A/N - Much love to our reviewers ... this one took a sec to polish up and frankly, I'm exhausted most of the time right now, so ... between the two of us, it's a very slow process. Thanks again for the reviews, even if we're not the fastest lately, those reviews make us both smile. Thanks for reading our stuff.

Chapter 86 - No Place Like It

It hadn't taken much for Clint to find his old circus. They'd never been subtle, and they never got out of their old habits. And he was highly motivated to give them a piece of his mind.

Once he found the circus, he staked it out just long enough to figure out how their personal schedules had shifted over the years. Some of them were slowing down as they got older. Some of them seemed sharper because of their kids, who were starting to outshine them.

Swordsman had a new sap thinking he was the end all be all. Guy needed adoration. But the one he really wanted to get to was the princess.

So, naturally, he couldn't find her anywhere.

He was sure he'd searched every inch of the circus, but Princess Python had disappeared for all the clues he'd been able to find. He'd never pegged her for the kind to retire, though, so he ended up sticking around longer than his search took, trying to pin down what had happened.

Of course, sticking around the Circus of Crime was never the best of ideas.

"You show up here after all this time and think no one is going to notice?"

Clint recognized Jacques' tone, and muscle memory took over from there. He spun with his surprise, barely avoiding Jacques' sword. He'd brought his own on the likely chance that he would run into his old mentor, but he wasn't thrilled to have to fall back on his swordplay, especially against Jacques. The man had been refining his technique for decades, and Clint vastly preferred his bow. He wasn't too proud to admit that they were unevenly matched.

Still, Clint wasn't there to fight Jacques. He was there to find out who had tried to drug his daughter. So while he might not have been as well-practiced as Jacques was, he was filled with a cold rage that helped him block Jacques' next blow. His eyes flashed as their steel met, and he even smirked at his old mentor.

"Getting slow, old man."

Jacques let out a disgusted noise as he feinted, but Clint had seen him pull that move before and blocked him again. The sound of the swordfight had started to draw attention, but for the moment, none of the other circus members stepped in - they were probably just waiting to see why Clint was there or what Jacques wanted to do to him when he won.

"And you are sloppy," Jacques said, his eyes narrowed and his mouth pressed into a thin line as the two of them circled each other. "You've come a long way to die, Hawkeye."

Clint shrugged easily. "Not planning on going anywhere, but you're welcome to daydream," he replied. "Honestly just came by to find the princess, but she got tired of you guys too, huh? Didn't think she'd ditch out."

"She's dead," Jacques said - and took advantage of Clint's surprise. He didn't quite get the run-through he wanted, because Clint moved on old muscle memory, but he did cut a long slice across Clint's chest through the fabric of his shirt.

Clint shook his head, forcing his mind back to the fight, though he couldn't stop himself from asking, "What, did you finally snap and kill one of your own? Wasn't pretty enough to keep around as she got older? Sounds like your MO."

Jacques glared, stepping into a lunge that Clint parried and then answered with his own twist, nearly knocking the Swordsman back a step. Nearly. "Don't be pedantic, Clinton."

"Don't call me Clinton, you fake-ass French wannabe," Clint shot back.

Jacques narrowed his eyes to slits and then flicked his sword fast enough that Clint couldn't defend against the shallow but painful cut along his cheek. "You may think you have retained enough of my good teaching to survive, but let me remind you where you came from, boy. This is not going to end well for you."

Clint resisted the urge to bring his hand to his cheek, though he could feel blood sliding down it. "Yeah, yeah. Just thought you'd want to know one of your own is playing petty high school games with the local cheerleaders. Kinda seemed beneath even you, but now that I'm here again, I remember that's not possible."

Jacques looked like he was ready to tear into Clint, but that was when Maynard spoke up from the sideline - watching the back and forth like one of his circus acts and honestly enjoying seeing the two of them tear each other down. "You wouldn't be here about cheerleaders," he said.

"Probably dating one," said the surly-looking teenager that Clint had pegged as Jacques' latest "protege" - with all the scars to prove it, too.

"Try not to punch up, kid; you're so outclassed you can't even see it," Clint said without looking toward the teenager. He kept his gaze on Jacques but called out to Maynard, "Only came looking because the creep is the princess's kid."

Jacques let out a hollow laugh that echoed in the short silence that followed Clint's pronouncement. "I thought you were an Avenger, boy, or are they keeping you to soft missions once you started losing your edge?"

"Funny how you insulted yourself with that one," Clint pointed out - and accentuated his point with a spin that finally backed Jacques up a step. "You're a 'soft mission', huh? I'll make sure the junior training squad gets the memo. Wanna get your trash kicked by Ant-Man's kid?"

"Impudent little-"

"Wow, five-dollar words and everything," Clint said, clucking his tongue. "Definitely gonna have to send the kids. Vocabulary test afterward."

Jacques shouted wordlessly and broke forward - but Clint had seen him lose his temper enough time to see that move coming. He might have had plenty of practice, but that also meant he'd been reinforcing his own habits. Clint, on the other hand, had been training new heroes, training with Natasha, and trying to keep up with his own kids. He'd learned to adapt; Jacques was a relic.

Clint let Jacques' own momentum bring him to his sword until Clint's blade was through his stomach. Then, with a grim smile, Clint yanked his sword back and stepped back. "You're lucky I'm an Avenger. That won't kill you as long as you get to a hospital. So talk fast and tell me what the story is with Daniel DuBois."

Jacques glared at Clint with one hand over his stomach. "You're meddling way over your head. As usual."

Clint shrugged easily. "I'm used to it." When Jacques simply glared, he turned toward Maynard, who still hadn't moved from leaning against a tent post to watch the show. "Well?"

Maynard held Clint's gaze for a long time before he let out a scoff. "The little brat killed his own mother when he was eleven. As always, you're looking in the wrong place - and way too late."

Clint cleaned his sword off and kept his distance from Jacques. "Sorry to hear that," he said - and he was. As bad as the circus had been, he had, at one point, been on more-than-friendly terms with Princess Python.

Maynard seemed to size Clint up before he broke into a smirk. "The princess had debts much higher up in Hydra. Daniel had training. She offered the boy to pay off her debts." He gestured with both hands. "It seems he didn't appreciate that."

Clint's frown bit into his forehead. "And you're telling me this without going twenty rounds of questions with me because…"

"Because that skinny brat disrupted my show, blew up half the trailers - and emptied the safes on the way out."

"Ah." Clint nodded his understanding. "So you wouldn't weep if someone put a stop to him."

Maynard simply shrugged in response. "Not even a little bit."

Clint nodded, starting to move away from Jacques. They'd amassed an audience, yes, but the Circus of Crime listened to the Ringmaster, and he hadn't given any orders against Clint yet.

Of course, as soon as Clint started to leave, that's when Maynard made a sharp motion with his right hand - and Clint had to sprint to avoid getting crushed by the strongman or hit with the knives the teenager had brought.

But Clint hadn't come to the circus empty-handed, either. His wife was the futzing Black Widow; he knew where she kept her best gadgets. So, without breaking stride, he threw a pellet of gas over his shoulder - and followed that up with three electric bursts from some borrowed, modified Widow's Bites.

And yeah, that was plenty distracting enough to get him out of there and on the road home.

Meanwhile, Scott and Annie had finally decided to get a little time to themselves away from the pandemonium at Avengers' Tower. Craig lived in the tower full-time now, and Leslie Ann's family had moved to Westchester, but Annie had wanted to keep teaching. So, to her delight, Jan had helped her find a new place close to the school and had bought it for her under her own name. Since Emma Frost still had her sights on the Hales, Annie drove with one hero or another to school and back and spent her school day in a telepathic dampening field.

It was all carefully coordinated to keep her safe in case Craig's feud with Emma made her a target. But it was also incredibly stifling.

Scott could tell that Annie wasn't pleased with the new arrangement. Annie was used to volunteering her time at the drop of a hat for any student who might be struggling, and she was used to staying at the school chatting with students and teachers alike. And while the Avengers and scattered X-Men who volunteered to help her (and to, in most cases, subsequently text Scott that they "approved" of his girlfriend, as if he needed them to vet her or something) did what they could to let her keep her old schedule, they also knew that the longer she was in public, the more danger she might be in.

So, when Scott arrived that afternoon to pick her up, he didn't take her back to the apartment Jan had gotten for her - and Annie noticed the instant he turned the "wrong" way.

"Scenic route?" Annie asked, wondering if he was taking extra precautions that day - and if so, whether he was taking them for a reason.

"You could say that," Scott said, smirking to himself.

"Oh, and he's back to playing mysterious," Annie said, though she was laughing, so Scott kept his silence, getting even more laughter out of her and accusations that he was "playing up" the man of mystery thing.

But he genuinely enjoyed hearing her laugh, especially when everything had been so stressful lately. Even she had been stressed, and he hated to see that. She had been a source of warmth in his life, and he hadn't realized how much he prized that until she'd been pulled into the drama that always, always followed the hero life. Now, he wanted to make sure he didn't lose her to it.

So, he had a plan to hopefully cheer her up.

By the time they turned into the small neighborhood where Scott and his kids lived, Annie's eyebrows were high on her forehead, and she was leaning forward as far as her seatbelt would let her go. She hadn't seen anywhere they could eat for a few streets, and as the surroundings turned more residential, she figured out what was going on but didn't say anything until Scott pulled the car to a stop outside a well-kept house.

She turned to face him, her eyes wide. "Did… did you mean to take me home?" she asked in near-disbelief, her smile still threatening to break her cheeks for how widely they were stretching.

Scott smiled as he turned the car off, then schooled his expression and came around to her side to open the door for her, waiting to give his answer just to see how long she'd allow him to keep it to himself.

Knowing the neighbors, he was well-aware that Toby would be coming around soon, alerted by the local busybodies about the good-looking woman he'd brought home, but that was, honestly, part of the fun. It had been ages since he'd had someone he wanted to show off. Even with Jan, he'd been so worried about secrecy he'd let it get in the way of the particular sort of pride that came with walking with his girlfriend and knowing he was lucky to be at her side.

"Of course I meant to bring you here," he said as he took her hand and helped her out of the car, breaking into an honest grin when he could see delight painted all over her features. "You know how careful my family has had to be. Do you think I'd bring you here on a whim?"

Annie turned to face him fully, covering her mouth with one hand while her eyes danced. She didn't call him out on what he'd just said - she'd been with him long enough to know he wasn't the best at expressing how he was feeling - but the fact that he'd brought her there and admitted that he never did that for anyone he didn't fully trust… it was his way of admitting he was serious about her. Less words, but far more dramatic in an almost understated way that she'd come to love.

Scott led her into the house and didn't say anything, instead letting her look around at his family's home and its relatively normal trimmings. She could tell immediately that they lived there; Nate's school things were scattered everywhere and there were wonderful pictures on the mantle of all three of Scott's children with other family members at important moments in their lives - they weren't hanging on the wall where anyone could see them through the windows, but they were still there to show off proud accomplishments and family togetherness. Scott might not have felt comfortable personalizing too much, but still, there was a warmth and love about the place that Annie could actually feel just by looking around.

He had poured everything he had into making this home safe for his kids in every sense of the word, making sure that they had a home to come back to even if they were a bit scattered at the moment. She could see so much of him in the little details, like the list on the hall table, the notes by the fridge reminding him of important dates he didn't want to miss, and the warm smells coming from the kitchen…

Wait.

Annie turned toward Scott. "You baked?"

Scott rubbed the back of his neck but nodded. "I'm not as good as you are, obviously, but I used to be in the PTA, and I picked up a few things," he said prompting Annie to let out an affectionate huff. "But Jan said you and your sister have practically opened up a bakery in Avengers Tower, so I figured… well… it might be nice if someone made something for you."

Annie let out a delighted noise and threw her arms around Scott's neck, kissing the sense out of him until he picked her up so they could carry on somewhere that wasn't the front entrance.

"I'm unarmed!" Kate called out before she would even think about going into James' workspace, considering the prank war that had been going on lately. "I bring coffee!"

James shook his head when he heard her announcement. "You're fine, Kate. Neutral, like Switzerland until you decide to pick a side."

Kate poked her head in and broke into a crooked smile. "I'm kind of surprised Billy isn't here. Couldn't get away from Vojteck again?"

"That's what he said," James said. "He told me about his shadow. But I think he's still mad about my shadow, to be honest." For as irritated as Billy had been seeing how comfortable Franklin Richards had made himself, he only got mad all over again when he found out that Franklin was riding into the city with James for the weekend, too - and it didn't matter much at all that Franklin went directly to the Baxter building once James parked.

Kate set the coffee down and shrugged. "Must be new for him," she said and then took a sip of coffee. "The jealousy thing. He never had that problem before when his dates were under penalty of death. Gotta mess with a guy when he realizes the beefcake he's got could just walk away."

"Kate…" James trailed off and sighed. He knew she was trying to help, but honestly, he felt like there was so much more to what was going on than just Billy being insecure - even if he was. "There is nothing to be jealous of." He covered his face with both hands and leaned on his elbows at the bench. "I hate this."

"Oh, come on," Kate said as she sat down next to him and gently slid a coffee toward him. "It's not that bad, is it?"

"I didn't think so, but apparently, it is," James said. "Nothing about this whole friggin' semester has been okay with Billy. I can't fix it, can't make it go any easier. Pretty sure he's pissed off at me more often than not, and I can't do a damn thing about it."

"I don't think that's true," Kate said.

"Yeah? Ask him." James gave her a dry look.

"You act like we don't talk," Kate said, waving her hand. "Yeah, he's mad, and yeah, some of the time he's mad at you, but that's just because hey, I'd be mad at Nate if he was too busy for me, too, even if I understood it." She took a long sip of coffee and then looked over the top of her mug at James. "Emotions aren't logical."

"Yeah, I'm aware."

Kate took in his scrunched up shoulders and deep glare, sighed, and then slid over to bump shoulders with him. "Look, the semester's almost over. You're only about a month out from being done. I promise I'll make sure Billy doesn't lose his head to his own drama, but don't get sucked into that whirlpool either, okay?" She smiled softly at him. "You wouldn't be this worked up if you weren't as deeply in love as you are. If you didn't love him, you'd have given up on dealing with this crap by now."

"You never know. You've seen my record," James said dryly.

"True," Kate said, tipping her head to the side. "Would it help if I pointed out that all your friends actually approve this time? He's totally not a Frost; I pinkie swear."

"Uh huh. Too bad it's not just a month. It's a month plus whatever it takes for them to approve my papers that I have to re-write," James said. "He could go supernova-sized supervillain by then."

Kate closed one eye. "But you won't be in classes or anything. I mean, won't it let up a little?"

James gave her an even drier look. "And the unlikely award for Little Miss Sunshine goes to …"

"Look, I'm just trying to prevent supernova supervillains. Give me a bone here, James. I don't want to see Billy's head explode either."

"I don't have anything helpful to give you though," James said in a sigh. "Every time I turn around someone's getting in my face one way or another and there is always one. More. thing. I'm probably not even going to end up getting the damn degrees." He gestured toward the other end of the lab. "And it's like going through a damn fishbowl the whole time. Rarely does anyone even talk to me. It's always around me, or about me - which … makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up." He shook his head again. "Doesn't matter though, and I'm not looking for sympathy, so don't even start. You asked."

"I did," Kate agreed, then sighed out all her breath through her cheeks. "You know I wish I could help, right? If I had Billy's powers, I'd have wished the stupid out of the dean or something, I dunno. Something useful."

"Maybe he'll get irked and poof me out of this reality," James said dryly.

"If he poofs you to the one where your birth father's still around, can you bring me? I liked his fighting lessons," Kate teased lightly. "We can come back even bigger and badder than we already are."

"Nope. Gonna hog 'em," James answered, shaking his head lightly. "Doubt that's where I'd end up anyhow."

"Well, maybe you'll get poofed somewhere surrounded by hot guys, since he's so jealous." Kate grinned obnoxiously. "Can I please come to that one?"

"Sure. They wouldn't be interested in me if that's where he sent me anyhow," he teased.

"Depends on if they're all gay or bi in this reality. If it's like ours, the numbers favor me," she teased right back.

"If Billy's mad at me at the time of the wish, they'd probably like anyone but me," James pointed out. "Which is reasonable."

"Ah, so super, duper, blindingly oblivious straight dudes. Dunno about that," Kate said philosophically.

"Just your type."

"Fair," Kate laughed. "Your brother is being a jock lately. I love him, but wow."

"How are you shocked by this?"

"I'm not. He's just being either super protective or so busy I barely even rate a psychic makeout," Kate said, pulling a face. "Which reminds me… your dad and Wanda must have decided to conference with the other parents, because my mom gave me a detailed overview of what she'll do to Nate if we get, like, pregnant in high school or something."

James waved a hand at that. "Like she'd actually do that," he said.

"Um, it's all survivable. She would."

James gave her a look. "You think Nate would just … turn off his brain and let her? He'd let her think she did everything she wanted to him."

"You think Mom wouldn't make sure the powers were turned off before she started?"

"Okay, let's try this from another angle. You think I wouldn't stand in the middle to stop her?"

"Point," Kate agreed. She waved her hand. "Doesn't matter anyway. I'm on the pill and I make him carry some Trojans, so…"

"I know you're careful - otherwise, I'd be giving him a hard time," James said. "You're too smart to let him be stupid."

"I know I am," Kate teased him. "Your brother is hard work."

"Utterly, helplessly smitten."

"Can you blame him?" Kate said, gesturing at herself with a little giggle.

"Yes."

"Love you too."

As Kate and James were chatting, Tony came in, dressed well rather than in his usual jeans and tee. He waited for a natural break in the conversation before he knocked on the door with his knuckles. "Hey, kiddo. Hate to break up the party, but we have to get moving. Big conference and I need you there."

James sighed and turned toward Tony. "That's this weekend?"

"Yep," Tony confirmed. "Jan has you packed. You'll be back in time for class Monday." He tapped the door frame with his hand. "Meet you by the elevator." He left the two of them alone for a moment, but that only had James deflating as he looked at the tools on his bench.

"Well that's perfect," James said, then gave Kate a dry look. "If I pass you a note, can you get it to Billy?"

"What's wrong with your phone?" Kate asked. "Can't you text?"

"I thought a handwritten letter with a wax seal would be more fittingly dramatic," James deadpanned even as he took his phone out and started to draft a message. "I'll text him. Just … this isn't going to go over well at all."

Kate winced in sympathy. "Yeah, but it's so romantic how you're speaking his language," she offered.

"The wax thing, you mean?" James asked with a mirthless laugh. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Because he's made of Magneto-level drama sometimes," Kate said, smirking. "Unfortunate family trait."

James raised an eyebrow her way. "I was raised by the Summers. So what's your point? Not like Magneto holds the corner market on drama."

"Right. I almost forgot how overly dramatic your family can be, too," Kate said, rolling her eyes. "Have fun at your conference."

"Yeah. Fun," James said dryly, though he got up and headed down the same hall Tony had taken a few moments earlier. He was increasingly unhappy with everything in his life, and he didn't feel as if he could talk to anyone about it either. Yeah, he'd told Kate a few things, but with Kate, something always got lost in translation, so he was pretty sure it wasn't doing him any good anyhow. With a sigh, he checked in with Jan to make sure he had everything, then followed Tony into the elevator so they could head to the airport.

"You have any work you need to get done this weekend?" Tony asked, watching James a little closer when he saw how unenthusiastic the kid seemed.

"No. They still don't want to let me work on anything unless I'm in the library," James said. "I'm all caught up on coursework anyhow."

"So you're just focusing on your papers?"

"That was the idea, yeah," James agreed, then took a slow, deep breath to try and recenter himself. "I'm fine. I just … I don't know. Lost track of what day it was, I guess."

"Understandable," Tony said, then rested his hand on James' shoulder. "Try to relax a little for this if you can. Been a while since you and I got to stretch."

"Yeah," James agreed, nodding to himself. "It has."

Tony smiled a little warmer and shifted to jostle the kid before both of them readjusted their coats and waited for the elevator doors to open. They hadn't scheduled out their flight as it was a private jet, but … there were always photographers waiting for the two of them - and when both of them were moving together, it was always that much more of a draw.

Even having expected it, though, James wasn't prepared for the barrage of questions asking if there were going to be any big announcements around James' eighteenth … which only had James frowning and wondering how the hell they'd figured out when that was. But Tony gave him a bracing look, and the two of them politely declined answering anything as they climbed into the car.

Meanwhile … Kate had just gotten James' coffee cup to take to the kitchen, sighing to herself at the high levels of drama going on in her friend circle, when Billy showed up looking like he was half out of breath - wide eyed and rushing. "Okay! I just got the message!" Billy said, turning on the spot to look around himself and realizing quickly that it was just him and Kate in James' lab. "Oh, come on," Billy bit out. "This is - damn it!"

"He wanted to leave you a handwritten love letter with a wax seal, but Tony was pushing him to move," Kate said with a smile. "I thought it was really sweet."

"I'm sure it was, and that doesn't make this any better at all," Billy said before he dropped into one of the cushy seats by the window. "How much did I miss him by?"

"Not even five minutes," Kate said before she sat down with him. "He wasn't happy at all."

"That doesn't help, either," Billy said, looking more irritated. "You know, his birthday is so close. I'm probably not going to be allowed to be anywhere near him until my birthday, too."

"Oh, come on."

"Really. This is the adults interfering when it's alright for us to be spotted together. How bad do you think it'll be when we can't because of possible bad PR?"

Kate shook her head. "Billy, you're starting to show your genetics on both sides of the family. Tone the drama down, dude."

Billy stopped all movement except what it took to turn her way. "Kate," he said, the single word dripping with disbelief and showing how insulted he was.

Kate smirked and spread her hands out wide. "Hey, you're talking about a Summers. I grew up with that family, and if you think Scott is gonna let James' birthday pass without doing something - if you think there isn't gonna be a family dinner and at least a birthday cake… if you think Annie won't offer to bake it, because apparently, according to Nate, she is already thinking of momming them and he can hear her projecting her thoughts… I mean, I don't know what to tell you, Billy. You're not going to lose him to PR and public events and school on his birthday."

"And after that?" Billy pointed out.

"What, you're chickening out of a relationship you loved before all this school crap because he's got a public life?" Kate's eyes were as wide as she could get them. "You're the futzing crown prince of Genosha! You can't get upset that someone else has a life like yours!"

Billy gaped at her. "It's not the same!" he spluttered.

"No, but you can't be mad that your boyfriend has just as much baggage as you do. I guarantee you if you two end up, like, married or something that there will be times when you're gone for months at a time at some political conference or dealing with, like, Latveria threatening to nuke you or something, I dunno. Go ahead and tell me there won't be times you're so wrapped up in being King of Genosha that you barely have time to do anything but eat and sleep and then go back to work. Because that's gonna happen, you know."

Billy crossed his arms and huffed out his breath with a muttered, "Not like I wouldn't bring him along."

Kate openly rolled her eyes at that. "Billy, seriously. James is stressed beyond belief, and you're hitting him with this dramatic jealousy and - and you know he thinks the world of you, right? Because it's eating him up that you're so mad, and I love you both? And I want you two to work out? But he's been like a brother to me my whole life, and I will absolutely take his side in this if you end up pushing him away. You got that, right?"

"That's the last thing I want to do," Billy replied.

"Okay," Kate said, nodding. "Okay, good. Then maybe, I dunno, tell him that."

For a second, Billy had to hold back the knee jerk response, but couldn't let the moment pass with some healthy measure of sass. "Maybe I will whenever I get to see him."

"You should write him a love letter and seal it with wax," Kate said, grinning obnoxiously.

"Oh my God, why so dramatic, Kate?"

"Just suggesting something befitting a prince, Billy," Kate teased. "Come on. We'll get you some stationary. I'll bet Thor even has some wax for you to use," she added, threading her arm through his.

That next morning, all was quiet in the Summers house when Annie woke up and stretched lazily, enjoying not waking up to the rush of Avengers on a mission or arguing about something or other or even, hilariously, the fact that Thor sometimes snored and brought a little thunder with him when he did.

She turned toward where Scott had been, but he was already awake and starting the day, she realized when she saw what time it was. Nate needed to get to a weekend team practice; she wasn't sure if it was a sports team or a superhero team, actually. She was a little too tired to remember that kind of thing.

Still, even with Scott already downstairs, Annie was smiling to herself. No one had ever invited her home to cook for her. Sure, she'd dated around, but the first night at any boyfriend's place was usually just that - the fun part after dinner. But then again, that was why she liked Scott so much. He put in the work on the little details that meant the world.

With a soft moan, she finally got up and started to look for something to wear. She hadn't actually planned to stay the night, really, and she didn't have anything on hand. So, she ended up going to his closet to find a shirt to throw on. He was well over six feet tall, so she figured there was enough of a height difference that anything of his would cover enough to count as almost-modest.

She pulled her hair back into a ponytail, smiled to herself again at how refreshingly nice this relationship was, and then headed downstairs, fully intending to help Scott make breakfast.

To her surprise, however, Scott wasn't the only one in the kitchen that morning.

Nate glanced up from his eggs and toast, took one look at Annie wearing Scott's shirt, and tipped his head back far enough that he could look at his father upside down. "Dad. Dad," he said and didn't say anything else other than to look like every embarrassed teenager Annie had ever met.

To his credit, Scott only broke stride for a moment when he realized what had happened - and then, instead of trying to smooth things over with Nate, he grinned, gave Annie an obvious once-over, and then said without looking at Nate, "You're the one that set us up. You have no room to complain."

Nate sputtered and then let out a disbelieving laugh. "I can't believe this."

Annie looked between the two of them, biting her lip. She had known that Scott was a single father when they started dating; it was actually one of the things that drew her to him. He was obviously devoted to his kids and active in their lives. That said something about his character. But she didn't want to mess things up for him and become the girlfriend that the kids didn't like, so she gestured vaguely toward the stairs. "I'm sorry; I can go-"

"No, no," Scott said quickly, "you're fine. Nate knew you were here."

"And what you two were up to," Nate muttered under his breath as his foot jiggled.

Annie felt her face turning red as she remembered what Scott had told her about his kids' powers. "Oh. Oh, I'm so sorry," she said, both hands over her mouth.

"You don't have to apologize," Scott said. "Nate knows how to keep his mind to himself. And considering how he and Kate are, he has no room to talk." He gave Nate a look with both eyebrows raised. "Unless he wants me to change the rules around here."

Nate laughed and held both hands up. "Wow, okay, I get it. Pile on the minor. I know when I'm not wanted." He snatched up his last two pieces of toast and got to his feet. "I was on my way out the door anyway."

Annie took a step toward him. "I hope I'm not driving you out…"

Nate turned her way, picked up on her honest fear, and realized that with how hard she was trying not to get between Scott and his kids that there was a real chance she would slow-walk the relationship they were building until Nate actually said he was okay with them dating. So, even though he did not want to have another night where he came home from a date with Kate to overhear his dad doing that… he swallowed, smiled, and assured her, "No, I just have to give my dad a hard time after all the grief he's given all of us." His smile widened. "Actually, it's nice to see Dad stepping up his game. He's rusty, you know."

Scott threw a bagel at Nate. "You're going to be late for your practice."

Nate ducked, grinned, and took a huge bite out of his toast. "See you later, Dad. Try not to do anything you tell me not to do," he said, grabbing his coat from the hooks near the front door on his way out, laughing to himself the whole way down the front stoop.

The door had hardly shut before Scott was shaking his head and turned to Annie. "Sorry about him."

"No, don't apologize," Annie said. "I'm sure with his abilities, it is weirder than normal dealing with his dad dating again." She looked down at the shirt she was wearing and then back up at him. "I… didn't exactly put my best foot forward, either."

"All three of them are like that, and you did nothing wrong. Nate in particular likes to tease me. I'm sorry you're getting caught in the crossfire."

Annie tucked her hair behind her ear, bit her lip, and smiled again. "I know a thing or two about teasing siblings. I guess I'm just… I've never dated someone who has, well, their own kids, actually."

Scott tipped his head to the side. "I hope that isn't-"

"No!" Annie shook her head, her eyes wide. "No, it's nice. You're so good with them. I just don't know - I don't want to tread where their mom was, if that makes sense. Or break any boundaries…."

"They're the ones who wanted me dating. And they're old enough to be fine with it."

"Okay." Annie tucked her hair back again, even though not much of it had fallen out. "Okay, that's… that's good, because I definitely like being here."

Scott smirked to himself, though he was rubbing the back of his neck as he looked for his own response. Nate wasn't wrong; he hadn't dated in so long that he wasn't sure what to say other than, "Oh, well, that's good."

"And your cooking isn't half bad, either," Annie said, her blush turning into a grin at last. "But I should really show you a few of my favorites."

"Next time you want to get out of the tower, then," Scott agreed.

Annie smiled wider. "I don't mind cooking for a crowd, but I don't think they know what to do with me, really."

"Jarvis looked like he was half afraid this was Tony's way of telling him it's time to retire," Scott said, and Annie burst out laughing.

"It's just a stress-reliever, really," she said. "I like to cook, and Craig's been in so much trouble lately, not to mention sweet little Leslie Ann wants to be on the team…"

Scott raised both eyebrows. "I didn't know that."

"About Leslie Ann or Craig?"

"No, I knew about Craig," Scott said, shaking his head - and then nearly laughed when he realized Annie was looking for pots and pans. "What are you doing?"

"Making some breakfast. Toast may be good enough for a teenager on the go, but I hardly ever get to eat much for lunch at school when I'm grading papers, so I prefer a big breakfast," Annie explained. "Do you mind?" she asked, almost belatedly.

"Not at all," Scott assured her, smiling bemusedly as she made herself at home. She seemed perfectly comfortable with him and with making a space for herself - except when it came to the kids, who she obviously desperately wanted to like her. He could imagine that dating her without the kids involved would have been even more of a whirlwind than he already felt like it was; she had a way of simply slipping into his orbit so seamlessly he couldn't have said when they had shifted from tentative dates to a more serious relationship.

Annie got to work throwing together some French toast and then cutting up some strawberries to go with her breakfast, humming to herself as she went and leaving Scott simply smiling after her as she worked. There was something nice about seeing the woman he was dating so at ease in his home. It was, he hoped, a good sign.

Annie had nearly finished when she glanced up to see that he was watching her, and she blushed deeply. "What?"

Scott felt his own face turn red as he tried to recover. "Sorry. I was just … thinking…"

"What about?" Annie asked, tucking her hair back.

Scott opened and closed his mouth a few times before he found the answer he wanted. "Just… how nice it is to feel, you know, normal."

Rachel.

Nate could hardly get away from the house before reaching out to his sister. She was living in Westchester now, and because of that, she was missing everything. And he wasn't about to let her miss something this big.

On the other hand, Rachel was trying to do her own thing … and that meant that she wasn't around her family as much. Physically anyhow. Psychically was a totally different story and Nate was the most likely to push that aspect of things. James was good about keeping in touch through texts. Once in a while, she'd hear from her father telepathically, but more often than not, Scott would warn her with a text first saying he'd like a word. Nate? Nate had little respect for boundaries. Especially with his big sister, so he never warned her first before bashing into her mental barriers with all the subtlety of a Mack truck.

What now, Nate? Rachel asked. Did you pick out that promise ring for Katie?

What? No- this … you're not supposed to go digging, Rach.

And you're not supposed to just barrel at me on the psychic plane, but here we are.

Whatever, Nate replied in an impatient sigh that came through loud and clear, even like this. I just thought you'd like to know that Dad and Miss Hale had a sleepover and that she came down to breakfast wearing his shirt, but if you're too busy to hear about Dad …

Wait. What?

I said you are missing out on everything. Not the least of which being the fact that Dad brought… her… home. To the house. Our house.

There was a long pause as Rachel stepped beyond her brother's boundaries and simply started digging through his memory of that morning's events. And she honestly couldn't believe what she was seeing.

See? Nate replied, sounding cocky enough that Rachel was all but convinced that he'd played her into doing exactly what she'd done - peeking into his head. They're escalating.

Oh my God, stop that, Rachel said in a much shorter tone. Thank you, for sharing your mental scars with me. I'll make sure that Dr. Hale has time for you when you go in for practice tomorrow.

Um … I am not talking to her brother about her, Nate pointed out. But … I will talk to Kate about her. Just thought you should know!

Nate retreated quickly from their telepathic discussion leaving Rachel mulling it all over, and like her father, she only thought it through about seven hundred times in the matter of a few minutes before she reached out with a text first to ask permission for a telepathic chat. Lord knows she did not want to interrupt anything if he was involved with his new … girlfriend.

"I feel dirty even thinking that out loud knowing what's going on," Rachel muttered to herself, though that also neatly illustrated to her how long it had been that her father had even tried. "This was so different when it was Jan…"

While she waited, Rachel considered the differences between her father dating within the hero community and him dating outside of it. And there were just so many variables. So much was different and so so many things were just … too normal to mesh well with the life that the Summers family had long ago considered their version of normal. Naturally, she was worrying herself into an ulcer already.

She couldn't help but wonder why now - when all three of his kids were going into the hero business - was he finally making an attempt at 'normal'. She also had no tact when she wanted an answer, so the text she sent read: 'Can you talk? I swear it has nothing to do with Nate. At all. Not even a little bit.'

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, but in reality could have only been a minute, her phone buzzed with a response from her dad: You alright? You're overcompensating.

She had to stop from a sassy response of 'learned from the best' and instead replied a little more civilly. Of course I'm alright, Dad. I'm FINE. I just wanted to check in and I didn't want to reach out if you were busy. That's all.

I always have time for you, Scott replied.

Then … good. Nate is freaking out - in a good positive way. So are you available to talk off-line? Or are you preoccupied? I can stick with text if that's easiest.

Just doing breakfast dishes, Rach. You're welcome to chat.

Rachel let out a breath and nodded to herself. The truth of it was if Miss Hale was planning to spend a long, languid morning, Rachel didn't want anything she was thinking to be readable to anyone and misinterpreted. So, once Rachel made it to a quiet spot, she reached out to handle this discussion how she was most comfortable. Are you sure? Rachel projected.

I'm sure, Scott replied in kind.

Okay. I don't want to step on any toes.

What's on your mind? You only tiptoe like this when it's bothering you.

I just … needed to make sure you're okay. Like okay, okay. Not just … you know.

Other than the new semi-co-parenting Wanda and I have been doing lately, you mean? Scott teased lightly.

Well, you should probably just get used to that, Rachel said. I meant the stuff with you. My brothers are as stupid as ever in new and refreshing ways. I'm not overly worried about that part though. Tell me about now.

I'm okay, Rachel, I promise, Scott said. I'm not going anywhere.

Okay, but … are you okay because you're picking this for yourself or because you're doing what everyone is pushing you to do?

Scott nearly replied that she was worrying too much, but then, the time he'd spent actually dating Emma because Jean had told him to was definitely a solid mark against him - especially since, once again, he'd been told by his dead wife to find happiness. It's different, he allowed at last.

I know. It has to be. I know you have no intentions to repeat anything if you can, Rachel replied. I just … am too much like you and you're right. I'm probably overthinking, but I'm still going to keep doing it until I know for sure everything is alright. So. Maybe … make your case?

Scott nearly laughed. Oh, you are absolutely my girl. Would you like a list? Helped me.

Yes. Please. Rachel was smiling to herself since it was only half a joke and she was fully aware that she favored her father when it came to how she thought.

Alright. Scott took a deep breath and let it out. She cares, Rach. Deeply. About everything she's involved in. The school, her students, her family, even her recipes. And it's nice, you know, for someone else to care and throw themselves into things. He paused. And she's obviously not anti-mutant, he added, only half teasing.

Oh, my, God. Don't … phrase things like that.

Sorry. Wasn't trying to scar you.

You are not sorry.

Scott smiled. Then I won't go into detail about how attractive she is as part of the list…

No, I want to learn my own details, Rachel said. So … what are your plans for that, then?

At that, Scott lost his smile to honestly think over his answer. I don't want to ask her to move in until Nate is out on his own or at least better at keeping his mind to himself, to be honest.

Okay, but … if you're waiting for Nate to keep his mind to himself, it's never going to happen.

No, but as I understand it, he's already talked to Natasha about a lease once he's eighteen. And I'm very sure Natasha is only helping him with that because it means she can still keep an eye out.

At least one of my brothers has thought that far out, Rachel teased. And you're talking long term plans when I'm still in the information gathering phase. Seriously. She's been to the house now. Is that going to be a regular thing? Do you need to like … get warning from us before we come home, or do you want to let us interrogate- I mean … talk to her?

Just don't come in my room if it's locked; you're old enough to know how that works, Scott teased.

I've never done anything like that in my life, Rachel countered.

Right. Scott shook his head and then let out a long breath. Honestly, Rachel, this is new for me too. I'm taking each step as it comes; I just know what steps are ahead, not when or whether I'll be ready to take them.

I know. That's why I wanted to check in. It's a lot.

It is. He paused again. If you aren't comfortable…

I will be more comfortable once I can get to know her a little bit too - see what it is that you see. You know?

I'm thinking of inviting her family to Thanksgiving anyway, since they're between homes right now. But I was going to bring it up with the three of you first.

That should be interesting. Are we all going to go to the school, then? Or are you going to let Tony steal away James for the holiday like he's threatening to?

Please. I haven't had Thanksgiving at the school since I was twenty-six. We're going there.

O-kay, she all but sang out. You're going to break Tony's heart.

Oh no.

Alright. Well … let me know what the plan is when you get it hammered out, Rachel said. I won't interrupt you any more this morning.

Love you too, Rach. Tell your girlfriend she's invited too, he said, smirking quietly, since Ororo had tipped him off to that little development.

Alright, I will. Love you - don't do anything that'll have Nate giving you the birds and the bees speech in retaliation. Because he's just waiting.

He tries it and I'll project to him what Emma and I did

Just warn me first. Please. I am doing all I can to keep the Phoenix back. I don't need that tipping me over the edge.

Alright. You get a warning. But Nate doesn't, Scott said, smiling as the telepathic conversation came to an end. He turned to a grinning Annie, who had definitely guessed what he was up to, and was sure to tell her his daughter was looking forward to spending more time with her to get to know her.