Jean and Nanny sat up watching a documentary on the life of the Pope, a memorial to him because of his recent death.

"Hey Jean, are you going to have a priest, or a minister, or ...?"

"A priest."

Nanny nodded. As the documentary ended and they turned off the TV, the door bell rang.

"I wonder if the guys are playing some kind of a prank."

"Maybe it's some early trick-or-treaters," Nanny joked.

"Hello, how can I help you?" Jean asked as she opened the door to face a short, somewhat stout, older man. His hands were shaking slightly as he clung tightly to an old fisherman's hat.

"I am looking for a Scott Summers. I've been traveling all day to find him."

"I'm afraid he's not here. Can I give him a message?"

"Oh." He stopped, looked back at his car and replied shortly, "No. I really need to talk to him." There was a since of urgent sorrow and sincerity in his eyes. After a few moments as the guy seemed to be thinking about what he should do now, Jean looked over at Nanny.

"They shouldn't be much longer if you'd like to come in and wait," Nanny chimed in.

"Oh, thank you, thank you."

"What's your business with Scott," Nanny asked curiously. "If it's all right to ask."

"No no, it's a fine question, but I'd like to wait for Scott before I answer that."

"The TV room is this way. Can I get you anything: coffee, tea, water, soda?" Jean offered.

"Hot tea sounds nice."

Jean motioned for Nanny to follow her into the kitchen.

"Will you go and inform the Professor of our visitor while I wait with him?"

"Sure. But I bet he already knows." Jean smiled and Nanny headed off towards Cerebro.

…

"Professor …?"

"Yes Nanny, what is it?"

"We have a visitor."

"Oh really? Who is it?"

"Don't know, he wouldn't say. He's looking for Scott. That's all we know."

"Well I'll be up in a minute or two. It isn't urgent, is it?"

"No, doesn't seem to be."

…

Nanny met with Jean again in the kitchen, this time Storm was talking the man and Nightcrawler snuck in through the front door and headed off to his room to keep from alarming their guest.

"He seems harmless Nanny, but he makes me uneasy. I can't get any mental readings on him. After I noticed that, I tried to read a few of his thoughts, and I couldn't."

"Ya, I've got an odd feeling about him too. But like you said, he doesn't seem to mean harm. He's too, shy, almost."

"I know. He's sitting on the edge of the couch, waiting for Scott. At every foot step he stands up and asks if he's home, but it was either Storm or you. And he wouldn't answer your question. It makes me nervous."

"I'm sure it's nothing, really."

"You're probably right. I get paranoid easily."

"Ha, you get paranoid easily?" Nanny said as she grabbed cold toast and spread some blackberry jam on it.

After a few more moments of silently observing the guest from the kitchen, they heard the guys pull up and the man stood up earnestly. Scott and Wolverine came bouncing in down the halls, actually headed up the stairs when Jean caught them. They had been arguing over who had won the most pool games. They had lost track after a few rounds of beer.

"Scott, someone's here to see you." Jean said as she approached the stairs.

"Alex?" Scott rushed down the stairs.

"No ..." but by the time Jean had said this, Scott was already face to face with their guest. The man's eyes began to tear and he smiled up at Scott.

"Scott …" he whispered. Scott starred at him, looking to the others for some sort of an explanation. Wolverine slowly made his way back down the stairs, quietly listening, just like the others. After a few solemn moments, the guest spoke again.

"Scott, I'm your father."

His thoughts raced back and forth between joy and hesitation. The last memories of his parents and his childhood flooded back. Scott starred at him, trying to find some resemblance. He had a few burns on his face and looked like he had been through a lot, but he didn't look like himself, or his brother Alex. Scott looked at him with utter disbelief.

"My father died in a plane crash." Scott stated plainly and a bit sternly. Scott eyed the man carefully, awaiting an explanation.

"No. They all thought we had died, and rightfully so. We first strapped the two of you into the parachutes and sent you off. The plane crashed and I was able to pull your mother and myself from the burning plane. We passed out and the rescue teams couldn't find us. When I woke up, your mother was suffering from hyperthermia. I went to search for you and your brother, but you weren't anywhere. I had to give up my search to get your mother to the nearest hospital. Once your mother was doing better, I immediately began trying to find you again. They wouldn't let us know where you had been taken because they said that only family members would be given such access. Apparently they had found two bodies still in the plane and assumed them to be ours. We lost our ID in the plane and so we couldn't prove anything. Your mother died of a heart attack from the loss of you two only a year after the accident. I've spent every day since trying to find you. Yesterday morning, about one, the private detective I hired called me and said he found some files on a Scott Summers among some top security government files. He gave me your address and I've spent all day traveling here to meet you again." A few tears rolled down the man's face and he urgently wanted to hug his son, but waited until Scott seemed to understand, to really believe. A tear fell off of Scott's cheek and one by one the other X-Men left the two alone.

"I want to hear all about your life growing up. And I want to know where your brother is."

"I don't know where Alex is."

"Oh." They sat on the back porch for a while and everyone came back to the TV room for formal introductions when the Professor came upstairs.

"I am Professor Xavier."

"So you run this school?"

"Yes, but with the help of my teachers. Scott here is the school's Admissions Director and school counselor. Jean is our Psychology teacher. Ororo is our Math, History, and English teacher. Nanny is our Art teacher. Logan is our Gym instructor and I teach Science."

"Nice to meet you all."

"Nice to meet you," the team answered.

"Ah … Dad …," Scott muttered hesitantly, " I'm getting married. Jean is my fiancé."

"Oh Scott!" He whispered quietly. His lisp quivered a bit and stood in silence for a bit, a few stray tears trickling down his slightly wrinkled face. "If only your mother could have been here," he chocked out quietly and blew his nose in his handkerchief.

Most of the X-Men went to bed while Jean and Scott stayed up visiting with Mr. Summers. The Professor had Nanny clean up and prepare a bed room for Mr. Summers and then she too headed for bed. After a few hours, Jean resigned, leaving Scott and his father alone to talk into the wee hours of the morning.

…

"Nanny?"

"Hmmmm?"

Storm giggled softly to herself as Nanny dragged her sleepy self into the kitchen with her knotted spoon and a few paper clips stuck to her back. A pair of scissors drug behind her at her heals. Nanny turned around and noticed the scissors. Storm pulled the paper clips off of her back and the knotted spoon.

"I haven't been getting a lot of sleep lately." Nanny said, yawning, sitting down holding her spoon. "This is what happens when I don't get sleep."

"Why can't you sleep?"

"Bad dreams mainly. Once I wake up from one, I can't fall asleep again."

Storm gave her a questioning look, pointing her eyes towards the class rooms.

"Oh no, I don't think it's Nightmare."

"I didn't think she would, after she had a nightmare herself. She dreamed that you had died, and that it was all her fault."

"Oh the poor thing," Nanny laughed.

"She was glad to know you hadn't died, and hadn't been kidnapped by a witch."

Nanny rubbed her eyes and got up to get some water and waffles. "So we're still having our game night tonight, right?"

"That's the plan. I'm not sure if Mr. Summers will join us, or if Cyclops and he will be off doing something or talking together."

…

Every Friday was game night for the X-Men, and their game was typically poker. From time to time they'd play a board game, or spoons. They never bet anything of real value- often food items they had stashed away in their rooms, or they'd bet chores- whoever lost had to do the chores. If they ever bet money at all, it never exceeded ten dollars from any one person. While the X-Men were playing some poker, the Professor took Mr. Summers on a tour of the school. All of the children were asked to stay outside, in their rooms, or in the library. They had been on their best behavior, being very careful not to let a display of power slip; Mr. Summers didn't know what Scott was, or what any of them were, for that matter.

…

"The school is magnificent Professor Xavier."

"Thank you. We have all worked hard to provide safe and educational experiences for all of our students."

"Now you said it was a boarding school, right?"

"Yes."

"So do the children go home for the summer, or do you have year round schooling?"

"Most do go home during the summer, but there are a few parents who feel like their children need to stay here. Most of them see this as not only a good education but also as a means of altering their bad behavior. We offer a few summer classes for those who chose to stay here, but we often do a bit more field trips during the summer."

"You certainly have every thing a child could need or want to succeed! I bet these children go on to some of the best colleges!"

"Yes yes." The Professor smiled proudly. "They are very smart and most to go on to some of the most prestigious colleges in the Nation."

…

"Are you going to play this time?" Storm asked Nanny as they all pulled up chairs and Storm began to deal.

"No. Hahaha, I'm horrible at poker. Could never really remember what was a good hand or a bad hand. Now, if we were playing BS, I'd be in. I enjoy just watching and chatting." "It's fun to watch Jean beat you all," Nanny added. Wolverine raised his eye brows.

"She only wins because she keeps reading our minds."

"I do not!" Jean playfully insisted.

"So Nanny, I heard that the Professor has offered you spot on the team. You'll be an official X-Men soon." Cyclops looked up from his cards for a moment. "… or X woman," he corrected himself and smiled.

"Not so soon. I have to relatively finish my training. And I will rarely go on any missions with you all. I will still be the official babysitter."

"Well if you're going to join the team, you're going to need a name."

"What do you mean? I already have one."

"'Your real name,'" Nightcrawler mocked Magneto.

"Ya, that's what I'm talking about. Unless Nanny is on my birth certificate or something."

"Not good enough."

"Have any suggestions?"

"You could always take the opposing name of Magneta."

"That is so unoriginal Scott," Jean scolded. She smiled and anteed-up.

"What!"

"I fold," Wolverine said quietly.

"What about ….. hmmm."

"See, there aren't any names. Nanny is just fine. Besides, my position ON the team will still be as a baby sitter."

"Anti-O?" Cyclops continued. "She's like our 'anti-magneto' but since that's too long, Anti-O."

"There is a certain ring to it, but no. Stop while you're ahead three eyes." Wolverine sipped at some beer that he was allowed to keep in his room.

"My name is Nanny!" She said firmly, rolling her eyes as she got up to refill the chip bowl.

"You mean I won?" Nightcrawler starred at his and Jean's cards, and applause arose from the whole group.

"Maybe she doesn't cheat." They all laughed and Scott stole a kiss.

"Well it is up to you, but I'll keep thinking of some names any ways."