A/N - Hey all! Hope you like the heat - I sure as hell don't. Anyhow ... so, I was going to do this earlier, but I had things to be done today and now I'm about to dive into some painkillers after dental fun, so ... X-MenOverAvengers - thanks for the review! There will be more coming at you sooner than later because I DID get some polishing done on the next few chapters, and I want to see this one roll. There is a lot I want to do here, so ...
Chapter 92 - Family Functions
The warm rush of tropical air was enough to set James back a step when he and Billy arrived in Genosha via one of Billy's spells. At almost the same time that they appeared, James heard the telltale woosh that announced Tommy's arrival as well. Before he could quite process that, Billy pulled James into a fairly involved kiss.
"Welcome to Genosha … take two. What are you thinking?" Billy asked in an anxious tone.
"I'm thinking that I'm not going to tell your brother that you got here first by a hair," James said with his eyes closed.
Billy knew that James was anxious about going back to the island … to the palace to spend time with Billy's family. And he was truly hoping that all would go well. "You're just saying that."
"Okay, sure," James said, then opened one eye and stole a quick, chaste kiss. "I know you're going to keep checking, but I'm here, with you - I'm alright. Really and truly. Please don't get anxious on your time home because of my issues."
"It's like you had your sister check in my head," Billy deadpanned as he took James' hand and they started toward the center of the palace. It wasn't until just then that James realized Billy had wished them to his room, which was probably a very safe place for them to be - even if some of the guards took offense. "Mom and Dad will be glad to see you came." He grinned over at James for an instant. "And Uncle Alex, of course."
But that was about when they crossed Alex's path, so James couldn't help but pick. "Oh, right. Alex. How could I have forgotten about Uncle Alex …"
"You little punk," Alex said before he took a few quick steps and shoved James sideways. "Heard you made an inducer for yourself that makes you look like me."
"Why would I want to be ugly?" James countered, even as Alex laughed.
"It makes him look like he fits into the whole Summers-Grey group," Billy said. "There are touches of Rachel and her mom in there, too."
"Aww," Alex said. "Totally pointless when you already fit in."
"Are you high? Or on something?" James asked. "You're all … squishy and touchy feely. Keep your emotions to yourself. I don't want any."
"Emotions aren't contagious, James," Alex said as he rolled his eyes. "Or so I've been told."
"You were lied to," James said flatly as Alex put his arm around both of them, steering them to where the rest of Billy's family was waiting.
"And you're here for the duration, kiddo," Alex said. "A whole week … and change. Which is great because I think you'll like it a lot more this time around." He jostled James as James looked over at Billy - clearly unsure of the entire situation, but going along anyhow.
And Billy knew how big of a deal this was for James - going back to Genosha. So he didn't tell him that he was right on some fronts. There was a small group that was calling for his head, both figuratively and literally, but the overwhelming bulk of citizens of Genosha were looking at what had happened more positively. Magneto had been a vicious, controlling dictator, so the quick re-opening and support the citizens had gotten with Wanda at the helm had been reassuring. Even if many people were still hesitant to trust her.
The rumors around Magneto's death had grown, too. Some even thought Wanda had hired the kid to take him out. And because of the mixed feelings concerning that, Billy wasn't in as much of a rush as last time to take James out around the island - but James certainly didn't need to know Billy was protecting him.
Alex was the one to really see the first sign of trouble when they met up with the rest of the family. With his arm still around James' shoulders, he caught it the instant that James stiffened up more than he already was, and he nearly took a step back when Wanda came at them with a broad grin. Obviously, he was going to have to take a minute to have a word with his sister in law about how the whole angry mother look every time she saw him was going to affect any possible relationship they might have in the future. Especially since it was pretty clear to Alex that James was waiting for backlash.
Wanda wrapped Billy up in a tight hug, smiling to herself as she held onto him. "Welcome home, sweetheart," she said, still holding on tight. "It's about time you boys showed up. What took so long?"
"Just a few last minute things," Billy said, perfectly happy to take the snuggle. "And I had to do a little convincing," he added quietly, though he knew James would have heard it anyhow.
However, that seemed to have exactly the effect Billy had hoped for because when Wanda pulled back from the hug, she looked concerned - first as she searched Billy's face, then as she looked over at James - and immediately stepped over to pull him into a tight hug too. "You are always welcome, you know," she told James quietly. "And I'm very glad you decided to join us for the holiday." James nodded and muttered out a quiet thanks before Wanda doubled down on the hug, then stepped back, still smiling with one arm still around him so she could guide him along with her.
Alex watched the scene for a moment as Wanda dove into trying to mother James with Billy grinning next to her and couldn't help himself. He had to text his big brother. You don't have to worry, by the way. Wanda's going out of her way to coddle him.
It took Scott a few minutes to respond, though. He'd asked Alex to keep an eye open, and by extension, he'd been waiting to hear from him. But Scott hadn't expected Alex to be that fast about checking in unless there was trouble. That can go a few ways.
Well right now he's trying to figure out the safest way to respond to her, Alex replied. It really shows that he has no idea what to do with her.
That doesn't surprise me. Let me know if he needs backup.
He'll be fine, Alex promised. He'll either find a way to make it work, or he just won't come back again. Billy will be crushed if it goes that way, but it'll be one way or the other. There's not a lot of middle ground with my in-laws, you know.
I know. Thanks, Alex. Keep in touch.
You got it. Can't wait to see Annie again, big bro. Go get her.
With that, Alex pocketed his phone and met up with Lorna, who was waiting for him while their kids trailed behind James and Billy like lost puppies. Of the many directions that Billy could have taken with his love life, Chris and Suzie had decided that Billy with James was the best possible way for them to keep James around - and make him come play with them more often. So they were laying it on thick already.
But what Alex hadn't planned for - and likely neither had the others - was Vision actively seeking James out to spend time with him. And while Alex was concerned that James was most comfortable with the android in the family, he had to admit that Vision did have a way of getting through to the kid via conversations of tech that was way over everyone else's head.
Though there was a lot going on as far as family traditions, one of the more fun aspects for Billy and his parents to watch was Alex and Lorna's kids insisting on playing with James. Especially when James couldn't bring himself to do anything but everything they wanted. It was part of why they loved playing with him. The other part came when the first candle was lit, the blessings were said - and though they were getting a little bit big to be throwing themselves at someone like that, Chris and Suzie insisted on snuggling in with James while Vision read a story to them just before dinner. They never got to see James, after all - and this was the kind of chance they weren't going to miss.
And while Alex and Lorna were enjoying watching the kids joyfully giggling through a story that was not in any way funny yet, Wanda was watching the way James was quietly trying to talk Chris and Suzie into listening and tickling them when they couldn't … which only made for a very vicious circle. Until he kissed each of them on the top of the head and gave them a little squeeze to get them to snuggle in better. Suzie in particular looked like there was nowhere she'd rather be.
"Mom?" Billy said gently, when he saw the way she was watching James and the kids. "Are you alright?"
"Of course I am," she said, though it was plain to see she was caught up in her emotions before she kissed his cheek. "Go on. I'm sure you two will want to turn in a little early after dinner. Get some time in now before Chris decides he wants to wake you up in the morning."
"I'm locking the door, then," Billy said.
"Probably smart," she agreed, then kissed him on the cheek again before shooing him over.
James looked up without moving his head from where he was leaning on Suzie as Billy reached over to tickle Chris and then pick him up so they could snuggle up, but that only had Suzie looking like she'd won - and James wasn't helping as he doubled down on the snuggle to Suzie's giggles.
Billy and James turned toward each other to steal a quick kiss and the kids started in.
"I'm sitting by Billy," Chris whispered to Suzie.
"Well I'm sitting with James," she whispered back to him - then stuck her tongue out.
"Who's sitting in the middle?" Lorna asked, unable to ignore the scene in front of her.
"Huh?" Chris said, turing her way with his nose crinkled up just like Alex. "I'm still gonna sit by Suzie, too."
"Yeah, we have to sit together," Suzie agreed.
"So you're going to sit between Billy and James," Lorna said, shaking her head. "That's not-"
"It's fine," Billy said, knowing that the kids would get more obnoxious if they tried to fight it. "Just means we can tickle both of them."
"Yeah, but you gotta wait for all the kisses until later," Suzie informed him from where she was hanging off of James.
"I guess so," James agreed, which only had Suzie grinning wider - with Wanda and Lorna watching with identical expressions that perfectly portrayed how they were melting over the whole scene. And the sentiment carried on all through dinner, accented only by the occasional smug look from Alex.
When dinner was over, Billy pulled James along with him toward the wing he'd grown up in. "I'm not really tired yet," James pointed out. "It's still kind of early for me…"
"I know. But you need to know where we're staying."
James frowned, but didn't argue it - not until he realized they were just going to Billy's room. "Wait…"
"Mom is okay with us being us - she just wants us to be us away from the press - and away from the threat of the press. So … we're not tired … whatever shall we do?"
James looked shocked - something that rarely happened this clearly. "You're kidding me."
"Nope."
"How long did you know this?"
"Um … from the very beginning. Did I forget to mention the part where we get to bunk up here?"
"Yes." James broke into a crooked, disbelieving smile then pulled Billy over hard for an involved kiss. "Troublemaker."
"What makes it even better is that you were willing to come to Genosha even if you couldn't share a room," Billy said as he took a few steps closer and stole a quick kiss. "I wonder what that means …"
"It means I love you, and you know it," James replied. "So please … don't make a thing out of it."
"But it's so sweet," Billy teased. "You're being a big softie for me."
"Yes. Yes, I am."
Billy laughed delightedly before he leaned in for a long kiss before puling the door shut behind them.
The next morning, Billy woke up exactly where he wanted to be, half wrapped up with James and comfy with the warm breeze blowing in through his window. But he was slow to wake up. Especially when he was just so comfortable. So he didn't see that James was wide awake and staring at the ceiling. He didn't know that James hadn't slept more than a few minutes overnight. And he didn't know that his sweetheart was doing everything he could to keep his muscles relaxed so as not to disturb Billy as he slept. He also didn't know how much James had been dreading anything to do with Genosha, or he would have been much less convincing on his path to get James to come home with him. Again.
But, Billy did hear it when Chris and Suzie came knocking on his door - disappointed that it was locked and still prepared to wake the boys up. He snuggled in a little better, smiling to himself when he was rewarded with a perfectly timed squeeze.
"I think they'll find something else to do," Billy said quietly.
"Likely," James agreed - but his voice wasn't nearly so raspy as Billy was expecting for first thing in the morning.
Billy picked his head up and gave James a chaste good morning kiss. "Jet lagged?"
"Yeah, probably," James agreed rather than admit he was having trouble coping.
Billy gave him another, slightly less innocent kiss. "Give it a few days. Then you'll get messed up when we go back."
James smiled tightly at that, mostly because it was highly accurate and there was nothing either of them could do about it.
"You gotta wake up now!" Chris shouted from behind the still-locked, still-closed door. "It's so late!"
"What time is it?" Billy asked, looking for his clock. He leaned across James to turn it his way, then let out a sigh. "It's just after noon."
"So that makes it like … three in the morning back home," James said, counting it out quickly.
"Yeah … so why aren't you more tired?" Billy asked, then leaned in for another kiss.
"I am," James replied, as the two of them tried conversing between little kisses. "But. I can adjust."
"We should sleep longer. Mom won't mind if we're not up and running yet. Dinner isn't until seven …"
"I think your parents want to see you for more than just dinner times," James argued, then sat up as soon as Billy disentangled. "Tell you what - I'll make the coffee when we get to a coffee maker."
"That would probably help a little bit," Billy agreed before he too got up to start his day.
James was quick to get changed ready for the day- or what was left of it - and once he was ready, he fell back to have a seat on Billy's bed and just … wait for him to catch up. He was tired, but he couldn't close his eyes with all the distantly familiar scents in the air and not have flashbacks to everything that had happened the last time he had set foot on Genosha. He could also remember everything Magneto had said to him when Billy wasn't close enough to hear it. The old man's ghost was alive and well - and making James feel guilty as hell for everything.
Billy did not miss it, either. He had hoped that James' quiet mood had more to do with jet-lag, though, so he tried to keep a more positive attitude around him. Thankfully, he wasn't alone in his efforts, either. Alex was more than happy to get involved, and Vision was positively invested, even if he managed to keep back until James had gotten through a couple cups of coffee. Even if the smallest Summers kids couldn't wait that long and had crawled up into James' and Billy's laps long before James looked like he was feeling approachable.
Of course, even Wanda knew the coffee was just something to hide behind since the caffeine didn't really affect James. But she wasn't going to bust him out on it. Not when her niece and nephew were still getting the kind of attention and affection they were after.
Alex had spoken to her, of course - and Lorna had backed him up since they knew James far better than Wanda did so far. And she'd left the boys to their own devices - even if it was just sleeping- all morning. But when presented with James, looking and acting so much like Logan, she didn't know where to start to try and make him feel more welcome. But she did know that Billy was head over heels, so she had to try something.
Wanda came closer with a warm smile. "How did you boys sleep last night?" she asked as she sat down nearby. The family on Genosha had been up for hours, but she knew how hard it was to make the adjustment when it was so harsh.
"It took a while to go to sleep," Billy admitted, "but it is nice to be home."
Both Wanda and Billy turned toward James, who only gave them a tight smile and nodded once in agreement before he kissed Billy's temple. "I'll catch up," James said. "It's a lot worse when I go with Tony to Japan or Australia."
"I'm sure it is," Wanda said with a warm smile, doing everything she could think of to reach out. But she knew James wasn't going to be an easy one to crack. She also realized that this was probably a lot harder for him to face than Billy knew - and she hated that James had lost what little innocence he'd had left because of her father, and she didn't like that he was facing this so stoically. That part was too much like his father and his dad. "Maybe you boys should spend some time on the beach today."
"I am all for it," Billy agreed.
"If you're up to it, the waves should be great today," Alex said.
"I think she meant they could take time just the two of them," Lorna told Alex gently.
"Right," Alex muttered, smirking at Lorna. But that only set it up for the boys to head to the beach away from the palace.
Which ended up being a trend for the rest of the holiday, though Billy could see that something was off with James by the end of the week. His guy was almost mute. He kept his opinions to himself and he wasn't really holding up his end of the conversations with Vision either. But Vision could see what the trouble was - through analysis and simple deduction.
But there was little they could do - and it was obvious that what James really needed was a session with a competent therapist and a solid nights sleep.
When Hanukkah was over, Billy joined James, Alex, Lorna, and the kids to celebrate Christmas with the Summers family.
"You're getting spoiled with all this alone time," Alex teased Billy as they prepared to leave. "You're going to die in misery between the end of the holidays and your eighteenth birthday."
"Oh, shut up," Billy shot back. He really wasn't in the mood to be reminded that this was temporary … at least for a few more months.
"Should be interesting," Alex said over Billy's shoulder. "I mean … are you staying at the house too? Or are you joining us at the hotel?"
Billy paused for a moment. He hadn't thought it through other than to assume that he'd be staying with the Summerses in Brooklyn. And he'd been so caught up in enjoying his time in Genosha that he didn't really think to ask. It would be no trouble, of course. He could always wish himself to wherever, but still …
When they showed up, Scott and Annie were already prepping for the influx of kids and family members - laughing in the kitchen and stealing kisses. So, as soon as the group had been wished to the Summers home, the kids rushed off to find and pounce on Scott while Billy turned toward James. "So…"
"Alex is screwing with you. You'll be staying with me."
"I had to check."
"You really didn't," James argued, then took his hand. "But it's kind of cute that you thought I was going to kick you out."
"To be fair, the constant time together is a little different than when we were living together," Billy said. "For all I know, you might be ready to take a break."
James leaned over and kissed his cheek. "To be fair, the constant time with one family or another is probably going to be enough to make me appreciate Cambridge with Morticia for a while. And it would only be better if you were there with me. In the quiet."
"Just you, me, and the cat?" Billy asked with a crooked smile.
"That's what I'm thinking. Not there permanently, obviously. Cambridge has just about worn thin on me."
"I know," Billy agreed, starting to relax a little, though he had to wonder yet again where that meant he and James might end up living. Wanda had made it clear she wanted them in Genosha - sooner than later. But that didn't mean that's how it was going to go. And he knew James was holding back on any major decisions until he found out if MIT was going to even consider his work for his master's theses.
They'd headed upstairs together, where Morticia was waiting for them - lounging on James' bed and purring even before they'd come in. "Hey there, beautiful," James said as he set his bag down - though Billy had already tossed his bag and started toward the cat.
"Kate's probably still laughing about her name," Billy said with a little smile as he picked Morticia up to spoil her.
"Good," James said before he dropped down on his bed and settled in. "She needed it."
"She's not the only one,' Billy said as he laid down next to James and let Morticia decide where she wanted to be … which also happened to be on James where both of them could pet her.
"I know," James said. "I'm pretty horrible to deal with all around. Sorry 'bout that."
"Still no word on your degrees, then?" Billy asked.
"I was hoping a letter or something would have shown up by now," James said, then took a moment to share a long, careful kiss with his sweetheart. "No answer kind of seems like an answer, I guess."
"Will the board have an issue with you taking over without the Master's degrees?" Billy asked, since he truly hadn't thought that the college would truly block him from earning his degrees. And that sort of had James' whole future as he'd known it in a state of uncertainty.
"I guess we'll find out," James replied, though he didn't look like he'd really figured out what he could do if that was the case - or if he'd already given up on trying to figure it out. But James was ready to sleep for a few hours, and he knew no one in the family would disturb them until dinner time. So he settled in.
Though James had managed to crash for a couple of hours, to him, it felt as if they had really just gotten comfortable when Nate called up the stairs. "Hey! I hope you're not making out on the eve of Christmas Eve, big brother."
"Oh great," James rumbled, though he didn't bother opening up his eyes before Nate continued.
"Uncle Steve just brought over a package for you," Nate called out.
"I'll deal with it later," James called back.
"Dad says now," Nate shouted. "So … zip up and get down here."
"He really does have sex on the brain all the time," Billy said with a laugh before he put a hand on James' shoulder to keep him down for a moment longer. Just for another kiss. "He can wait a second."
"Yeah, he can," James agreed. "We should make out just so they can wait." Billy started to snicker, but they didn't get much time to make Nate and Scott wait before Nate shouted for them again.
Billy was quicker to his feet, and was smiling to himself as James dragged himself upright with what looked like a lot of effort. James sighed heavily and when he met up with Billy at the door, they clasped hands and headed down to see what was going on. But when they got to the bottom of the stairs, they definitely weren't expecting to see that it wasn't just Scott and Nate. Steve had stuck around and he wasn't alone, either.
Tony was looking smug next to Steve, which seemed to be the tipping point for James. "Is that from the college?" James asked, looking between the Avengers.
"Open it and find out," Steve said, though Tony's expression really was the dead giveaway.
James let go of Billy's hand and opened the small box to find the red leather cover behind some tissue paper holding the Master's degree. The first one, anyhow. He let out a deep sigh that let his shoulders relax - and though he was pleased to see it, he was genuinely tired, too. And after not having slept on Genosha more than a cat nap at a time for over a week … he was ready to crash. "Well. It's about damned time," James said, then handed Scott the leather cover opened up so he could read it himself about half a second before Tony got a hold of him in a laughing hug.
"Knew they'd pull their heads out sooner or later," Tony said. "Proud of you, kid. You stuck in there better than I would have."
"Yeah, that doesn't make me feel any better," James said.
"I could get away with being a drama queen about it," Tony countered as he held James at arm's length. "You just made them eat their words."
"Right," James said as he looked toward Billy and Scott about a half second before Scott pulled himself together enough to wrap up James in a tight bear hug.
For a long moment, Scott just held on, not saying a word, though James could feel how keyed up he was, even with Annie covering her mouth and bouncing on the balls of her feet in excitement nearby. "I'm so proud of you," Scott whispered just loud enough for James to hear.
"Dad, it's just the first one," James said. "Not even really a halfway point."
"Like I don't know you have the other two more or less finished," Scott said before he finally let up on the hug, even if he kept one arm around his middle child.
"Not the point," James said.
"No, the point is now you can consider the doctorate again," Tony said. "If you want it."
"Let's just see how the other two go," James said. "Then I'll think about what I want or don't want to do."
"Don't let them keep you down," Tony said in a bright tone. "I've been looking forward to calling you Dr. Wolverine."
"Oh, man. Please don't," James laughed finally. "No one wants to hear that."
"I … definitely want to hear that now," Steve said.
"Me too," Billy laughed, though he was trying very hard to not be selfish when it came to James' education. "Oddly enough."
"No you don't," James said, then gently pulled Billy over for a quiet kiss. "And I don't know if I want to anyhow. This year has been miserable."
"And that would be totally caving to what that moron at the school is allowing to happen," Tony added before he dropped one hand on James' shoulder, smiling at Billy all the while. "Anyhow … figured you'd want to start off your holidays right. Spread some good news in the Summers clan …"
"Thanks, Tony," James said before he stepped away from Scott and Billy to give Tony the hug he was so clearly looking for.
"See you in a couple days, kiddo. Enjoy some time with the fam." For a long moment, Tony looked to be near bursting with pride before he and Steve flipped on their inducers and stepped aside to leave the family to celebrate.
Scott still had a hold of the degree in one hand as Rachel came forward to offer her congratulations as well with Nate hot on her heels. "This feels bigger than the other ones so far," Rachel said over James' shoulder.
"You mean because I had to do it twice?" James deadpanned.
"No, I don't think so," she replied. "Maybe. No … it just feels like a more grown up thing. I don't know. Just glad you're moving forward. I know how you hate standing still."
"I do," James agreed before Nate picked him up in a crushing bear hug the second Rachel let go.
While the siblings were joking around, Annie made her way over to Scott and gently nudged him with a smile until he took the half second to consider his actions before he opened up the little leather cover to show off James' new degree. "That'll look a lot better once it's in a frame, don't you think?" Annie suggested as Scott let her take it. She was still pretty new to James for as little time as he was around her, but she was already deeply invested in all of the Summers kids. Whether they knew it or not.
"Yeah, Just gotta figure out where to put it," Scott answered quietly.
"I'm sure it'll have to go in his lab for now," Annie said. "Then he can figure it out later. Don't think I didn't catch that y'all don't have anything givin' away your identities layin' around here."
"You're right, we don't," Scott said, then pulled her into his side with one arm to kiss the side of her head.
"Of course I am, don't sound so surprised," Annie laughed. "But right now-" she handed him the leatherette back, "I have some preparations to make for the holidays. You go ahead and enjoy your kids. I know you don't get as much time with the whole lot of 'em that you should."
She popped up on her toes to kiss his cheek, then zipped off to give them an out if they wanted privacy - even if she wanted nothing more than to be in the middle of them, joining in the celebrations. It was going to be an interesting Christmas after all … especially since the whole group was meeting up in Westchester for a massive, blended celebration where the elder Hales would get to meet the Summers family for the first time. And Annie was anxious on how that was going to play out. After all, her father had always had a clear image in his head about the kind of man his little girls would end up with. And she wasn't sure if 'superhero' was going to fit the bill as well as 'ex-military' like Anton. So she tried to swallow down her nerves by beating some dinner rolls into submission.
The next morning, Annie woke up to the smell of cinnamon rolls and hot coffee. She checked the clock and frowned on seeing that it was just a little bit after their usual wake up time, which meant someone had been busy. She could hear more than one person talking in the kitchen though, so she couldn't be sure that it was Scott who was the secret baker.
She got dressed and slipped out to the kitchen, to find Scott with Rachel, both of them with coffee and a cinnamon roll in front of them, and when she stepped into the room, both of them tuned her way with a smile. "So is this one of your traditions, then?" Annie asked as she made her way over to kiss the top of Scott's head and take a seat next to him.
"One that the kids grew up with," Scott said, though he had to admit it meant more to have Christmas eve cinnamon rolls after having spent a little time with that other-dimension's K. Yes, he'd done it for James since he was tiny, so it was likely none of the kids realized where it had come from, but in his mind, it was still a borrowed tradition. And a yearly silent tribute to K on a holiday that she clearly loved.
"They smell wonderful," Annie said, smiling warmly at him as he got up and got one for her along with a glass of sweet tea, knowing that she didn't touch coffee. "What time does everyone come down?"
"Usually a little later than normal," Scott said. "But they'll stay warm on the stove, so it's fine. Let the boys sleep a little. Billy and James are probably fighting a little jet-lag, too."
"Alex and Lorna sure are," Rachel added, when it was clear Annie wasn't sure how to proceed in that particular discussion. She didn't know what the traditions were like with them, and she wasn't about to press. "I'll bet Chris and Suzie will be bouncing off the walls though."
"We'll see them tomorrow," Scott said. "Give them a day to adjust … and some time away from the palace."
Annie settled in, happy to listen to what the two of them might have to say to each other since Rachel spent most of her time in Westchester. But that turned into a more advanced getting to know you session that left Annie entranced to find that Rachel had taken up a teaching position at Xavier's working with beginners on Psychic Self Defense. Annie was particularly interested in that since apparently, most of Rachel's students weren't telepaths. And Rachel was more than happy to tell her about it - even going so far as to give her a mini lesson while Scott sat between them with a proud smile he couldn't wipe off his face for anything.
Nate came in shortly after Annie started to get the hang of things, smiling to himself that Annie was trying so hard to do something so incredibly foreign to her. But that was about when Scott realized that things were a little off.
"Where's your brother?" Scott asked, which was just the right kind of question to throw Rachel and Annie off their game.
"Sleeping. Hard," Nate said. "Billy was just waking up when I came down, so he should be down soon."
Scott frowned, thinking about how stressed out James looked when he came in. A sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach started up and Scott began to wonder just exactly what had gone down in Genosha for James to look that anxious. He knew it wasn't Wanda and Vision - Alex would have told him if there was tension there. So all it could have been was held over guilt from Magneto. And that wasn't at all the kind of headspace Scott wanted James in. Ever. So, he started a new pot of coffee, trying to make it the same way K did, and waited for the boys to come down. But still, it took Billy almost twenty minutes, and when he came down he looked almost as if he wasn't sure he should.
"Come on, Billy boy," Rachel called out. "He'll get up when he's ready. No reason for you to starve in the meantime."
"Yeah, I just … wasn't sure why he's zonked so hard," Billy admitted even as Rachel handed him some breakfast. "Maybe I should take him some coffee?"
"After you have some," Nate decided. "He's not going anywhere right now."
"I've got it," Scott decided, then put a hand on Billy's shoulder when he started to get up. "Really. I wanted to talk to him anyhow. Just stay put."
"Oh… okay…"
Scott was quick about getting together breakfast for James as a cover … he was pretty sure the kid wasn't going to be awake if he was still upstairs. He just didn't know the extent of how off he was, so he needed to gauge that before he knew how to progress into Christmas. There were going to be a lot of new people around, after all. He needed to know how little of a filter James would have available to him when it came to strangers and Bobby's teasing.
He set the plate and mug of coffee down on the bedside table before he sat down on the edge of the bed and gently tried to wake James up. Then not so gently. Even at that, it took a minute or two for James to blink himself half awake and turn to look at his dad. "What's wrong?" James asked, starting to push himself upright.
"Nothing. I just wanted to check on you. You doing alright? Did something happen on Genosha?"
"No, they were great," James said, though he sat up enough to lean on his headboard. "I just didn't really adjust too well, I guess."
Scott watched him try to wake up then handed him the coffee, frowning deeper when James' reaction to it was to take down half of it in one shot - scalding hot. "James-"
"I couldn't sleep, okay?" James said quietly. "I'm just catching up."
"Couldn't sleep for a few days or the whole trip?"
James looked up and met his gaze for a moment. "I … cat napped."
Scott let out a breath and let his shoulders drop.
"I know," James said. "Just … don't."
"Go to sleep, James," Scott said, though he still handed him the cinnamon roll. "We have first impressions tomorrow."
"You mean you have first impressions."
"We all have first impressions," Scott insisted. "And you do need to catch up. Rachel will keep Billy company if he gets bored."
"He's the one that's jet-lagged. He should sleep too."
"I'm sure he'll feel the same way," Scott replied with a half-smile. "But you-"
"Need to sleep. I know."
When Scott reached the bottom of the stairs, Billy was sitting with Rachel and Annie with his arms crossed. "Is he okay?" he asked, sounding concerned.
"He just needs to rest up. He was a little anxious about going back to Genosha, that's all," Scott said. "Was he okay over there?"
"I mean, he was off," Billy said. "But for the most part, I thought it was … you know. Revisited trauma." He was quiet on the details since he didn't know what Annie knew and what she didn't - and he didn't want Annie to think badly of James because of what had happened with his grandfather.
Scott looked more serious for a moment before Rachel spoke up. "Good thing Rabbi Cohen was planning on coming by this afternoon," she said over the top of her coffee mug before she took a sip.
"Oh yeah, that'll be fun," Billy said, though he had a matching expression. "I think, if it's all the same to everyone, I'll just go back up and maybe check my email. I'd like to get back on the right time zone, if I can."
"Let me know if you want to go to the coffee shop," Rachel offered. "I'm meeting America later for a latte and she was asking about you."
"Just tell me when," Billy said with a smile before he tipped his head to Annie and Nate and made a beeline for the stairs.
Annie smiled after him but waited until Rachel was gone as well before she spoke her mind. "Revisited trauma?" she said, arching one eyebrow in Scott's direction. "I thought most of the hubbub after Magneto nearly killed you was here at home, not in Genosha."
"It's … complicated," Scott said slowly.
"Is it ever not?" Annie teased lightly.
"Kinda wish it wasn't," Scott told her before he let out a long sigh and turned to watch Rachel and Billy head off, away from anywhere they might eavesdrop. "The kids were there. James got in between Magneto and me."
"Ah." Annie nodded softly. "That would complicate things."
"It does," Scott agreed. "Even if most of the fallout came into play here, it started there."
"And considering what you told me about that fight, I don't imagine any of them got out of there without some lasting damage," Annie said, shaking her head. "You said he took your eyes, Scott."
"That was before the kids showed up," Scott said. "I didn't really know what was happening by the time they got there." He held up one hand. "I was still fighting. I wasn't expecting them. But obviously, I didn't see what happened."
Annie reached out to rest her hand on his. "It's a good thing y'all have such a big support system, then. That poor boy's going to have to get used to Genosha if he wants to keep carryin' on with its future king," she said, ending her statement with a wince.
"I think that's why he went along with it," Scott said. "He's making an effort."
"He's in love; that's plain enough to see," Annie said, her fond smile returning. He did love how warm she was even talking about his kids. Then, because the topic of conversation had been overly heavy until that point, she couldn't help but tease him: "The men in your family seem to fall hard, don't they?"
"Not just the men," Scott defended.
"True," Annie said. "You've raised good kids, Scott. They have good hearts."
"Like you said, they have a big support system," Scott replied.
"And a good father," she said firmly. "Don't count yourself out of that, Mr. Summers."
"Yes, ma'am."
Annie shook her head and then simply leaned forward to kiss him.
Ororo had spent hours putting delinquent kids to work decorating for the holidays and as a result, the masses of abandoned, neglected, and generally anxious about the holidays kids had gone all out to give the place a storybook look. The halls were decked with holly and pine, pointsettias were on nearly every decorative table and coffee top. Small lighted trees were in the corners here and there, all of them holding envelopes in their boughs and presents under them for the various kids and teachers.
Wreaths were hung on many of the doors and mistletoe was hung in nearly every doorway and strategically throughout the school. The holidays were finally in full swing and the kids were starting to get into it now that they'd had a little time off before Christmas.
To top it off, Ororo had arranged for on-demand hot chocolate to go with the mountains of cookies and treats that were dotted around the game room, living room, and various other areas where one might steal a little snack.
It was a young person's paradise, and most everyone was in good spirits well before the Hale family descended on the Institute. Ororo had prepared for them and there was a whole line of students who had volunteered to assist in the prep in the kitchen after having gotten a taste of the Hale family's show at Thanksgiving. Ororo really couldn't wait for Annie to see her helpers, either … or to not so subtly suggest she find time now and again to teach them how to cook.
Annie, Scott, and Nate were the first to show up, though Annie swore outright when Billy and James popped into existence as they walked in the door, one hand over her heart.
"I told you we could just wish our way there," Billy said with a grin as James laughed and the two of them held each other upright.
"You're joking around and we spent all that time driving!" Annie scolded.
"You were the one pushing to get in the car," Nate reminded her as Scott shook his head at both of them.
"I thought James wanted to drive them!" Annie defended with a laugh now that she'd gotten over being startled. It wasn't that she didn't know Billy could do that, but she hadn't seen it that close up.
"Why would he do that when wishing us here got us more alone time?" Billy teased, then kissed Annie's cheek before she could get after him.
Annie shook her head and headed into the kitchen ahead of her sibling's arrivals … She knew her sister was going to be there any second, and Craig was set to follow an hour or so later with their father. It was the first time that Douglas Hale would see Leslie Ann's school, so Leslie Ann was bouncing as she stared out the window, watching the snow and not-so-subtly waiting for her grandfather to show.
But that meant Annie had time to prep … with the half dozen or so hopeful looking students waiting in the kitchen.
Scott was keeping a close eye on Vojteck as soon as the kid showed up to the school's family-like festivities. The kid had started toward Billy as soon as he saw him, but then stopped short when he saw that Billy wasn't alone when Billy pulled James under the mistletoe for a kiss that tiptoed on the edge of what was acceptable in mixed company.
For a long moment, it as obvious the kid didn't know quite what to do about that … but he was smart enough to find something else to do than to pester Billy while he had his full focus on James - and vice versa. There was a tiny voice in the back of Scott's head that had almost hoped that Vojteck would try something in front of James, but that little voice was quickly derailed when the front door opened to admit Craig and the patriarch of the Hale family.
He drew himself up and headed over to be welcoming, introducing himself before Craig could, and helping to take their coats while Craig got Douglas oriented.
Annie had warned Scott that her father was showing signs of dementia - or alzheimers … they hadn't gotten a definitive diagnosis yet, but either way, Douglas was having a hard time. And the holidays had a way of showcasing that a little more prominently than other times of year.
But he was pretty lucid when he arrived at Xavier's … and he looked entirely unsure of his surroundings as he took in the details of the school around him. He had a critical expression on his face as he looked at the kids still at the school, the teachers milling around doing last minute preparations and stuffing presents under the trees. The place was flawless, yet … his expression clearly read 'that'll do'. And Craig was already ready to try and do damage control on whatever his father might or might not say.
Craig led him toward the living room where a football game was playing already and several of the older x-men were watching with a few kids that loved sports - and Nate was right up front explaining the game to a younger student who wanted to learn, but had never gotten the opportunity to play. It was one of the things he could do without putting in much effort - and he loved the game, so… Nate saw no reason not to dive in and get someone else addicted, too.
The boy Nate was explaining things to was also just barely physically mutated, so he served as a very good litmus as to where Douglas was, senility wise for the day. Craig watched as Douglas sat down nearby, close to Bobby, and when all he had to ask was what the score was, Craig let out a breath and looked toward Nate. "You let me know if you need anything, won't you?"
"Absolutely," Nate promised, then projected the rest of wha he was thinking. He'll be fine. I've got it covered if need be. Annie is getting pressured to teach cooking classes in the kitchen … so I guess enjoy.
Craig let out a breath of a laugh and rested his hand on his father's shoulder. "Dad, I'm going to help Annie and Evie in the kitchen. This here is Nate - one of Scott's kids. If you need anything, he'll help you out."
"Hi," Nate said with a wave.
Douglas nodded his way. "Quite the gathering y'all've got already. Always like this?" he asked - gesturing toward the hallway as different students passed.
"Pretty much," Nate said. "I don't know what Craig has told you about the place…"
Douglas waved a hand. "Fancy school for kids who don't got a place. I heard. Sounds perfect for Craig, really. Kid's been wearing his heart on his sleeve since he was three. Do you know just last week he was down at one of those protests?"
"I'm not surprised," Nate said. "I wouldn't be surprised if he was organizing some of them, too."
"With his sisters providing refreshments. My wife's been pullin' her hair out worryin' about 'em, too. Too much heart and not enough sense - they get that from her."
Nate glanced toward the kitchen, but none of the other Hales were available, so he just nodded. "I haven't met your wife," he said, which was true, since she'd died before Scott had started seeing Craig. But he wasn't going to break that news to Douglas, who obviously wasn't living in the present.
At the mention of his wife, though, Douglas positively lit up, leaning forward with a twinkle in his eye. "Prettiest thing you ever did see. Sent me Polaroids when I was still in the Army. Had to hide 'em from the boys, you know? Got even prettier the longer we were married, especially the way she was around the kids. She's still takin' care of 'em, probably runnin' the kitchen like she does."
"The way I understand it, Annie's been running things this year," Nate said.
Douglas chuckled. "Annie takes after her mother. Looks just like her, too. Can't understand how she didn't get swept off day after she left home, but can't complain. Girl's got standards - and knees that work."
"She's my favorite teacher," Nate told him.
"That doesn't surprise me one bit," Douglas said. "She always said she was gonna teach, and once she decides something, that's it." He made a sharp gesture with one hand. "That part, she gets from me, mind you."
Nate smiled. "I believe it, sir. Can I get you something to drink while we wait for the game to start up again?"
"Don't suppose y'all have sweet tea in this fancy school…"
"I believe we do," Nate said before he got to his feet. "I'll be back in just a minute." He grinned at Douglas and nearly trotted to the kitchen - to see the pandemonium there, how his dad was 'helping' and of course, to help Douglas out. "Your dad is kind of amazing, Miss Hale."
Annie laughed. "How many times, Nate? You can call me 'Annie'."
Nate grinned widely. "It just doesn't seem proper," he defended.
"Kate seems to manage just fine."
"Kate was raised by a carnie and a russian spy," Nate pointed out. "Anything goes."
"Billy manages," Annie argued.
"The Maximoff family is notoriously savage," Nate continued, though he was unable to stop the laugh in his voice. He leaned toward her. "I mean … Genosha doesn't even have peanut butter."
"The horrors," Annie replied without missing a beat.
"I just came in to grab Mr. Hale some sweet tea … if you think he needs anything else, I'll handle it," Nate said, knowing she'd give him a look for all the formality around the family.
"Scott, your son is blatantly ridiculous," Annie said, and Scott shrugged.
"Can't help it. Those are his grandfather's genes," Scott said easily.
"Hurtful," Nate said toward his father.
"You're the one insisting on 'Miss Hale'ing her."
"Being polite? What's wrong with being polite?"
"I've asked you to call me 'Annie'," Annie said. "Really, you don't have to be so formal.
"James started it."
"Uh-huh." Scott waved him off. "Go bring Mr. Hale his sweet tea," he said, and Annie hit him with the back of her hand on his chest.
"I think I will," Nate said, then swept out of the kitchen, still giggling to himself at everything. He just turned the corner to head back to the game, though, when he saw the expression Douglas was wearing. Nate followed his line of sight to realize that he was watching Mia and a young lady with pixie wings and antennae, and it was abundantly clear that Douglas wasn't sure of his surroundings at all. "Brought your sweet tea, Mr. Hale." He set the tea down close by before he took a seat at the couch, watching and waiting to see if he needed to do anything. Or call for back up. "Did I miss anything?"
Douglas blinked away from Mia and then smiled at the sweet tea. "Thank you," he said, though he didn't say anything else until after he'd had some to drink. "Whatduya know. Some Yankees can make it right."
"Can't take credit for that," Nate said. "I'm pretty sure that Officer Wright made this batch."
Douglas nodded slowly, obviously recognizing the name but taking a second to place it. "Good kid," he said. "I was glad when he went into the force instead of taking another tour. Evie had a hard time, and she liked him so much." He let the thought die when it was clear Nate wasn't sure what to say to that. Then, he said, "Guess this school takes all kinds," into his sweet tea.
But that had Nate uncomfortable. It wasn't that he hadn't heard things like that before, it was just such an odd sensation to hear it there. So, to try and salvage what he could, Nate cleared his throat and tried to get back to common ground. "So, you have any bets on who's going to win today?"
Douglas's smile returned instantly, and he nodded. "Yeah, whoever's playin' the Patriots damn well better win; I hate it when one team hogs the glory."
Nate broke into a grin. "As long as it's not Dallas," he said, just to test the waters.
"Now, don't nobody watch Dallas games for the ball," Douglas said.
"Yeah, that's kind of the problem," Nate agreed.
Douglas turned to face Nate properly, then broke into a laugh. "So, when're you gettin' married?"
Nate looked up fast with a blush. "I'm only sixteen."
"Still, no teenage boy I know keeps wandering eyes to themselves if they ain't serious about their girl," Douglas said. "Must be someone special."
"We've got a pool going," Billy said over Nate's shoulder, announcing his presence with a crooked grin. "But I already bought in for the day after his eighteenth."
"Too slow for the day of?" Douglas chuckled.
"Figured he'd want to keep one day to himself. You know - so he wasn't accused of making it too easy to remember." He raised a hand toward Douglas. "Hi."
"Hey there. You must be…" Douglas waited for the introduction, slightly flushed because he knew he didn't know anyone and didn't know if he should have.
"Billy Maximoff," he replied. "Sorry. I was just trying to figure out how to pick at Nate some more while he's still blushing."
Douglas tapped his finger against the glass of his sweet tea. "Heard that name before - somewhere."
But Nate had already warned Billy to tread carefully, so instead of jogging his memory, Billy waved a hand and sat down on one side of Nate. "Don't worry about it," he said. "I'm still new around here. Maybe you heard Miss Annie talk about me or my brother."
"You must be one of her kids, then," Douglas said, looking immensely more comfortable. "I swear, she collects them long after they graduate, too."
"Good. I like her," Billy said. "And I graduate in June with Nate's sweetheart."
"He better get her a class ring or she'll get caught up with some beatnick in college," Douglas said, and Billy grinned widely.
"Oh yeah," he agreed, nodding along.
Just as Nate was turning bright red, James dropped down on his other side. "Better get her better than a class ring," he said then handed a bowl of pretzels to Nate. "Who's got the foose-ball?"
"James." Nate pinched the bridge of his nose. "Why."
"If I don't pick on you, how will you know that I care, baby bro?" He bumped Nate's shoulder. "And it feels like I haven't seen you in a week."
"Eight days," Billy corrected with a snerk. "And a half."
"Exactly. Forever," James agreed.
Nate shook his head at both of them. "I play the game and you still do this."
"Well, that's because I don't play the game," James said. "Explain it to me in terms I'll understand. Far as I know, that game's the devil."
Nate groaned, but Douglas just started to laugh, so he felt stuck. "You know what, I'm going to see if Miss Hale needs help."
"She probably does," James agreed. "You can upgrade to wash monkey if you hurry."
Nate shook his head, though he did notice that Douglas was significantly more relaxed around James, and Nate was picking up telepathically on the fact that Douglas felt like James was familiar - but Douglas couldn't place him. Nate didn't know if that was just from news reports or something more personal, but whatever the case, the guy was relaxed, so Nate excused himself.
"Oh, I was just about to come check on you," Evie said, nearly to the door when Nate came through it. "How's Dad?"
"Well … he seems to be doing alright," Nate said, gesturing in the direction he'd just left. "He looked pretty lost for a little bit there, but for some reason he hit it off with my brother so… he's okay."
"Oh, good." Evie brushed her flour-covered hands off on her apron. "I never can tell with him. Sometimes, he's as sweet as can be, but sometimes, he's living in the fifties and grumbling about the modern world."
"Yeah, me seemed a little off balance when he saw Mia and one of her friends," Nate said.
Evie gave him a tight smile. "I'm sorry. Really. He was so much better when he wasn't losing his mind like this. He knew Anton was a mutant, too. Took him a couple years to get over it, but before he went downhill, he was very different."
"Yeah, he seemed pretty confused," Nate agreed. "But James is being obnoxious, so … I guess he likes that."
"Sounds right." Evie sighed. "Thank you for looking out for him. It's not easy, even on his good days."
"No problem," Nate said. "I'm happy to go back, I just wanted to get out of the crosshairs and see if I could help for a little bit."
Evie chuckled. "Well, before you go, we could use some telekinetic help. We're 'bout ready to serve food, and seein' as there's an army to feed…"
"Consider it done," Nate told her.