the lab at the Institute. We've got all the equipment I'll need. And Hank's going to come down once a week to work with me. He thinks its important that we start doing research on mutations, so when we're discovered -- and we know we're going to be, it's only a matter of time -- we'll have good science to trot out and steer the discussion."

Scott wasn't sure science was going to lead the discussion when the inevitable happened, but he didn't say anything.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier," she said. "It just got sorted out this week."

"It's okay," he lied.

"No, it's not okay," Jean insisted. "I hurt your feelings and that wasn't right. Do you forgive me?"

Scott smiled and kissed her hand. "There's nothing to forgive," he said.

x x x x x

They rented a small truck to move and they had a small army of helpers from the students. Their new room at the mansion was bigger than Jean's old room and, situated at the other end of the house away from the rest of the students, it gave them a sense of privacy.

That evening, he and Ororo shared the school's plans and curriculum with Jean. She immediately saw a problem.

"Don't you think the Professor is taking on too much?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" said Scott.

"Well, he's doing both science classes, plus English Lit, plus Ethics, plus working with all the students on their powers," she pointed out.

"There's only three of us, Jean," Ororo stated.

"Suppose I team-teach the science classes with the Professor," she offered. "I'll be here three days a week; I can certainly give a few hours to the classroom. Besides, I ..." she smiled at Scott, "I want to be more involved."

"Okay," he said. "Let's go talk to the Professor."

x x x x x

They found him in the basement, unpacking a large box.

"Jean spotted a problem with the schedule," Scott began without preamble and then stopped. "What's that?" he asked as Professor Xavier pulled a jacket out of the box.

The Professor handed the jacket over to Scott with a smile. "It's for you to wear on missions. What do you think?" he asked.

They looked it over critically. To date, they had been wearing leather, but this, this didn't quite feel like leather. "What is it?" Ororo asked.

"A special fabric some researchers have been working on," the Professor replied. "It's a prototype. A synthetic fabric that will keep the wearer comfortable and better -- safe. Most knives can't cut it and it will stop small caliber bullets. I've had uniforms made for all of you."

They were still young enough to find the prospect of actual uniforms exciting. Scott tried the jacket on. It was skin tight, but he looked really good, in Jean's opinion.

Scott's grin slipped a little as he looked at the Professor. "It's come to this, then?"

He nodded. "I'm afraid so." He paused. "You can still back out -- all of you can. We can continue with the school and it will affect nothing."

"No," Scott replied. "We have to do this -- because we're the only ones who can."

x x x x x

"So I guess we're a mutant SWAT team now," Ororo remarked as they returned upstairs.

Scott shrugged. "Somebody's going to have to do it. It might as well be us."

"You guys need a name," Lorna called over the banisters. Scott marveled at how quickly the kids knew what was going on in the house. They probably already knew about the uniforms.

"For what, Miss Nosy?" he called back.

"For the team," she replied. "We all know about it; you went to get most of us." She thought for a moment. "What about X-Men?" she offered. "X for Xavier, for X-gene, X for lots of things."

Both Ororo and Jean started to giggle; Scott was hard put to keep a straight face. "X-Men" -- it was too funny. "We'll think about it," he assured the younger girl.

x x x x x

The next day was bright and sunny. Everyone gathered around the front gate, looking at a covered plaque on the stone wall. Professor Xavier smiled.

"I never dared to dream, all those years ago, when I first brought a mutant child to this house to teach her how to control her powers," he looked at Jean with a smile. "That one day we would be opening a school for mutant children, to educate the mind and develop the gifts, without fear and without hiding. Today, that day has come."

Proudly he yanked the cloth off with a flourish to the applause of the students and teachers. It was quite simple:

Xavier's School
for
Gifted Youngsters
1407 Graymalkin Lane, Salem Center
Westchester County, New York

A new beginning was at hand for them all.

THE END

I hope you all liked this story. I'd like to thank my beta-readers, Jen and Amy, for reading (and re-reading) all my drafts and finding all my mistakes! Thanks all.