Sue Penkivech: Yeah, I figured even if Bobby was annoyed with Warren he won't let his dad put him down. Glad you liked that. You got one of the reason Scott didn't stick up for Bobby. I figured he may look out for Bobby but he won't feel it was his place to tell Mr. Drake off. Especially if the Professor didn't. (And in case anyone asks the Professor wouldn't do it in front of the students.) Also Scott met Mr. Drake before and knows what he's like and that arguing with him will only make things worse. As for Hank? When I started writing this I felt confident that I could write Warren. I don't feel so confident with Hank. I wrote a story about him but it didn't feel like I got his character right.




smeg1 Glad you're enjoying my fic so far. Thanks for the kind words. I always wanted to read more stories about the "early years" myself. I'm trying.




Yeah! Managed to have this up for my birthday! (Even though I lost it twice and had to rewrite it.)

_____________________



The next couple of days we kept busying preparing for our trip. Apparently the Prof had somehow convinced Mr. Drake to let Bobby go. I couldn't help but wonder how he had been 'convinced', I had my suspicions though.

Bobby barely spoke to anyone after we met his folks, even the Professor. Which did tend to make things seem a bit...depressing. Still if you looked at it a certain way it was an improvement. I mean we didn't fight anymore right? Right...



As our practice sessions continued I had began to notice something...well weird. While Scott and I worked out in the Danger Room at least three times a day Bobby hardly ever seemed to come in. It was something even Scott had to admit was odd. We all were here to study, to hone in on our abilities after all. So why would the Prof take it so easy on the kid? Scott claimed it had to be because of his friends' age. I partly agreed, but suggested that our mentor was afraid of a lawsuit. You know, for endangering a minor. Scott had the nerve to say that I had issues!




Finally the day of our trip had come and we were all rushing out the door. Scott had arrived first, packing away not only his stuff but the Professors' as well. Man, what a suck up, I had thought placing my luggage next to theirs.



"Come on Bobby. You know we're leaving in fifteen minutes... " He muttered to himself while checking his watch. I rolled my eyes. I would have been bored to tears if my cell phone didn't ring then. Ignoring Scotts' huffing I answered it.



"Hell-lo Warren here."



"Hey Warren." I smiled glad to hear a familiar voice, more importantly a friend.



"Hey Cameron. What's on your mind?" Cameron Hodge, was my only close friend at Fairburn. A guy that was always being picked on--until I took him under my wing--so to speak.



"Not much, I mean I just wanted to talk to you. I'll be going to a new school soon...and I know you just moved in and...I was wondering if we could meet up..." I frowned. I liked Cameron but I wasn't sure I could let him come over to the school. And not just because Professor Xavier might not like it. Cameron was a bright guy, he could figure out the truth about me. I had my suspicions that he had already. Could I really trust anyone besides Xavier and his group of people? I wasn't sure. I made up some excuses about my parents sending me to Hong Kong and ended our conversation. When I looked up I saw Slim was all but dragging Bobby out the front door.

"--But I can't find it!" He whined as Scott heaved his things into the trunk.



"You can look for it later, we have to leave. NOW." The door was flung open and Scott paused as if to consider something. A moment later he shoved me in first before I had time to muster up a good protest. Then he sat beside me, pulling the kid down next to him.

"Hey, watch what your doing 'slim'! I wasn't the one who was holding us up!" I grumbled. While the driver help the Professor into his seat I attempted to not argue any further with the frozen twerp. I knew I had to be civil to him, that we should be getting along, that he didn't need this crap. I got that, really I did. But like most things in life it worked better in theory than in practice. Biting down my pride I tried what I hoped was a safer subject to discuss.



"What are you looking for?" I asked.



"None of your business, Worthington." Bobby responded coldly.



"Fine." I hissed back. I WAS trying to be nice, no one could claim I wasn't.



"Fine."



"Good."

"Great."



I would like to say that the rest of our car ride went smoothly but that would be a lie. We were halfway out the gate when my cell rang again.

"Hey Sally! How are you?" I greeted cheerfully, forgetting about the other people with me. We went on to talk about some recent social event or another. (Her idea not mine.) I was about to tell her about the infamous streaking incident when I was cut off.

"Warren, could you please say good-bye to the young lady and hang up?"The Professor asked with more than a hint of exasperation. I wisely held back my smart ass comment that you can't 'hang up' a cell phone and did as I was told.

"Sorry sir."

The five of us sat together in a silence that threatened to doom us all. I had never been very good at waiting, I was more of a man of action. My father had always taken me with him to staff meetings and such. When I was younger he had even taken me to the exclusive Hellfire Club. I couldn't see what the big deal about it was, it all seemed pretty dull to me. (Not to mention the dress code.)



Needless to say that sitting in a car with nothing to do or say was my own personal hell. I glanced over at Scott who sat serenely as ever, hands neatly folded in his lap. Did this guy EVER loosen up. I doubted it.



Bobby on the other hand couldn't seem to sit still. His left foot tapped wildly against the carpeted floor. After awhile the taps sounded like a beat to a song, one I couldn't quite put my finger on. About three minutes had passed until the Professor had enough. "Bobby!"




"Wha--?!"



"Will you please stop that?"



"Oh--okay." The tapping ceased.



"Robert, I thought I told you to stop." Three confused heads (mine included) turned to our mentor.



"I did stop." Bobby stated defensively.

"I meant the singing." I hadn't heard a peep from the kid since the car started moving. What was the man talking about? We continued to stare at our teacher til comprehension dawned on Bobbys' face.



"Oh...sorry. I forgot." He murmured sheepishly.



My cell rang yet again, this time a collective groan greeted me as I said hello. It was Susan, another daughter of one of my mothers' friends. She must of been on the speaker phone or something. Her voice was so loud that I had to use the sleeve of my jacket to muffle it. And even then it could still be heard clearly throughout the entire car.

Susan was telling me something about her the latest gossip, I couldn't understand much of what she said. I had a hard time responding with her rambling in my ear.



"Of course we didn't know--"



"Warren--"



"--with lots of--"



"Warren--!"



"--you know he had--"

"WARREN!" The whole car shouted at me. (I actually jumped at that.) Xavier told me in no uncertain terms that I was to hang up. Laughing nervously I bid her goodbye. Neither Bobby or I did anything besides breath for the rest of the car ride. But that didn't mean we didn't have fun, far from it. We were almost at the airport when suddenly the Professor asked Scott to focus his mind elsewhere. Poor Scotts' face when as red as his shades. For a fleeting moment Bobby and I shared a grin at our team mates' expense. A second later realizing that I was the 'enemy' he frowned and turned away.

Agent Duncan was nearby a black jet not to far off from where we were parked. He raised an eyebrow at the sight of the Prof rubbing his temples so vigorously. "Problems?" He asked giving all of us (especially Bobby) hard looks.



"None that can't be solved. I must confess that both you and Moria were right."



"Well naturally, but about what?"



"Moria said I should have taught them about mental barrier first. You said I should of reconsidered teaching teenagers." Duncan laughed at that then made his way over to help us with the luggage.

"Say nice 'copter." I said pointing to the one in the next lot over.

"Glad you like it Warren, you boys will be getting it if you survive the experience." Duncan proclaimed leading us back to the jet.



"Fred--" Our mentor was cut off by the said persons' laugh.

"Come on Charles, the boys need something to look forward to, god knows their need it." The three of us exchanged panicked glances as the pair went aboard. We had no choice but to follow them inside.



"Wow." Bobby exclaimed.

"Hey if you got to travel might as well be in style." I mused.



"My sentiments exactly." Duncan muttered. The Prof just shook his head in reply as Duncan wheeled him into the cockpit. Scott followed them in. When he returned a small smile lit his face, which of course sparked my interest.

"You like planes Slim?" I asked.



"Love them," he replied happily, "my--my dad was a pilot. He use to fly us on different family vacations..." He trailed off, all the previous happily drained from his being. I felt sorry for bringing the whole thing up but I had hoped it would at least get him to open up. Shaking himself out of his brooding he forced himself speak again. "What about you Warren, do you like to fly?"



I gave him what I had hoped was an affronted look. "What do you think Slim?" I laughed. "I love it, both ways I mean. On my own or on a jet. I've never been afraid of heights, even when I was little." A fact that scared my parents to death more than once. I paused to consider Bobby sitting by himself flipping through a comic book. "What about you kiddo?" His brow furrowed, unable to believe that I would have the nerve to talk to him. He studied me for a moment before he answered.



"Flying is okay I guess. I never flew too much." He shrugged, then returned to his comic.



"Well it's a start." Scott mumbled. I sighed, pushing myself back onto one of the comfortable seats. Well they were suppose to be comfortable anyway. I couldn't stand it with my wings tied back. I needed to get some of the weight off my back or else I'd never survive the trip. I roughly threw off my jacket, which slipped onto the floor. A small rattle came as something small and silver slipped out of my pocket. I picked up the unknown item and studied it. The silver chain held two tags, I had just read off the name when the chain was snatched from my grasp.



"I can't believe you!" Bobby hissed, ice blue eyes blazing at me. Wait a second, didn't he have brown eyes...



"Bobby..." But the kid didn't listen to Scott.



"You just HAD to take it didn't you!" He spat.



"What is--Bobby?" Xavier paled.



A thin coat of snow began to spread across the kids' body and he didn't even seem to realize it. For the second time in my life I felt the dread of facing the Iceman.





A/N: It was hinted that the Professor held Bobby back in X-Men 1 and in one of the X-Men Forever books. Cameron Hodge was a friend of Warrens'. I was going to write him in sooner but I wasn't sure about a particular fact before. He won't have a big part but I felt he had to be mentioned. Also I know cell phone weren't around in the 60's but this is kinda like a revamp.