Regina: Congratulations to the Uncanny R Man, for being the 100th reviewer (or rather, having the 100th review)! And for holding the record for most reviews. . . at once. I must say, it was interesting to have someone go through and review every chapter of the story. I'm kinda glad it wasn't any longer!
Beauty and the Beast
Chapter Twenty-Five: Possibilities
Somehow, control of the wedding had been wrested from Kitty's iron grip, and Hank and Jennifer were able to plan it themselves, rather that be spectators to one of the most important days of their lives.
Jennifer leant against Hank as the two of them sat on one of the couches in the recreation room. The students were giving them a wide berth, knowing that they wanted some time alone. Absently twisting her ring, Jennifer said, "Are you sure you want to go through with this?"
Hank looked down at Jennifer. "Go through with what? The wedding? You're not having second thoughts, are you?"
Jennifer shook her head. "Of course I want to marry you, Hank, but do you think a month is a bit too soon? I mean, there will be so many things to organise, and don't Kitty to do any of the work for us any more."
Hank smiled. "A month is not soon enough, Jennifer. I wish we could just get married tomorrow, and then begin our life together as soon as possible."
"Oh, Hank. . ."
Hank stretched his arm out and wrapped it around Jennifer's shoulder, and with a sigh of contentment, she let him pull her close. And there they remained, content to just be in each other's company, in the peace that they had had so little of during the course of their relationship.
A group of students walking past the recreation room noticed the couple through the open door. Tabitha, who was part of the group, suddenly mentioned something that had been bothering her for some time.
"Do you think if they have kids that they'll look like Kurt?"
"Hey!"
X X X
At dinner that evening, Hank and Jennifer made an announcement.
"As all of you know, Jennifer and I are planning to get married soon. . ."
"Yeah. We were there when you proposed, remember?"
"Bobby!"
Hank glared at Bobby, before repeating himself. "As all of you know, Jennifer and I are planning to get married soon, but we have been thinking about what will happen beyond that."
"Where are you going for your honeymoon?"
"I think Mr McCoy had something to say."
"Thank you, Scott," said Jennifer. "Continue, Hank."
"And we have been thinking about what will happen beyond that." Hank's voice was starting to get annoyed. "And one thing we have been talking about is where we are going to live once we get married."
The students were silent. Jamie was the first to speak.
"What do you mean, where are you going to live? You're gonna stay here, aren't you?"
Jennifer shook her head slowly. "It's not that simple. There are many things to take into account. We're not sure if we can, I don't know how to say this but, well, we'd want privacy. It's all right now, but soon it will be different."
"It's not that we don't want to be here," added Hank, "but it does bring up certain problems."
Jennifer nodded in agreement. "And then there is the possibility of children. . ."
"Babies?!" squealed Kitty.
"Babies are not just cute little things that you can play with, Kitty," warned Hank.
"How many of you would like to be woken up in the middle of the night by a baby screaming?" asked Jennifer. "And then have it happen the next night? And the next?" When the students replied with silence, Jennifer leaned back into her chair. "Thought so."
"But you do want to have kids, right?" asked Kitty.
Jennifer sighed. "I do - I have wanted to for so long. But now that the prospective father is, well. . ."
"Me," said Hank sadly.
". . . it does present a few problems. Like trying to convince a certain someone that having children is a good thing." Jennifer shot Hank a meaningful look.
"Any baby would be lucky to have you for a father, Mr McCoy."
Hank smiled slightly. "Thank you. But getting back to what we were talking about. There is the possibility - and the opportunity - to live somewhere other than here in the Institute."
"Where?" asked Ray.
"Well, you know my house was destroyed in the fire that Duncan accidentally set," began Jennifer, "but since the insurance company paid out for it to be rebuilt a while ago, the construction work was begun a while ago, and it is nearly finished. It will be finished by the time we come back from our honeymoon," she added.
"And if we do want to live somewhere in Bayville other than the Institute, the option to live in Jennifer's house I open to us," added Hank.
"Even with Mrs Finklestein living next door?" asked Amara, her tone disbelieving.
Everyone, including Hank and Jennifer, laughed at the mention of Jennifer's nosy former - and possibly future - neighbour.
"But then we are faced with the problem of the two of us living in the midst of humans," explained Hank. "And as you know, humans who are accepting like Jennifer are few and far in between. Those that do often already have a close relationship with a mutant, like Bill."
"The janitor?"
"That's the one. His daughter, Becky, is a mutant. She and Bill are invited to the wedding, aren't they, Hank?"
"Yes. And so are a lot of the other mutants we have met during our time here at the Institute. But that's off topic. We want to know what you think about what we've just told you."
The students looked at each other. "Us?" asked Kurt. "You want our opinion?"
"Why else do you think that we asked you?"
The students looked at each other again, unsure of what to say.
Finally, Jean spoke. "We understand that it's your decision, but we would like you to stay. You're part of the family."
"Well put," said Xavier, who had just been observing all that had taken place. "And this gives me the chance to put forward my suggestion. It was going to be more of a wedding present, but. . . well, you'll see."
"What is it, Charles?" asked Hank.
"Yeah, what is it Professor?"
"As I have heard most of you at one point or another mention, there are large portions of the mansion that are not used, and just empty rooms. There is an entire wing that has remained empty since before any of you have been here, and has only been used occasionally for storage. I am offering this wing, and its rooms to Hank and Jennifer as a wedding present, to do with as they see fit, although I recommend they convert it into their own private apartment, separate from the other rooms, but still part of the mansion. This way they can have the privacy they want, but will also be on hand to help with anything that may occur. I believe there would even be enough space to raise a family there," Xavier added with a smile.
"Oh, Charles," said Jennifer, "I don't know what to say."
"Neither do I," added Hank.
"Then say that you accept," Xavier said simply.
Hank and Jennifer looked at each other. "We do," they said as one.
The students broke out into cheers.
Beauty and the Beast
Chapter Twenty-Five: Possibilities
Somehow, control of the wedding had been wrested from Kitty's iron grip, and Hank and Jennifer were able to plan it themselves, rather that be spectators to one of the most important days of their lives.
Jennifer leant against Hank as the two of them sat on one of the couches in the recreation room. The students were giving them a wide berth, knowing that they wanted some time alone. Absently twisting her ring, Jennifer said, "Are you sure you want to go through with this?"
Hank looked down at Jennifer. "Go through with what? The wedding? You're not having second thoughts, are you?"
Jennifer shook her head. "Of course I want to marry you, Hank, but do you think a month is a bit too soon? I mean, there will be so many things to organise, and don't Kitty to do any of the work for us any more."
Hank smiled. "A month is not soon enough, Jennifer. I wish we could just get married tomorrow, and then begin our life together as soon as possible."
"Oh, Hank. . ."
Hank stretched his arm out and wrapped it around Jennifer's shoulder, and with a sigh of contentment, she let him pull her close. And there they remained, content to just be in each other's company, in the peace that they had had so little of during the course of their relationship.
A group of students walking past the recreation room noticed the couple through the open door. Tabitha, who was part of the group, suddenly mentioned something that had been bothering her for some time.
"Do you think if they have kids that they'll look like Kurt?"
"Hey!"
X X X
At dinner that evening, Hank and Jennifer made an announcement.
"As all of you know, Jennifer and I are planning to get married soon. . ."
"Yeah. We were there when you proposed, remember?"
"Bobby!"
Hank glared at Bobby, before repeating himself. "As all of you know, Jennifer and I are planning to get married soon, but we have been thinking about what will happen beyond that."
"Where are you going for your honeymoon?"
"I think Mr McCoy had something to say."
"Thank you, Scott," said Jennifer. "Continue, Hank."
"And we have been thinking about what will happen beyond that." Hank's voice was starting to get annoyed. "And one thing we have been talking about is where we are going to live once we get married."
The students were silent. Jamie was the first to speak.
"What do you mean, where are you going to live? You're gonna stay here, aren't you?"
Jennifer shook her head slowly. "It's not that simple. There are many things to take into account. We're not sure if we can, I don't know how to say this but, well, we'd want privacy. It's all right now, but soon it will be different."
"It's not that we don't want to be here," added Hank, "but it does bring up certain problems."
Jennifer nodded in agreement. "And then there is the possibility of children. . ."
"Babies?!" squealed Kitty.
"Babies are not just cute little things that you can play with, Kitty," warned Hank.
"How many of you would like to be woken up in the middle of the night by a baby screaming?" asked Jennifer. "And then have it happen the next night? And the next?" When the students replied with silence, Jennifer leaned back into her chair. "Thought so."
"But you do want to have kids, right?" asked Kitty.
Jennifer sighed. "I do - I have wanted to for so long. But now that the prospective father is, well. . ."
"Me," said Hank sadly.
". . . it does present a few problems. Like trying to convince a certain someone that having children is a good thing." Jennifer shot Hank a meaningful look.
"Any baby would be lucky to have you for a father, Mr McCoy."
Hank smiled slightly. "Thank you. But getting back to what we were talking about. There is the possibility - and the opportunity - to live somewhere other than here in the Institute."
"Where?" asked Ray.
"Well, you know my house was destroyed in the fire that Duncan accidentally set," began Jennifer, "but since the insurance company paid out for it to be rebuilt a while ago, the construction work was begun a while ago, and it is nearly finished. It will be finished by the time we come back from our honeymoon," she added.
"And if we do want to live somewhere in Bayville other than the Institute, the option to live in Jennifer's house I open to us," added Hank.
"Even with Mrs Finklestein living next door?" asked Amara, her tone disbelieving.
Everyone, including Hank and Jennifer, laughed at the mention of Jennifer's nosy former - and possibly future - neighbour.
"But then we are faced with the problem of the two of us living in the midst of humans," explained Hank. "And as you know, humans who are accepting like Jennifer are few and far in between. Those that do often already have a close relationship with a mutant, like Bill."
"The janitor?"
"That's the one. His daughter, Becky, is a mutant. She and Bill are invited to the wedding, aren't they, Hank?"
"Yes. And so are a lot of the other mutants we have met during our time here at the Institute. But that's off topic. We want to know what you think about what we've just told you."
The students looked at each other. "Us?" asked Kurt. "You want our opinion?"
"Why else do you think that we asked you?"
The students looked at each other again, unsure of what to say.
Finally, Jean spoke. "We understand that it's your decision, but we would like you to stay. You're part of the family."
"Well put," said Xavier, who had just been observing all that had taken place. "And this gives me the chance to put forward my suggestion. It was going to be more of a wedding present, but. . . well, you'll see."
"What is it, Charles?" asked Hank.
"Yeah, what is it Professor?"
"As I have heard most of you at one point or another mention, there are large portions of the mansion that are not used, and just empty rooms. There is an entire wing that has remained empty since before any of you have been here, and has only been used occasionally for storage. I am offering this wing, and its rooms to Hank and Jennifer as a wedding present, to do with as they see fit, although I recommend they convert it into their own private apartment, separate from the other rooms, but still part of the mansion. This way they can have the privacy they want, but will also be on hand to help with anything that may occur. I believe there would even be enough space to raise a family there," Xavier added with a smile.
"Oh, Charles," said Jennifer, "I don't know what to say."
"Neither do I," added Hank.
"Then say that you accept," Xavier said simply.
Hank and Jennifer looked at each other. "We do," they said as one.
The students broke out into cheers.