A/N - guys. GUYS. First of all, before we go any further, thank you for the reviews. XoA, you always have a very different viewpoint than what it was we were trying to get across but it makes us look for ways to make it more plain. Hope you're enjoying it. Practically An Avenger - your shouty reviews continue to be an HUGE help in our combined struggles with depression Please don't ever stop.

And on that note, I should probably admit that I p-r-o-bably shouldn't be putting this out so fast on the heels of the last chapter but in my defense ... a)I want to; b)it's a long one so it should tide you over until we get done editing the next; and finally c) ... I want to.

So ... please enjoy. Both robbie and I had too much fun in a few spots and I outright cackled through one ... For those of you being quiet, don't be shy. I rarely bite and I always give a warning growl before I do.

Chapter 69: Stop The Presses!

The team was doing what it could to lay low for a little while considering that Hydra had made a play for Kate - and Magneto's old acolytes had made a play for not only the twins, but for James, too. There were credible threats floating around with a lot more frequency and honest threat than they'd been used to seeing in years. But that didn't mean that it was possible for them to batten down and hide entirely.

The team still had work to do - people to save, kids to rescue, and in James' case - outings to show up at as part of his responsibilities to Tony's company. So far, his interactions with the press had been positive, and he suspected that it was in large part due to the relationship that he had with Tony. He just didn't have any proof since the only time he'd been talking to press was when he was with Tony.

Both Tony and Jan had framed it to sound like it was a matter of training him on how to act around the press when he was the one in the spotlight, but he knew it was them protecting him and trying to ease him into it. And because that's what he knew for sure, he wasn't pushing to get out in the spotlight without him.

But that plan was never going to work out long term. And the short-term outlook was pretty not-too-hot either. Which was why James was making sure to have someone with him when he stepped out in public. He'd tried to make sure it was always a friend - or someone that was known to be at the tower, but as soon as Rachel realized what he was doing, she decided to step up and spend some time with her little brother the next time he wanted to go out for five minutes.

"Rach, no," James said as he tied his shoes to head out. "You shouldn't be seen with me."

"Why not? You're not that ugly," Rachel said in a teasing tone that only big sisters were capable of harnessing.

"If you say so," James said. "But that's not what I meant. You look as much like your mom as I look like Logan. You specifically shouldn't be seen with me."

"And like my mother, not only do I have the Phoenix backing me up, but I am also unburdened by the pressure the men in my family try to put on me. I'm a big girl, little brother. I can handle myself and anyone that comes after you." She reached out to screw up his hair, though that was becoming harder to do the longer he let it grow. "You need a haircut. You know that, right?"

"I'll think about it," James said, batting her hand away. "You know … I really don't need anyone going with me."

"Ha. Nice try. Tony wants you to have someone with you, and more importantly, so does Dad, so just … quit trying to protect me when I'm the one protecting you." She smiled as she stepped back so they could get moving. "Unless … you're re-thinking keeping it quiet publicly with Billy…"

"I am not risking Billy like that," James replied with a sharp edge to his tone.

"Okay, okay," Rachel said, smiling to herself. "I'm just looking forward to when you do make it public knowledge. All the crushed hearts the two of you are going to leave in your wake..."

"You're evil, sis."

"I know. So evil."

James sighed, but knew there was no way he'd be able to win this fight with Rachel, so instead of being overly stubborn - which he could do- he decided to run with it. She was right … she could handle herself.

They headed out together, trying to hold a mostly meaningless conversation while telepathically conversing about what really mattered - which, at the moment was consisting mostly of Rachel making sure her brother was alright. The anxiety that went with being in the spotlight was still high and diametrically opposed to how they'd been raised to keep their heads down and avoid attention of all sorts … and that was a hard habit to break. Even if Rachel could see that when it was positive, it was doing James some good.

They were a couple blocks down from the tower - on their way to pick up a few items that they needed for game night when the first camera flash went off and James tried to ignore it - even as Rachel looked toward the photographer. It was clear James was taking Tony's coping mechanisms to heart - but Rachel hadn't been coached in that yet, and she quickly discovered that making eye contact was as close to an invitation as reporters and paparazzi got. Not that they wouldn't dive in to try and get the pictures or soundbites they wanted anyhow.

The first question came along with a rapid fire camera clicking - but it wasn't the usual stuff that James was used to hearing asking about the business or the Avengers. "How many of the original X-Men are on the team again?"

James smiled tightly, but didn't answer, following Rachel's lead to the little corner market they preferred to shop. Thankfully, the reporter didn't go inside, which likely meant they were more legitimate, and the two of them were quick to grab the items on their list - with Rachel teasing him telepathically the whole time.

When they stepped out again, the reporter had picked up a few colleagues and the questions started freshly. A bright eyed young woman led the charge, asking questions about the X-Men and how he was handling being on both teams and working with Tony.

That's the girl running the fan site, Rachel told him with a muted smile.

So she's a friendly, James projected back to her, then took the time to try and answer the girl as they continued to walk, even managing to answer a few of the other reporters' questions in the same fell swoop, streamlining it enough that they all seemed pleased to get something.

By the time they got to the parking garage where James' Jeep was, they'd picked up a few less than legitimate or friendly types, and though the questions still hadn't taken on a tenor that was anything close to the thinly veiled racist accusations Scott had been forced to field years ago, they weren't anything close to professional either.

These new idiots did cross the line into forbidden territory - and they asked him all the same kinds of things that they used to ask Tony … before he married Jan. Most of them were laughable - or just dumb, and James found himself entertained by the way the young fan-site administrator was utterly repulsed by the things being said, but even she perked up and held up her phone when one of the paparazzo asked: "Who's the redhead?"

James glanced at Rachel, who was trying to decide how to respond as well … she couldn't say they were teammates since she was the only redhead on the team that was masked - and that would have their Dad in fits. Likewise, saying anything about their sibling relationship would have people digging.

"You guys have a good night," James said, trying to move on and get out before they speculated anything further. Especially when Rachel didn't have any bright ideas on how to handle that question either. I'm telling you … this would have been better for you if I'd gone alone.

If you'd gone alone, you'd probably have a Hydra moron trying to put a bag over your head right now. They're around and I'm a deterrent whether you like it or not, Rachel replied, though she'd lost her smile as they tried to move quicker to the Jeep.

And that moron would be regretting everything, James replied. These questions are getting dumber.

The thought had no sooner left his mind when the idiot asking about Rachel really out did himself. "She looks kinda familiar … you two been dating long?"

James lost a step and lost his grip on his expression, though Rachel wasn't far off from the same. But the best he could manage was "No. Damn what's with the dumb questions?" Which, James wondered even before he'd closed his mouth if that was too much … or enough of a tip off … or … I'll run him over if he tries to block the exit, James promised Rachel.

If it wasn't on video, I'd erase that from his mind.

Can you erase it from mine?

No. But only because I can't erase it from mine, Rachel replied as James shook his head. They were climbing into the Jeep when one of the legitimate reporters made the connection.

"Hey! Miss Summers!" He called out, and Rachel's head snapped up on instinct just before she swore to herself for reacting like that. "Are you trying to hide your identity because of the crimes your mother committed?"

When James glared at the guy with a flat, entirely unamused expression, he dropped the loud, pushy tone and shrugged, leveling with the two young heroes. "Hey, now that I see it, I can't un-see it. She looks just like her mother without the mask on. You sure you two aren't … you know …" The reporter was grinning crookedly as he gave Rachel as much of a once over.

There was a moment where James just stared at the guy, squinting and trying hard not to just walk away and leave the question open before he spoke up in an unbearably flat, dry tone. "Very sure," James said, then flat refused to say another thing to any of them - looking entirely livid at how such a simple walk had turned on Rachel.

"Does that mean the X-Men don't allow dating between team members?" the paparazzo asked, and again, the young woman reporter looked entirely disgusted at the guy's questions.

"Obviously not," another reporter chimed in from the back. "Have you seen Hawkeye and Cable? Or Nightcrawler and Speed?"

I … would vouch for you to Dad and Tony and anyone else if you were to run them over, Rachel said. This looks like a really solid self defense case to me.

Just … I guess let's see how long it takes for Dad to call. There's no way in hell this isn't making the rounds fast. James fired up the Jeep and the cameras began clicking again - enough that Rachel found herself subconsciously sliding down to get out of sight as much as possible. Those not taking pictures moved out of the way and let them pass. They weren't on the road long before James spoke up. "Well that was scarring."

Rachel was quiet as she looked out of the window, actively scanning the people around them and making sure that they didn't get recognized on the road. She had to think over how she wanted to say it because James kept looking her way with his most irked 'you have to admit it' look that he could manage. "Okay. Maybe I should have let Dani walk with you instead."

"Dani's already got two warnings on her from the cops," James said. "Both of them from getting idiots like that away from me. One more and I gotta do something big as a thank you."

"And America definitely doesn't need any more cops bothering her over beating up people that are asking for it," Rachel said, trying to think of someone that would have done a better job. "The only other person around was May…"

"Yeah, no," James said. "Bad move. She's still not speaking to me even in groups."

"What? She's mad?" Rachel scrunched her nose up. "Why? Because you're a hero now?"

"More or less," James said. "She holds a grudge. I shouldn't be surprised." Finally, a smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth, though he kept his attention on the road. "You know what they say about redheads."

Rachel's mouth dropped open and she let out a noise of pure irritation before she hit him - hard, and just like that, their usual teasing started up with the awkwardness in the air gone with a laugh.

During the course of the drive to Westchester, where the Summers family was still staying, Rachel and James found a way to start planning and plotting their way back to a more normal ride 'home'. From the joking around, they shifted to discussions on what would be the best way to cover the team in case of dampeners and EMP's … since the current plan of attack James had in place was to make sure they all had EMP's to disrupt dampeners if they found themselves in a pinned down spot … that would make sure they could use their abilities, but it would fry their panic buttons. But frying the panic buttons was an automatic 'no' from all of the adults involved.

James was working on insulating the panic buttons - or interweaving an automatic trigger for the EMP's that would send out a panic signal before killing everything else electronic, but so far, the signal wasn't long lasting enough to show the way for help to come to them.

They were pretty wrapped up in their strategizing session by the time they got to Westchester, the events of Rachel's outing more or less swept under the rug when they had much more important things to discuss. They continued bouncing ideas off of each other as they gathered up their things and headed inside - still chatting about options they had to consider.

They were barely shifting to what the plan was for game night with their dad when they were greeted by Nate and Bobby - both of whom were clearly looking for some kind of excuse to get started, but neither Rachel or James were willing to make it that easy on them.

"Technically," Nate said, grinning obnoxiously, "it doesn't count as incest if you're not blood-related, but still. What's wrong with you two?"

"I am going to murder you," Rachel growled out.

"Ooh, incest and fratricide. You're on a roll today!"

James took a slow deep breath and straightened up as he cracked his neck and flat out ignored the commentary from the peanut gallery in favor of doing literally anything else. Especially if Nate and Rachel were already making it worse. In that moment, though, it was unpacking the things they'd picked up in the city and blatantly ignoring Nate.

"I don't even know where to start with you - and you know that's the dumbest thing you've ever said," Rachel shot back at Nate. "And that is impressive."

"He's technically correct on every point, though," Bobby said, barely talking through tears of laughter. "Oh man. I haven't seen that look since … I think since Kitty locked Scott in his office and Jean had to go get him. Except yours is even better."

"Don't you have anything better to do?" Rachel asked, irritated that when she wanted to flout a little fire, it wasn't coming to her easily.

"And miss the show?" Bobby grinned.

"If the show is Nate making an absolute ass of himself…" She let out a frustrated sound and threw her arms up. "I don't even know why … Ugh!"

"Bobby just thinks it's funny because of the resemblance," Scott said, announcing his presence in the doorway with the kind of glare Bobby's way that used to reflect in brighter light off his lenses.

"Bobby thinks it's funny because it is the most hilarious thing that's happened in a month," Bobby said.

"Bobby's gonna get roasted when Rachel stops blushing," Nate said, more than happy to build up the show from either side.

"I am not blushing you …. Horrible, rotten, miserable excuse for a brother."

"Your face is red…"

At that, though, James reached out and swatted the back of Nate's head hard, still sticking to silence.

"Nice defense of your … um … what do you preferred to be called, sis?" Nate laughed.

Scott pinched the bridge of his nose, ignored his youngest son, and then turned toward Rachel. "What happened, Rach?"

"I don't know," she said, looking flustered now that they were in a safe place to go ahead and speak freely. "One minute, they were being incredibly obnoxious with James and the next … I don't know." She threw her hands up again and ran one hand through her hair.

Scott hadn't moved. "You don't usually trip up like that."

"He called her by name," James said, though he wasn't adding any more to it, not knowing what made the air and what hadn't.

"I heard," Scott said. He let his shoulders drop. "Rachel, I get it. It came out of nowhere, and it just happened. But you're usually so careful."

"I know - I still don't know how … I can't believe it," Rachel said, looking honestly upset.

A lot of Scott's own anxiety left him when he realized how deeply bothered Rachel was - and not just because of Nate's teasing. He sighed and stepped forward to pull her into a hug. "Probably a reporter who covered the old team. He guessed right, that's all."

"Yeah, that's pretty much what he said," Rachel admitted.

Scott pressed his mouth into a thin line. "Be careful," he said tightly. "They tripped you up once; they'll try to get more out of you by guessing again."

"I'll ask Jan to help me," Rachel said. "I thought it would be a lot simpler thing to step in and help … I don't know. I guess I just thought they wouldn't pay attention to me? They were so focused on screwing with James ..."

"Jan will definitely help," Scott agreed. "She's been texting me since it aired to offer."

"Oh, God," Rachel said, covering her face with one hand. "I really thought they'd just bother James like they always do when he's with … you know. Anyone. I probably should have had Jan and Tony coach me sooner."

"Don't feel bad, Rach," James said, trying to ease her worries. "You can blame it on me for losing your cover. You wouldn't have lost it if they weren't following me."

"No," Scott said in a sigh. "We've always assumed it would happen sooner or later, given the family resemblance."

"Yeah, but how long has she been walking in and out of the tower with no one pestering her until now?" James asked. "Proximity was a factor."

"Bobby, if you say out loud what you're thinking, you will get knocked out," Rachel said, and Bobby broke into another laugh.

"He's just like this," Scott said, though even he was having a hard time getting too mad when it had been a long time since he and Bobby had been home and doing exactly this sort of thing - down to the teasing and the angry Phoenix, too.

James looked between Bobby, Nate, and Rachel, then decided to try and leave the situation if he could manage it. "I'll have an image inducer for you in the morning," he told Rachel, then turned to his dad. "And I'll buy a different car."

"They'll follow you anyway," Scott pointed out, then smirked. "Besides, I like the Jeep. Get a new car for the tower, but let's not get rid of that one."

"Yeah, I wasn't going to ditch the Jeep," James said. "I just figured if that's the angle they want to run with, I'll just make sure Rachel can look like someone else on the way in." He looked over toward Nate. "I'll do the same for him, too. Because I can see him trying to get busted to lose the mask." James kept his expression neutral, but he was sure to project to Nate. You get what you get.

Love you too. But not like that.

Please, don't ever start drifting that way. I already promised Dad I wouldn't hurt myself, James shot back. Do me a favor though - lay off Rachel and I'll let you pick the car.

Done.

Thank you, James said, finally relaxing a little since at least now, Rachel could try and breathe. Just for that, I won't even put stipulations on it other than pick it tomorrow.

You're the best, you know that?

You just really need a hobby. James turned toward Scott. "I'm guessing the night's shot then? You guys can do the games … I'll just go get to work."

Scott let out a long breath and nodded. "Alright," he said - though James didn't miss that Scott hit Bobby upside the head once James was only almost out of sight as the party finally started to break up.

"I really am sorry," Rachel said quietly to Scott. "We were just trying to get our game night set up … we were trying to do something good."

Scott reached out to pull her into a gentle hug. "It wasn't your fault," he said. "It was a reflex. You're allowed one or two of those." He paused. "And … maybe we can pull James into a game after Bobby and Nate cool off a little more. I think as things are, someone's going to end up getting stranded in the Danger Room."

That'd have to be Bobby, Rachel projected to him. James already bribed Nate to back off. She turned pointedly toward Bobby and Nate. Note the smile but the lack of participation.

And that, Scott said, smirking, is why James is a genius.

He's just learning how to work everyone, Rachel replied. And being sneaky about it.

I'm aware of that too. Scott shook his head. "So, what games did you bring?" he asked.

Rachel blinked innocently. "All the ones Nate sucks at."

Scott laughed outright. "Good call," he said, steering Rachel toward the living room with his arm around her shoulders - genuinely looking forward to a game night after all the stress lately.

"So … I need to know what kind of budget I've got to work with," Nate said as he dropped down at the table across from James. "You said no stipulations, so I need to know how much I'm allowed to work with."

James glanced up at his brother from the teasing he'd been taking from Billy over the gossip news concerning James and Rachel. "What are you thinking?"

"Something fast," Nate said with a grin.

"Okay, this is my not surprised face," James said, not shifting his expression at all.

"Yeah, but … there's 'pick whatever you want' and then there's 'pick whatever you want'," Nate pointed out. So … can I pick something new, or does it have to be domestic … or …"

James sighed. "Nate. Pick whatever you want."

"That's … really? You're not going to give me any stipulations?"

"Gotta be able to carry at least one passenger," James said after a moment of thought, before going back to his coffee and waiting for the verdict from Nate.

"And it's gotta be something useable now?" Nate asked, almost wincing.

"Yeah, that was the plan," James agreed. "Why? Whatcha got in mind?"

"Well if it wasn't an immediate need thing, I'd say we could find one to work on."

"We can still find one to work on for if you ever get your license," James said. "But I said if you were picking it'd have to be done today."

"I just thought you'd go on another quest …."

"Nate."

"What are you planning?" Scott asked, frowning as he looked between his sons.

"Tony's been after me to upgrade the 'to work' car for a while anyhow," James said. "So I figure now that there's more reason than 'Tony said so' I'd play ball. But … I want better taste than Tony's advice."

"What did he suggest?" Nate asked, honestly curious at what Tony thought James should have.

"He was trying to push me toward an Audi," James said. "Not really my flavor, and I figured you'd go about as far from that as possible."

"What do you like?" Scott said. "Since you're buying it, you should like it."

"Generally, Nate and I pick similar stuff as far as cars go," James answered, neatly stepping around the question.

"Well … if he's pushing for German … we definitely need to go American," Nate decided. "Mustang. No doubt."

James turned back to his brother, doing a fine job of keeping an even, steady expression. "You sure?"

"Oh yeah. Totally." Nate's face lit up. "Have you seen the new ones on the road?"

"Haven't seen them open up," James said. "But I haven't really been looking either." James pushed back from the table then turned to Scott. "Are you busy today?"

"After my appointment, no," Scott answered. "Why?"

"Is it okay if I take you to your appointment - or does it have to be an 'adult'?"

"Craig wanted to talk to Storm, but-"

"No, that's fine," James said. "I'll just hitch with you and we can pick up a car before we come back."

"Wait," Nate said, frowning at his brother. "You're just going to buy one? Like you're picking up a loaf of bread?"

"I do get paid. I can handle it," James said. "And I need a different car, so yeah. Dad can help me pick it."

"And if you don't see anything you like?" Nate challenged.

"Then… Storm can bring us back and I'll try again tomorrow." James turned to Scott. "If she's okay with that."

"Go ahead and talk to her. I'm sure she won't turn you down."

For the first time since he'd started therapy, Scott was in a bright mood, ready to get through it so he could see what, exactly his middle child was up to. Yes, James' job made it possible for him to pick up pretty much anything he wanted on a whim, but this was a little out of James' usual coping methods, and Scott was wondering what exactly he was up to if this was how he was choosing to handle things. He simply didn't buy things for himself.

But of course, Craig had noticed things were different - and that Scott was a little distracted. "I suppose it would be best if we cleared the air right off the bat," Craig said as he sat down. "I saw the news last night and again this morning. That was your daughter on the news, wasn't it?"

"Yes," Scott said, "that reporter caught her off guard - it was a reactionary response and she's kicking herself over it pretty badly."

"So that's two out of three that are openly known to the world," Craig said. "How are you handling that while it's still fresh?"

"Like you said, it's still fresh."

"Is that why your son is waiting with Ororo today?"

"Yes and no," Scott said. "He's got his own things to do today, but it's a direct result of what happened last night."

"Alright. Why don't you tell me what you're thinking, Scott. I don't mind opening up our conversations from time to time, but I do need you to tell me more than yes or no answers and I can tell by your expression that you're a lot more stressed over this than the matter of fact answers you've given so far."

"What do you want me to say?" Scott said, sounding like the stressed out and worried father that he was. "She's been doing good. They all have. She's been an Avenger for a couple of years with no one really pushing to figure out who she was other than passing 'who is this new mystery hero on the Avengers'. And now? Instead of leading asking her about her latest rescue or big heroic feat, they're asking her about her mother's crimes."

Craig nodded. "And you feel as if nothing has changed."

"It hasn't," Scott said. "Not really. The minute she was recognized as Jean's daughter everything good she did is gone. They don't care. They're still mad about what the Phoenix did, and for a lot of people that were affected, I can't even blame them. I still can't even think about how many innocent people died from those fires. But that's not on Rachel."

"It's early," Craig said. "If I recall, there was some similar blowback when your son stepped on that stage with Tony Stark. It blew over quickly enough."

"Maybe in the press," Scott said. "But not anywhere else, I'm sure. And Rachel doesn't have the same buffer that James does. She's an Avenger, sure - but she's not covered by Stark's blanket protection."

"No, but does she need it in the same way? She is, by everything you've told me about her so far an incredibly competent, capable, talented, and compassionate young woman. She has a power set that is practically designed to give her an early warning system against anyone that might want to do her harm. She's probably better equipped than you are in many ways."

"That's not…." Scott sighed, then reached for his scars - diverting to rub his eyes at the last moment when he caught himself reaching.

"Scott - I need you to put a little time in looking at all of the positive things that are being said about your kids in the public. I know you've always looked for the threats, and I can appreciate that, but you need to see the good things being said about them by the people they're helping and the people that are watching them help others, too," Craig said. "What those kids are doing … it's good work, Scott. They're making a difference in a very big way."

"I'm just …" Scott held his breath as he tried to find a way to frame it that didn't sound like he was outright telling Craig that he was missing the picture. "... I'm concerned that they're not able to handle it if the pressure really kicks in. Rachel was at the verge of tearing her hair out over that ambush last night. That was just one reporter. What happens if they manage to get more than just a confirmation on her name?"

"Is it just Rachel you're worried about in that capacity?"

"Of course not," Scott said. "It's just a matter of time before Nate gets drawn into it - and for as good as James has been so far, he's still a kid - and he's dealing with things no one his age should have to juggle."

"Do you think they don't have the support they need?"

"Yes. No. I don't know. I- they all have their own ways of coping."

"Maybe you should bring them with you," Craig said. "I'd like to check in on them and get their outlook on how things are going."

"Fine."

"Then let's start with the one you brought with you today," Craig said. "Seeing as someone - and now a large part of the city - thought he might be sleeping with his sister-"

"They're not. No one knows she's his sister," Scott pointed out.

"No, they don't. I did notice that they managed to keep that to themselves even after Rachel lost control of keeping her name secret."

Craig got to his feet and started toward the door as Scott smirked to himself. There was some truth to that … they did put a stop to things once they knew for sure it had gone too far.

Partway through Scott's session, as James was surfing on his phone and texting with Billy, Tony, and Nate, the door to Craig's office opened and Craig stepped out, doing his best to look welcoming as he smiled over at Storm and James. At first, James didn't pay him any attention - not openly anyhow, and it wasn't until Craig cleared his throat that he even looked up at him.

"You must be Scott's son," Craig said, and in a blink, James was on his feet - his phone in his pocket and a hand offered to shake - just as Scott would have expected of him.

"James," he said in response. "Nice to meet you."

"If you aren't too busy with whatever you're doing on the phone, your dad and I would like you to come and join us for a little bit."

James frowned. "Is he alright?"

Craig smiled a little warmer. "We're working on that. But we could use you with us for a few minutes - since you're here anyhow."

James glanced at Ororo, but didn't argue it one iota as he walked ahead of Craig to take a seat next to Scott. The look James gave Scott as he sat down was a clear, silent check in to make sure Scott was okay before James would pay attention to anyone outside of his dad.

"Thank you for joining us," Craig said, still looking warm and approachable. "I'd like to talk to you for a few minutes, if you don't mind. It can be difficult on children when they see their parents in need of help from a therapist. Considering the way things have been going for you in the last few months, I think it'd be reasonable to touch base … not just for your father's sake, but for yours as well."

James frowned slightly, then shook his head. "I'm fine," James said - and the expression Craig gave him was nearly accusatory for how dry it was - and for how often he'd heard the same kind of line from Scott. But James read that perfectly, too. "No, okay … I'm not 'fine', but I've already got a therapist. We're working on it."

"How often do you see your therapist?" Craig asked, notebook in hand.

James opened his mouth, then looked almost distracted as he glanced between Scott and Craig. "Twice a week since we moved."

"Really?" Scott said, turning James' way- obviously out of the loop on that front.

"Yeah," James said, turning fully to face his dad. "He said since he couldn't check in at coffee randomly, I needed to make more of an effort. I think he just wants his gossip, to be honest, but I'm going along with it anyhow."

"How are you handling being in the public eye so heavily after keeping a low profile for so long?" Craig asked, pleasantly surprised when James turned back his way - keeping an open posture and not blocking himself off.

"It's an adjustment," James admitted. "But I have a lot of help and a lot of coaching from Tony and Jan - and others."

"What about yesterday's impromptu interview?" Craig asked.

James kept an even expression and Craig could almost see the wheels turning as he decided on the direction for his answer. "I'm going to assume you're not fishing to ask if I'm actually sleeping with my sister," James said dryly. "For the record, I'm not. I've got a way to handle the temporary interest in the people I care about. So … I'm not happy, but it'll work out soon."

"Even the most experienced people have trouble predicting what the media will go for and what they won't."

"They follow a pattern," James said. "And I know what they want to report on."

Craig nodded to himself. "If you find that you need a different outlook-"

"I'll keep you in mind," James said. "As long as you don't slip on helping my dad."

"I won't," Craig said, doing a fine job of hiding the smile at how openly protective the kid was with a stranger. It wasn't that he didn't know - but it was still a nice thing to see in person. "Now, unless you had anything specific you wanted to address with your son-"

"No," Scott said, shaking his head quickly.

"Then, Scott, I think we've covered some good ground today. You know what you need to work on, and I'd like to hear some progress when I see you in a few days," Craig said. "If you're planning to do something with your son, then I won't keep you too long."

Scott blinked in mild surprise, but since Craig had just that week backed off to every other day for sessions, he figured this simply fit the pattern of needing less time. That in itself was nice to see, because it was a tangible way to show that he was making progress.

So, he didn't look the gift horse in the mouth. "Right. Thanks, Craig."

Craig smirked as he took a step back toward his reception area. "Remember what I said about broadening your pool of intel," he said - which had Ororo shooting Scott a questioning look, considering the warning. But Scott simply shrugged in response, still not convinced Craig was right about what to look for.

They left the appointment quietly, and as before, James climbed into the backseat without prompting, though now, at least Ororo knew what his plan was so she wasn't going to press for details that she knew already.

She and James had discussed it while Scott was in his counseling session, and Ororo was incredibly amused and pleased with James' plan of action. So naturally, she helped him find the best way to implement it. Before Scott could pull himself out of his thoughts, they were pulling into a dealership with a whole line of shining new Mustangs.

"You're really going to do this, aren't you?" Scott asked as they came to a stop near the line.

"Hey. Don't look at me. Nate picked it."

"Yeah, but you're paying for it. Pretty sure you should get a say," Scott said. "On your car."

James shrugged and the two of them started to walk down the line, looking at all of them and taking in every detail that they could find … all of them were new, so none of them had any defects to speak of. But it wasn't until they reached the center of the line that they found two options that both of them were interested in, and by that time, the salesmen had started to come out.

The sales team offered the two of them a test drive before one of the salesmen recognized James … and within moments, they were getting an entirely different kind of level of attention. Suddenly the sales staff knew that they wouldn't be rolling the dice with someone on financing - not with what they'd seen about the kid in the news. Just like that, James and Scott were trying not to look too amused as the salesmen suggested that they look at the cars they had in the building - protected from the elements and obviously the ones with the most features, gadgets, and toys.

They test drove three of them before James looked over at Scott, who was starting to have trouble holding back the smile. "What do you think?" James asked. "I'm down to the Cobra and the black one."

"Definitely the Cobra," Scott said, finally allowing the smile to peek through, and with a nod, James turned toward the salesmen and they started up the paperwork. It only took a few phonecalls to arrange for things, and by the time the ink was dry, Scott was listed as the owner since legally, James wasn't quite there yet.

Ororo was outright grinning when she saw the two of them pull up next to her in the shining deep blue car - and Scott was matching her grin. "Try not to race too much," she advised, then turned toward James. "Don't worry. I won't say a word to anyone."

"Thanks, Aunt Ro," James replied before Ororo left them to get back on their own. James only drove far enough to stop and fill up the tank properly before he tossed Scott the keys. "Your turn."

"You sure you're ready to share that fast?" Scott asked, though he got out to change spots with him.

"Well … technically, it's your car."

"On paper, sure," Scott said. "But so is the Jeep."

"Yeah, but … this one won't be transferring to me on my birthday," James said.

Scott frowned at that. "James, tell me you bought this for yourself."

"I bought this for myself."

Scott watched him for a long moment. "I don't believe that."

"Belive what you want to believe," James said mildly. "I did buy it because I needed something a little zippier for going to work for a while."

"Uh huh."

"Why don' you just … see what this thing can actually do?" James suggested. "Please? I haven't finished the evasive driving course Tony has me going through and he wasn't amused when I told him I could just baja the Jeep straight through the middle of the track."

"How far are you on powerslides?" Scott asked dryly.

James closed one eye and held his hand out palm down and shook it lightly "meh. I can get more slide if I applied myself."

"Was that the day Stark was carrying on about burned out tires?"

"Maybe." James smirked. "But …I've been holding on to that to scare the crap out of Nate? So …"

"Yeah. Don't do it on the open road, okay?"

"Not unless I have to."

"'Have to' means if you're actively evading a weapons program, James."

"Fine," he said in a heavy, put upon sigh that made it difficult for Scott to keep from smiling.

Scott was chuckling under his breath as he reached over to turn the radio on, fiddling with it until he found a station that he liked, though that only lasted a song or two before the news broke in - and Scott nearly ran off the road as Jameson came on defending Rachel.

"There is no reason that in this day and age in this great country that we should even be considering discussing holding an innocent young woman responsible for the actions of her parents. Rachel Summers, as far as we know, has apparently been a card-carrying Avenger for a number of years. She's worked along side Captain America for cry-eye, and my competitors are alluding to some kind of inherited guilt? That is not the foundation on which this country was built. You cannot hang an innocent person for crimes that they haven't committed. Now … I know what my competition has to say about mutants and the X-Men in particular, but has anyone taken the time to actually think about is being said and spread around like gospel? Mutants are dangerous - sure, but the ones living in this country anyhow are supposed to be protected by the same rights that the rest of us have."

Jameson's rant paused, just long enough for the host of the show to ask a question that had Scott pulling over to listen.

"We have to register weapons," the co-host said. ''Many of these mutants have untold power that can be dangerously used against innocent people. Don't you think they should need to account for that?"

"Listen," Jameson said, and the building heat was apparent in his tone. "There is no doubt that there are some potentially dangerous mutants out there, somewhere. But when was the last time that a mutant purposefully commited a crime that you heard the outcome? I'm not just asking about the crime itself. I mean the trip through the justice system afterward. Every time a mutant is so much as suspected in this country - and not of a crime, either, just suspected for being a mutant - every time, the MRD is called to the scene, usually after the police apprehend them on trumped up charges, or worse still, no charges at all. And every time the MRD takes a mutant into custody, we never hear a word about it afterward. They disappear. There's no trial, no judge or jury - they just vanish."

"Prosecution of the crimes can take time-"

"Then they have a right to a speedy trial, not a right to sit in purgatory in some cell that no one knows the location of or the conditions they're being held under. These mutants are American citizens. They have rights. You and I and every red-blooded American have our rights outlined for us in the Constitution, and rounding up people based on a single mutated gene and locking them away in camps or prisons out of sight and against any of the laws we uphold in this country is the kind of thing you'd expect out of Nazi Germany, not our country. It's bigoted, ignorant, and un-American. And I'll tell you something else, too ...the world never knew all that the X-Men did, and they've been gone for too long."

"Wait. You covered the original group yourself. They were terrorists-"

"My god, what do they teach you to get a journalism degree these days?" JJ interrupted. "Do your own damn research, kid. Anyone with an ounce of talent can search the public record for a glimpse of what that team was doing. Search the record of the Friends of Humanity investigation. My office sent a slew of FOIA requests and even with only half approved, you can see for yourself what that team was doing - and why they were targeted. I even printed a damn retraction, not that anyone remembers that when it doesn't fit their narrative. No journalistic integrity, the lot of you."

"I wasn't trying to suggest-"

"The hell you weren't. Don't come on my show with half the facts again. Do your homework. And once you've got your background, then you can talk to me about the new group. These kids - the kids of the original X-Men - and we don't know for sure which ones are which outside of the two who have now been unmasked - they're filling a gap to protect innocent people from their own government, and they're doing it within the boundaries of the law - more so even than their parents did, considering their official Avengers status and connections to law enforcement through that team. Don't you dare call what those kids are trying to do anything but what it is."

"There's some debate on that, Mr. Jameson. Some people are calling them the same things they called their parents."

"Consider the source," Jameson cut in. "The people calling them terrorists are the same ones running and profiting off of the MRD. I've been watching these new X-Men since they made their debut, and you know what I've seen? Let's start with the girl in the news this morning: Prestige - that's Rachel Summers for those of you just tuning in. That young lady and her teammates have been protecting life. Not just mutant life, but human life as well. In fact, my team has been keeping tally, and what we've found is that the X-Men have been protecting humans at a ratio of nearly two-to-one when compared to the mutants they've been saving. On the other hand, our own police force has been ignoring violent crimes up to and including murder against mutants for decades."

James and Scott were staring at the radio as Jameson continued - and he did, for nearly fifteen minutes.

"What do you suggest as a reasonable course of action, Mr. Jameson?" the co-host asked in a clearly irritated tone - a challenge that Jameson rose to beautifully.

"I'm no authority on how to handle public safety-"

"Here we go," Scott said under his breath.

"... and there are some who would say it's a crazy idea, but maybe, just maybe, we can stop treating everyone different from us like they're the damned enemy. Whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty? How can you take that - one of our most basic principles - and twist it against kids working to protect innocents missed by the Avengers and others by accusing them of being terrorists? Do yourself a favor and look - and I mean really look at what the original X-Men did. And not just what my office put out. You don't get an easy cop out piggybacking off of my work alone. You'll see a lot of reports on property damage and fighting against unlawful arrest by the MRD and others, but you'll also see a lot of stories of lives saved in dramatically impossible circumstances."

"But the Phoenix-"

"Let me remind you that one of the X-Men sacrificed himself to stop the Phoenix from killing all of us," Jameson said hotly, cutting him off. "If the MRD had an entity like that at their fingertips, they'd let the mutants and everyone else burn out of sheer arrogance and bigotry. The Friends of Humanity had records on what they wanted the damn thing for too if they could figure out the right way to pressure Jean Summers. There are years of records on that thing. I'm getting tired of repeating myself on the state of journalism; you can't just waltz into a story like some doe-eyed…" From there, the hour turned into JJ's lecture on the laziness he saw in the new generation of reporters.

"Dad," James said quietly when the program shifted to a rant and still, Scott was staring at the radio. "Are you okay? What just happened?"

"I just … I … did you hear all of that or did I just have a stroke?" Scott asked, which was enough to get James to crack a smile.

"If you had one, I did too, and we are super in sync if that's the case … shared hallucinations and all."

Scott nodded, almost numbly.

"Do you want me to drive?" James asked, but that seemed to prompt Scott back into moving.

"No, I've got it," Scott said, then pulled himself the rest of the way out of his thoughts by peeling out on his way back onto the road. They stopped in Salem Center to pick up pizza, though since it was Bobby's night to cook and none of the Summers kids ever really did more than taste whatever Bobby came up with out of courtesy before hitting pizza anyhow. To finish the last leg, Scott tossed the key fob to James. "You should drive it."

"I will," James agreed, and as soon as they were settled in, he repeated the same move Scott had made getting on the road earlier, which amazingly had Scott laughing to himself as they burnt out.

When they got to the school, however, Nate was the first out of the door in pure disbelief. "You did not just go buy this thing!" he said, gesturing at the shining sportscar. "You even got it in blue! That's so not your color!"

"Oh, yeah," James said casually, turning to look at it as if he hadn't noticed that it was exactly Nate's favorite shade of royal-navy. "It had the features I wanted. Color didn't really matter much."

But that had Scott turning toward him fully. There were four other mustangs on the lot with exactly the same features, but this was the only blue one that was there. And he knew James was up to something, but he wasn't going to bust him if it was what he thought it was.

"Wanna test drive it?" James asked, holding up the fob for Nate, who snatched it out of his hand in a blink.

"Be back in a few," Nate called out to Scott.

"Don't get pulled over," Scott said as the boys climbed in. "You still don't have your license."

"I won't," Nate promised, grinning broadly. "We're just going to go down the road and back." He started the car and just began laughing at the roar of the engine. He was clearly enjoying himself as he ran his hand over the wheel and revved the engine. "Really? You're going to let me drive your new baby?"

"Hey. You picked it out. You should drive it," James said, and before he could renege, Nate put it in drive and the two of them headed off with Nate laughing delightedly all the while.

Both of them were grinning as they drove, and Nate was obviously soaking it in with every turn and take off. James didn't interrupt Nate as he soaked up his drive, and because he didn't interrupt him, it wasn't until they were back at the school before Nate had to shake his head. "This is the coolest car ever," Nate said.

James tipped his head with one eye closed. "I wouldn't go that far."

"Well … you said to buy now and drive now," Nate said. "If it was ever it'd be a classic."

"Again … though that has some truth, this still isn't the coolest buy now drive now."

Nate frowned. "Then why'd you go with my pick?"

"I told you you could pick it," James said simply as Nate turned off the engine looking perfectly vexed by his big brother, then dropped the fob in his hand.

"Well what would you have picked?"

James smiled. "I'd have gone with a McLaren," he said, grinning at him just before he got out and then leaned on the roof, watching Nate's shocked expression. "But this will work for now."

"Nuh-uh, wait. You never said it could be a super car."

"I never said it couldn't, either."

"Oh, come on!" Nate shouted, jogging to catch up to where James was already, smiling to himself, though when he caught up to James at the door, he was grinning again. "If you get that, you have to let me drive it."

"We'll see," James said, laughing as they got into the house. "I just bought this one, after all."

"Yeah, and you're sharing."

"Needed something good to share," James said. "Maybe you'll step back enough to get all the time you need for your license now."

"Hey. I've been busy-"

"Yeah. I know. The teams and football practice … and soon school will start, too. You're running out of time to work on it."

Nate stared at James for a moment. "Please tell me you didn't buy this just so I could get my license."

"No. I bought it because I need something else and you needed motivation to get your license."

"You dorks missed out on the pizza," Rachel said. "All because you were playing with cars."

"Oh darn, we'll have to go get some more," Nate said, then held his hand out to James. "I'll drive."

"Fine by me," James agreed, which, though Nate was smiling, he was also watching his brother a little more suspiciously.

"Is this the part where you let me really enjoy it then won't let me touch it at all once I get my license?" Nate asked.

"No, this is the part where you get to drive more because you've been pushing to," James said.

"I thought I'd just get time in by using the Jeep," Nate said, but that got a full stop out of James.

"Absolutely not," he said seriously. "You're not touching the Jeep."

Nate turned, looking totally dumbfounded. "Wait. You'll let me drive the brand-new Mustang, but you don't want me to touch your rattle trap rust bucket of a Jeep? What?"

"Fine," James said. "You cant drive the Mustang either."

"That is not what I was after!" Nate said as the two brothers headed off with Scott and Rachel smirking after them.

"Do you know what he's got planned?" Rachel asked Scott.

"He didn't outright admit it more than what he just told Nate, but I think I've got a pretty good idea," Scott said. "And when you consider that I've driven it more than James has already - and in about ten minutes, Nate will have probably driven it more than him, too … I think we know what the story is."

Rachel smiled and shook her head. He's totally going to blindside him … even if it's obvious.

Nate's been picking up cues from James on how not to want things, Scott told her. Or at least to appear as if he doesn't want things. There's no way James didn't buy that car not intending for Nate to have it eventually.

Yeah, I know, Rachel agreed. He asked if I needed a car not long after he started getting checks from Stark. He said he didn't want me stuck.

Scott smiled mildly. He's just trying to take care of you two.

And you, Rachel added. I know he's been 'upgrading' your truck when he pushes the Jeep on you.

Yeah. But now he's escalating, Scott pointed out. Do me a favor and keep an eye on his generosity. I want to make sure he's not … I want to make sure he's alright.