A/N - So glad you're still hanging in there, PracticallyAnAvenger! We still love the reviews and the positive ranting. So yes, of course, you can have another!

Chapter 130 - Backstory Unlocked

There was little warning on Scott's end of things when Billy wished James and himself right into the kitchen of Scott's place, grinning widely when he saw that Annie was in the process of decorating several dozen small cupcakes. "I bet we can take these off your hands, Annie," he called out as soon as they'd arrived.

Annie grinned and dropped what she was doing to throw her arms around them both, dusting them with flour in the process. "I'll bet you can."

"Don't let him get to you, Miss Hale," James said as he pulled on Billy's hand. "He's got sugar on the brain."

Annie grinned, wiping her hands futilely on her apron before she hugged James again. "It's good to see you both. How's college - no, wait, I'll get Scott first," she said before either of them could say anything. She rushed down the hall, and as she passed James, he could scent how anxious she was.

"You brought her the stuff on the extra list, right?" James asked Billy quietly.

"That and I asked Craig what her favorite books are and made sure to get them here," Billy said.

"That's easy. Wedding albums."

Billy snorted. "Fair," he agreed, even as Annie and Scott came back down the hall.

And James could easily see why his siblings were concerned and why Annie was so anxious. It didn't look like Scott was sleeping well at all, and he looked far too relieved to see James.

"Hi, Dad," James said before he could get all the way to them - and once he was close enough, he gave him a bear hug, hoping that would help a little bit.

As soon as he did, Scott wrapped him up tightly, almost like he didn't want to let go, though he did step back and look him over. "How's college?" he asked.

"Stuffy. Generally."

"Already showing everyone why you belong there, I'm sure," Scott said with a faint smile.

"Or something," James said, though he hadn't really blinked as he watched Scott closely. "What about you? Do you need better razors? Or are you going for the Smoky and the Bandit look?"

"If you help me pin him, I'll shave him. I swear I get beard rash just kissin' him hello," Annie teased.

"You're giving Miss Hale beard rash? I think I need a therapist." He turned toward Annie. "You know any?"

Billy cracked up next to James, one hand covering his mouth. "She'll have to ask around," he giggled through his fingers.

"If Craig's too busy with Tony, I'm sure Vision would be top-notch," James said. "He'll read the whole of human psychology on his way over to help."

"He would too," Billy laughed.

Scott smirked and hit James lightly in the shoulder. "Good to see Harvard hasn't changed you a bit."

"Child abuse."

"Add it to my many crimes," Scott said, gesturing around the house. "I'm a criminal now. I'm a terrible person."

"Oh please," James said with a wave. "You and me both. I blame Steve. All that 'stand up for what's right no matter what' garbage."

Scott chuckled. "Sure, that's what happened." He gestured for James and Billy to come join them in the living room. "I'm sure if you stick around for any length of time, you'll end up with cookies and cupcakes to take back home," he added, and Billy grinned delightedly.

The boys followed, and when James sat down, he did what he usually did when he wasn't entirely sure of the situation and pulled his legs up to sit cross-legged. "Okay, but that covers what Annie's been up to … what about you?"

"Well, both Natasha and Ororo have made it their mission to keep me busy, so somehow, I've become an expert in the latest criminal shorthand on about six different underground channels," Scott said with a wry smile.

"Anything good on the bathroom walls?"

Scott chuckled. "No, but I did see where a few of Magneto's acolytes ran afoul of Hydra."

"That's amazing. Is there video?" James asked.

"No, but I'd bet both groups are going to need some time to recover," Scott said, genuinely smiling at that point. "My understanding is a whole Hydra research division went up in flames."

"That does happen from time to time," Billy put in.

"The best part was it seems to have been an accident on the acolytes' part. They didn't know what they were going into and just… lost their tempers, really."

"Good. They can use the frustration," James agreed.

"I've been learning a bit of the shorthand too," Annie put in, smirking crookedly.

"They're going to be worse than Kate's parents," Billy mock-whispered over James' shoulder, earning himself a serious nod.

"Oh, I hope so," Annie teased right back. "Oh! But before I forget, I need to finish those cupcakes. Billy, can you-"

"-be a taste tester? Yes. Yes, I can," Billy said, which had Annie laughing as they headed off to the kitchen together.

James barely waited for them to get out of the living room, let alone out of earshot before he turned his focus back to Scott. "Okay, but really. What's wrong? You're not okay."

Scott let his shoulders drop along with his smirk at seeing Annie drag off Billy. But he didn't answer right away, obviously thinking it over.

"Dad."

"I know," Scott said. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "James, I need you to be incredibly careful right now," he said.

"That … is the plan," James said slowly.

"I know. I just…" Scott seemed to search for the right words. "What did Hank tell you about Mr. Sinister?" he asked. He was walking right up to the line of the telepathic block in his mind, but discussing his own past was safe enough - so far, it seemed.

James frowned at that, not at all expecting to hear anything about that villain from his dad. Ever. "Listen, I know you weren't expecting the genetics thing, but-"

"No, no, that's not why I'm asking," Scott interrupted him. "I'm not worried about your research. I'm worried about the people around you."

James sat back. "Hank was worried about my research. And considering that all the people around me are focused on things away from anything to do with the x-gene, I think you're okay."

Scott nodded, though he hadn't lost any of his tension. He drummed his fingers for a moment and then said, "I don't know what Hank told you about him…"

James nodded and shifted into 'report' mode, like he often did when he was little and didn't want to get into trouble. "He told me that the guy was brilliant and unbelievably dangerous," he summarized. "And that he didn't want me to touch anything close to genetics because of what that guy used it for and for what he thought I could potentially open up."

Scott nodded along quietly. "That's… accurate," he had to admit. He bit his lip. "After Alex and I lost our parents, he ran the orphanage I lived in until I met the professor," he explained slowly, softly. "The entire time I was there, he was in my mind and - to be frank - conducting experiments on my powers and genes. He was obsessed, James. I can't even count the number of times he kidnapped me or me and Jean, because I don't remember them all. And he followed your father practically his whole life - since he was about your age. When I tell you I'm worried about you running into him, that's what I'm talking about. Not your research."

"I thought he was dead," James said. "That's what everyone has said since … forever. What aren't you telling me?"

Scott took a deep breath, once again choosing his words based on what he could get past Sinister's block in his mind. "He stole powers from mutants and kept them for himself. He could heal, but he was also such a powerful telepath he could jump bodies. 'Dead', for Sinister, is almost a relative term."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Yeah, that was about my reaction when I first learned about it," Scott said, gesturing to James with one hand. He let it drop and smiled grimly. "I know you're looking out for yourself, and I know you won't trust anyone who isn't worthy of that trust, but I just…" He gestured around the house. "I felt so trapped when I was a kid. I don't think I'll ever get back what he took from me. And I don't want him to find you and take an interest now that you're studying his favorite subject."

James considered him for a long moment before finally speaking very carefully. "Are you telling me this because you think he might be alive, or to explain why you're so miserable being trapped here?"

"Yes."

"Proof?" James asked, hoping for at least a yes or no as a means to have something to start with.

Scott tried to just say "yes" and leave it at that, but that was too far for the psychic command. He opened his mouth, closed it, and let out a frustrated sound from the back of his throat. "I can't give you anything," he admitted.

James, of course, took it as a solid no. "I don't know what to do with that," he said honestly.

"I know," Scott said, though, of course, James could obviously scent how strongly his anxiety over the whole thing had returned.

"Okay, I hate to even say it, but I need you to relax," James said, holding up one hand. "Like actually relax. I will … start by digging in the archives at the tower and see if I can find any proof anywhere."

Scott nodded, then reached over to pull James into a solid hug. "I'm sorry," he said. "I know I'm a mess."

"I just don't know … the conflicting scents are distracting," James admitted. "And I hate it when you sound like you're second guessing yourself. You haven't been stuck here long enough to actually be crazy yet."

"I'm sorry about that too," Scott said. "I wish I could … I don't know."

"Get Billy to wish on a star?" James teased.

"Something like that," Scott said with a faint smile.

"He'd have to know what he was wishing for," James said. "Just sayin'..."

"And that's the problem, isn't it? I couldn't tell you what the problem is."

"Can't or won't?"

"Can't," Scott said - and James could tell it wasn't a lie.

"You're getting more depressed not talking about what you want to talk about," James said.

"Careful, you're starting to sound like you listen to Craig," Scott teased.

"Please. You stink."

"Gee, love you too."

"Love me enough to make sure I don't have to listen to Miss Hale complain about beard burn ever again?"

"Yeah, I can manage that much, I think," Scott said.

"She probably wants to hold you down, if I'm being honest. Just wait until I'm out of here?"

Scott smirked. "Yeah, no reason to traumatize you," he said.

"I've met my yearly quota, thank you."

"Agreed. Let's both stay away from anything worse than a papercut for the rest of the year, huh?"

"Just got a few months left … think you can manage it?"

"Got fewer chances to get myself in trouble than you do," Scott pointed out.

"Rude. I'm just studying. Not like that ever- oh. Wait. Nevermind." He bumped Scott's shoulder.

Scott chuckled as he got to his feet and offered James a hand up. "We should make sure Annie isn't sending Billy back with an entire bakery," he said.

"He'd just wish it there," James pointed out.

"True." Scott paused and then pulled James into a hug. "I know things aren't ideal right now, and I know I'm not …" He made a motion with one hand. "But please trust me."

"I always do, Dad."

"Then trust me when I tell you I have every reason to think trouble is coming. That's why I'm asking you to be cautious."

"I mean … I seem to have a target on my back, so yeah. Don't need to be a fortune teller for that one."

"Fair enough," Scott said. He smiled tightly and then straightened up. "Right, well, your weekend doesn't need to be full of me telling you about childhood medical trauma-"

"No. I can have those kind of stories elsewhere," James said, just to let Scott know he wasn't letting it drop. "We'll record the sneak just to see how far he jumps when I scare him."

"Make sure you get on camera the five more gray hairs he gets for every solid scare. He's going silver faster than I am," Scott said with a wicked smirk.

James grinned. "Okay. Want to place your bets on how high he'll go? Or just a fall over sideways?"

"Depends. If he's with his kids? High pitch. If he's with Lorna? Fall over so she'll pick him up. He's dramatic that way."

"I'm shooting for alone."

"Then both." Scott put his arm around James's shoulder as they headed into the kitchen - where, of course, Annie was delighted by how well the cupcakes had turned out and how much Billy liked them.

"Oh, wow," James said when he saw what she was cooking on the stove in addition to the half-ton of cupcakes. "We were planning on going out tonight? Southern food … isn't really … my thing. At all."

Annie turned James's way with both hands on her hips. "You tellin' me you're just up an' abandonin' your father just because you were born without a lick o' sense?"

"I'm half Canadian. Got the dual citizenship and everything. He's been expecting it for years."

"Sit down, James. I know dang well you've had this before and been fine, and you aren't scrimpin' on time with your father just to be a pain."

"Well sure, when I was missing part of my brain and ready to chew an arm off…"

Annie narrowed her eyes at him. "Well if you're going to be mean about it, that's fine."

James slipped over and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "This is what we call advanced teasing, Miss Annie."

Annie batted him away - mostly playfully. "Where I'm from, we don't insult people's cooking. Even in jest."

"I did no such thing. Never did I say it was bad. I was just saying it wasn't my thing and it was mostly to see that look."

"Well, I hope you're happy," Annie said, rolling her eyes - and giving him a heaping helping as she dished out the food.

"He did call you Annie," Billy pointed out quietly.

"He only does that when he wants something," Annie huffed, though James could see her trying to stay mad despite the fact that she was, genuinely, touched.

Scott smirked as he reached around Annie to help with the dinner and stole a kiss. "I'll remind him that food is an off-limits teasing subject," he said, smirking at her.

"You do that," Annie huffed, and Scott kissed her again just to get her to relax a bit. The little group settled in for dinner, and the conversation quickly turned to what the boys were up to, what they thought of their classes, teachers, and classmates, as expected.

Annie seemed as if she was longing just as hard as Scott was to have been closer, especially since she was missing out on her first year of teaching at Xavier's - insisting on staying with Scott.

And as soon as dinner was over, the boys zipped into the kitchen to start clean up before Annie could say a peep.

Which, she couldn't help but admit, certainly made up for the earlier crack about Southern food.

Once Annie and Scott were properly distracted and it was time for Billy and James to leave anyhow, James pulled Billy aside to share a quiet word, barely whispering loud enough for Billy to hear him. "We can't stay here tonight," James said, to which Billy agreed. They didn't need to be accidentally seen coming or going from Scott's secret house, after all. Both of them were too recognizable.

"The plan was to stay with Mom and Dad anyhow," Billy pointed out almost as quietly.

"Yes, but … can you maybe wish me to Alex? Super quietly. I want to scare the crap out of him, but I also need to talk with him."

"That sounds like fun, too," Billy agreed before he stole a lingering kiss that set Annie off with a soft 'aww' before Billy broke into a delighted laugh and wished them to the palace to scare Alex and spend some time with Billy's parents.

They wound up in Alex's living room, where Alex was laughing and talking to Chris and Suzie. Chris was excited about something, bouncing up and down as he said, "And when Uncle Nate saw, he grinned so big!"

Alex laughed harder. "He's not your uncle, you little weirdo," he said, ruffling Chris's hair.

"We know," Suzie sang out, then shared a look with Chris and giggled.

Alex laughed again. "Oh man," he said. "I can't even really be mad that you got senses of humor from me. Right on. Keep bothering him; he needs it."

"Are you confusing them on purpose or …" James trailed off.

"Gah!" Alex nearly fell off of the couch, clutching his heart, which had the kids giggling delightedly. "Don't do that."

"So jump out at you next time. Got it," James said with a nod as he took a picture of Alex and sent it to Scott while he was still trying to recover.

Alex shook his head at James as he got himself back under control, though before he could say anything, Chris rushed over to hug James and grin up at him. "Guess what?" Chris said.

"Chicken butt," James shot back without a thought, then picked him up for a mid-air bear hug that was always followed by dangling upside down.

Chris laughed and tried to get down. "I'm not - I'm almost as tall as you now!" he said, though he was plenty short enough that he couldn't quite make that argument.

"What makes you think that will stop me from dangling you?" James asked. "I'll get your dad next if he needs it."

Chris laughed harder and shook his head. "No, Dad was geeking out with me, right, Dad?"

Alex nodded, laughing as he watched the show. "That's right."

"He's a geek - he can't help it," James said.

"Yeah, but look!" Chris held his hands out… but nothing happened. "Darn it. They were glowing five minutes ago!"

"Glowing hands?" James asked then looked up at Lorna instead of Alex. "Does that mean you're awesome like Mom?"

"No, they're blue," Chris said delightedly.

James let out a disappointed sound as he started swinging him upside down like he was about to throw him. "So close to not being a geek!"

"Hey!" Chris tried to stop but was laughing too hard to make any progress - and when Billy stopped Suzie from helping by casting a spell to turn her upside-down too, absolutely nothing could get done from then on. There was just a whole lot of giggling.

Finally, though, Lorna jumped in to grab Chris's hands - and she and James swung him back and forth before tossing him onto the couch. He went just high enough to have a bit of a scare, but ended up laughing once he hit the cushions all the same.

"So, you guys decide to stop by while you're here for the weekend?" Alex asked once everyone more or less had gotten their breaths back.

"Yeah," James said, then let out a sigh. "I actually want to borrow you for a minute."

"Yeah, sure," Alex said, recognizing the look on his face as one serious enough to need addressing. "We just had dinner, so I'm open for the night."

"Great, let's just find somewhere quiet that the kids won't get into the middle, huh?"

"Gotcha," Alex said, already gesturing for James to join him. They lived in one of the central towers at the palace, which were connected by plenty of bridges and catwalks, so it was easy enough to take a walk outside.

"Have you been by Dad lately?" James asked once they were well away from anyone.

Alex sighed but nodded. "Yeah. I try to stop in when I can. He's taking it harder than I thought he would, honestly."

James nodded almost distractedly. "Yeah, well. I know it took me some time to get back, but he was kind of freaking out earlier about my classes … kinda. Has he talked to you about any of that?"

Alex shook his head. "No, I was trying to cheer him up, mostly. Told him Suzie's already decided she's going to be an X-Man and has a plan for her life. Thought he'd appreciate that."

"He totally would," James agreed, but he was also trying to find the right way to approach the subject on his mind and not have Alex think he was totally nuts. "Might be good for him to hear it … maybe not. I … he's holding back from telling me what exactly is on his mind and I don't think that's really something in his playbook, you know?"

Alex frowned and stopped walking, turning to give James his full attention. "I mean, it used to be, but not with you kids," he said.

"Alright, but he went from warning me not to trust anyone - which … I don't anyhow - to cautioning me about being careful over a guy that I thought was dead. At least, that's what he always said."

"I mean, you met your birth parents not that long ago. Death is kinda…" Alex waved his hand near his temple.

"He was warning me about Mister Sinister."

Alex went still and pale. "What?"

"I told him what I knew from Blue, and he was worried about people in my classes - but that doesn't track when no one there really wants anything to do with mutants, so I don't get it." James was pacing a small path. "But he was insistent without just saying what he was trying to say."

Alex ran a hand through his hair. "Oh man," he whispered under his breath.

"I just don't know if it's the pressure of what's going on and freaking out over being stuck here or-"

"Okay, you're not wrong that that's probably part of it, but…" Alex put both of his hands in his hair and kept them there. "Okay, so - so that guy? Mr. Sinister? He's the entire reason Scott and I didn't grow up together."

"Yeah, he kinda said as much," James said with a nod.

"I asked about him," Alex said. "But Sinister… he's obsessed. Came after me a few times, but mostly Scott."

"Yeah, Dad said he was obsessed with your bloodlines, more or less," James said, then paused before he continued. "And he also said … he did something to my dad at my age?"

Alex nodded, still scrunching his hair. "I… didn't know that, actually. But Scott spent way more time with Sinister than I did, so if he says it, I'd believe it. Honestly, I kinda just trust him on anything to do with the guy except if I ask what Sinister did to him. Never get straight answers there."

"He said he doesn't remember all of it," James offered.

"Yeah, actually, there was a while there when you were kids that he called for advice a lot," Alex admitted. "He doesn't remember a lot about age… ten to fifteen? Ish? Had no idea what to do with you guys when you were preteens."

"Okay … that … alright. I guess I just … don't understand why he went right to that unless I'm doing something to set him off."

Alex nodded and turned a small circle. "Okay, so. First of all, I don't think it's you. If he thinks Sinister's not dead, it's gonna throw everything off for him."

"But why would he think that?" James asked.

"I don't know. I'll ask him." Alex bit his lip. "Gut feeling? Scott spent almost his whole life before the team fell apart with Sinister in his head. Wouldn't be surprised if he felt something, you know? If he had real proof, he'd tell you, but… I don't know. I'll talk to him."

"When I asked for proof, he froze," James said. "What do I even look for?"

"That's the hard part. Probably why he froze if all he's got is a feeling," Alex admitted. "The guy can shapeshift, he can read minds, he can jump bodies, at one point he could teleport… it's not like he's easy to pin down at the best of times."

"I promised I'd look into the guy, but I can already tell you that all of that is way beyond what the Avengers and Ororo had in their files. I read about him before."

Alex nodded to himself and then sat down on a long metal bench along the bridge. "Okay. Let me tell you everything I can. If he's alive - and I believe Scott if he says he is - you're gonna need it. And you'll need to tell the others, okay? Especially Nate and Rachel."

"Yeah, of course," James said without the slightest hesitation.

Alex sighed, trying for a minute to decide where to begin, but once he started, he just kept going. He told James as much as he could - everything from powers to the ways the team had managed to save each other from him as well as his feeling that the guy was the creepiest vampire the world had seen. It was plainly apparent to James that Alex was freaked out, too, but he wanted James to have everything he could.

"So … there's no way to really ID the guy until you wake up on an exam table. Is that what you're saying?" James asked. "Because that sucks, Alex."

"It does. If you'd met him before, you could probably catch his scent. That was about the only thing that worked - when Logan or K would catch his scent and alert us."

James thought about it for a long moment, trying to think on if there were any repeats in odd places, but nothing was coming to mind. "And I don't have them to give me a tip off as to what to look for, either."

"I know. And now you know why Scott's freaking out," Alex said.

"I know why he's freaking out if it's not just because he's locked up and I'm screwing him up by going for genetics, you mean."

"Yeah… let me talk to him, huh? I can promise you're not screwing him up, because he doesn't bring this guy up lightly. Ever."

"You can't promise that."

"Still. I'll talk to him. Maybe you're right and he's having a freakout at the level he had when you guys restarted the team. That's the best-case and he'll get over it if that's the case," Alex said.

"I was kind of afraid to ask what the consensus has been about my dropping the Avengers, but … thoughts?"

Alex shrugged. "So, I'm not in the circles where the Avengers run, you know? But the scuttlebutt is that Kate has her parents - and Steve - convinced it's an anti-SHIELD thing, all things considered."

"Oh, it absolutely is," James agreed. "They can get fu-"

"Okay, then you've got a good spokeswoman," Alex laughed. "She came by a bit ago and she's hilarious with her stories."

"I just figured Dad would be irked since he really wanted us to go through Steve to do the team …"

"He just wants you to have an official connection that will mean the Avengers will come fish you out of trouble if need be."

"I mean … I'm on deck to take over for Tony, that's about as deep as you can get."

"Yeah, I just…" Alex blew out his breath. "Look, the Avengers are great now, but they let a lot of people die before they pulled their heads out. He likes 'em, sure, but he's not going to trust them with his family's safety without an official tie. That's where his head will always be, because he knows how easy it was for them to ignore the people he lost."

"Yeah, that's a whole different discussion," James said.

"Which is why I don't think he's saying anything about the Avengers thing," Alex admitted. "I mean, you ask me, I love it. Give the finger to the man, all that noise."

"If what you're saying is kosher, the Avengers would be screwed against this guy anyhow," James said.

"Oh, definitely. The whole team couldn't stand up to him; I doubt the guys who kiss babies for a living could do anything."

"And now it's a challenge."

"Right on." Alex put his hand on James's shoulder to look him in the eye. "Fair warning, though: if you do run into Sinister, and he knows you can heal-"

"Is he going to do the kind of crap Viper and her daughter pulled?"

"He will cut you open while you're aware of every minute of it."

"That would be preferable."

"Fair enough." Alex nodded sharply. "I'm just warning you. He used to play with your parents. Go from Logan to K and compare healing response times. Just to amuse himself while he waited for his samples to go through whatever instruments they were going through."

"Got it," James said in a breath. "Dad didn't spell that part out."

"Well. Trauma."

James was quiet for a long moment. "Did he do the same thing to the professor?"

"Sinister or your dad?" Alex said. "Totally different questions here," he halfheartedly teased.

"Sinister," James said shaking his head. "Did he do long drawn out physical … whatever."

"No, he wasn't terribly interested in Charles that I can remember."

"Why not?"

Alex paused, chewing over his response. "I… have a theory, but it's just speculation, mind you."

"Then it's probably wrong, but I wanna hear it anyhow," James teased right back.

"Thanks, James. Really feeling the love," he said dryly, then shook his head.

"It's the blonde hair. I can't ignore it."

"Yeah, yeah." Alex waved him off. "Point is, I think…" He paused. "As terrible as Sinister was, he has always wanted mutant kind to move forward. And Charles was saving lives and encouraging mutants to learn about their powers. I don't think he wanted to mess with that."

"So he left him alone … because he respected him?" The disbelief was clear on his face.

"Eh." Alex shrugged. "I don't think I'd say it's respect. More that he was smart enough to know he couldn't direct every mutant in the world, so if someone was going to give mutants a way to get stronger, he wasn't going to step in. Didn't really step in to stop Erik either."

James tapped his fingers on the railing for a long moment. "Who else didn't he screw with?"

"Anyone he didn't think was interesting enough to study," Alex said. "You know, 'common' mutations or 'small' mutations or whatever Erik used to say, but in geneticist-speak." He paused. "He left Hank alone too - that might actually be respect."

"How so?" James asked as he ran through a dozen different avenues in his mind on the why.

Alex smirked. "Hank's capable of going farther than he does. And I think Sinister knows that."

"I know. He told me he progressed his mutation when he was a teenager," James said.

"No one else has ever been able to do that," Alex said. "Sinister can give himself mutations, but Hank? Hank improved and strengthened the reach of his X-gene, you know?"

James' shoulders relaxed and he slowly started to nod. "Okay."

Alex leaned against the back of the bench. "Anything else bothering you? I mean, the whole story is sordid, and we're creeping up into late night ghost story territory…"

"No, you gave me enough to have a few running theories I don't really want to test out," James said.

"Okay then." Alex let out his breath. "I'll run by Scott's place. If he's holding back, maybe he just needs me to hit him."

"Yeah, he could use it," James said. "Miss Hale is a little strung out, too."

"Yeah, Lorna invited her to our place tomorrow night."

"Did Sinister bother Wanda?" James blurted out.

Alex laughed. "Hell no. Wanda wasn't stable enough back then - if he'd traumatized her even more? The whole freaking world of mutants could have fallen apart."

"Yeah, sure," James said, waving a hand. "Just trying to find the edges."

"Your dad ever tell you stories of Apocalypse?"

"Only as a 'it wasn't as bad as' kind of tone. Like walking uphill in the snow both ways in a blizzard but with deeper consequences."

Alex smirked. "Yeah, fair enough," he agreed. "But Sinister? He works for the guy - when he's alive. When he's not around? Sinister is trying to find someone, some gene, some method to take Apocalypse down permanently. So, yeah, he wants power and stability and certainty or Apocalypse will kill him if he gets it wrong."

"Well damn."

"Yeah, fun, right?" Alex said, pulling a face.

"Almost a silver lining."

"Right? It burns admitting the bad guys sometimes do something worthwhile."

"Not me. I don't know the guy but from your vampire horror hour, so it's not as impactful."

"Also fair," Alex said. He crossed his arms. "Anyway. Let's hope you never meet either one, huh?"

"I'll carry a mirror. And garlic."

"Drop some beans and run away while he counts them…"

"I'll text Billy while I'm waiting. He'll be poofed out of existence with the right sos."

"Maybe talk to Wanda first. When Billy poofed Tommy out of existence, it was not pretty trying to clean up the magical consequences."

"Yeah, that's my next stop anyhow," James said. "We weren't really able to spend time here before we ran off to school. She's been abandoned."

"She totally has been," Alex chuckled.

"She said she just wanted coffee and hugs, so … I guess that's a thing now?"

"She's totally ready for you and Billy to be married, not even gonna lie to you."

"Yeah, sure. Just gotta meet up to the requirements your bottle blonde ass put into play."

"Not sorry."

"It'll be fine as long as I don't kill anyone else, probably." James shrugged his shoulders up to his ears.

"Yeah, try not to do that. I know it'll be harder to do now that the acolytes are trying to bait you - that's what Lorna told me, anyway…"

"I just bait them right back," James said. "Blew a kiss at one the other day."

"I love that." Alex put his arm around James's shoulders as they headed back in together. "Hey, do me a favor and make a big deal of Chris getting his powers when we get back in. He's beyond excited."

"I know. I just had to give him a hard time," James said.

"Oh, totally. Never stop."

As soon as they got back in, sure enough, Chris was there with a broad grin, showing off his glowing hands - and James performed for Alex beautifully by grabbing a hold of him and yanking him in front of himself. "Blast your dad, not me," James said. "He'll like it."

Chris laughed and ran over to grab James's arm. "Come on, we're playing pirates. I can't blast anything yet, James. You're silly."

"Well I don't want the first thing you blast to be me. I'm just going to use your dad as a shield!"

"Okay, but that means you can't be my first mate if you're hiding," Chris laughed.

James nodded, then just to get Chris to laugh, he picked Alex up and held him in front of himself like a shield. "I'll take my chances on the other team. But go ahead. Get him."

Chris laughed delightedly - and just like that, they were off, deeply involved in their pirate game and, for the moment, not thinking about Sinister or anything like it when they were all laughing too hard at James refusing to set Alex down or even let him touch the floor.

"Your son used me as a blunt object," Alex said when he met up with Scott, a smile still caught on his features. "Does he always wait to show off the strength until the kids are watching?"

Scott laughed, genuinely surprised not only by Alex's visit but by that as an opener. "He knows it makes them laugh. What, did you just come here to complain about being the cricket bat?"

"Ah, no, that's not all I came over for," Alex said. "We had a little talk - and now I need some clarification. Like … what?"

"You're going to have to help me out here," Scott said as he motioned for Alex to join him in the living room - where Annie was passed out asleep, worn out from stress. He paused and then redirected Alex upstairs instead.

"He told me about the quasi-intervention you started with him tonight," Alex said. "Why would you bring that creep up - unless there's a reason?"

Scott held his breath and then pulled Alex into his room. "You'll just have to trust me here," he said, his tone severe but a look on his face that Alex had seen too many times. "I can't prove it, just… you know how he is."

"I do. And I told him everything I could think of, too."

"Okay, well. Hopefully that will help him keep an eye out." Scott ran a hand through his hair.

"Yeah. I'm sure it will, but Scotty -you've never brought that guy up unless there was a solid reason. Is there a solid reason?"

For just a second, Scott met Alex's gaze - and then dropped it. "I'm just worried about him," he said, though he said it through his teeth.

Alex stared at him for a moment and let his shoulders drop. "Well yeah. But … you are a horrible liar." He gestured toward the stairs. "Where is he?"

Scott swallowed but got to his feet and walked past Alex, who was concerned enough by that point that he stuck close on his brother's heels down to the office off the living room - and there Sinister was, sitting on the office chair.

Alex's first instinct was to attack, but when he tried to do that, he found he was completely frozen in place.

"I really shouldn't be surprised that the two of you are trying to interfere with my interests," Sinister said. "So perhaps you'll understand how important it is for you both to stop attempting to destroy my progress. What is it you're so worried might happen? That you might lose something or someone dear to you?" He scoffed. "You both should know by now that I have no interest in killing anyone in your family."

"How about you leave my brother and his kids the hell alone," Alex spit out. "Crawl back to wherever you've been hidden this whole time."

"Keep that attitude up and I won't crawl back to it alone."

"Well, would you look at that. Acting like there's no reason to be worried and the first thing you do when I call you out is say you're taking someone."

"I never said that I'd force them," Sinister said with a smile. "I've grown rather fond of a few of them, in fact."

Alex rolled his eyes openly. "You're so desperate to be relevant to our family again the second Scott's back in the news, huh?"

"It wasn't Scott that caught my attention, initially," Sinister said. "If you must know, it was a few royal announcements."

Alex sneered, though Scott spoke up: "He's teaching at Harvard," he said - since now that Alex had seen Sinister, he could tell him the truth.

"That is an entirely different ballgame, my boy," Sinister said.

"Everybody wants my nephew," Alex said, shaking his head with a bare smirk.

"And as I've said before, I have no intentions to harm any of them. Particularly when they're all being so … delightful."

"Okay, that word doesn't mean the same thing it does when you say it," Alex said, pulling a face.

"But it does. I'm particularly pleased with little Christopher."

Alex froze - this time of his own accord. Especially now that he understood who "Uncle Nate" really was. "He's - he's nine," he said, all his bluster gone. "He's nine and he's too young to - he's - stay away from him," he said, paler with every word.

"Alex, calm down. I haven't touched a hair on his head." Sinister looked more bored with every declaration of innocence. Especially since it was, technically, true.

"Neither one of us believes that you're going to stay hands-off," Scott said.

"I will as long as those involved can remain calm and collected," Sinister said. "As with everything else, my methods have a tendency to shift as needed."

"You're still the same. Treating everyone like an experiment," Alex said.

"Not everyone," Sinister defended, sounding insulted.

"Oh, right. My bad. You don't experiment on everyone in the world how silly of me to be dramatic," Alex said dryly.

"If only you knew," Sinister said under his breath, one hand to his temple as if he was warding off a migraine.

"So, what's the story?" Alex demanded.

"The story is that I was toying with the notion of not erasing your memory of this encounter and all that led up to it, but you're swaying my opinion the opposite direction."

"So you're just torturing my brother again," Alex said heavily. "Let him know you're going for the kids he's spent his life protecting and then just… leave him stuck here?"

"I'm not going for anyone, Alex. Don't be so dramatic."

"Well, damn, sorry I'm worried about my kids and Scott's going through what you put us through, you necrophiliac."

Sinister sneered. "I don't believe you know what that word actually means, boy."

"So you're not stealing powers and leaving bodies."

"Not currently, no," Sinister said, half cutting him off. "I had, in fact, come to complement your brother on the excellent work he's done. And to keep him updated on what I find."

Alex looked toward Scott, who nodded, though he still looked as stressed as ever.

"I would also like permission to repair the damage done to him," Sinister said. "But you interrupted that particular discussion spectacularly."

"The hell - what damage?" Alex asked.

"Have you enjoyed being the only powered brother for so long that you forget that your older brother used to outstrip you effortlessly?" Sinister challenged.

Alex scoffed and turned toward Scott as much as he could. "Tell me you're not entertaining this."

"The part where I was better than you or…"

"Shut up, Scotty," Alex said. "The other part."

"Alex, do you really think I'd agree to that?" Scott shot back sharply, though Sinister waited until they were done before he leaned forward.

"With all the threats being leveled at these children and those on the way," Sinister said patiently, "They need to have every layer of protection at their disposal. Or do you think I'm wrong somehow?"

"Actually," Scott said, narrowing his eyes, "these eyes have saved my kids' lives. Multiple times. I'm fine, thanks."

Sinister smiled. "Tell me about those times, Scott. I'd love to hear it."

"How do you think I got to Viper before she could recapture James?" Scott pointed out.

"I believe that win goes to Stark, ultimately," Sinister said. "And again, you nearly died by mutate."

"Alex, he's giving out grades," Scott said dryly, and Alex snerked.

"He's always like this," Alex agreed. "Always gotta criticize."

"And you've been hiding behind Magneto's family for decades," Sinister said.

"Oh, you mean keeping the safest place in the world for mutants safe from Erik as much as possible?" Alex shot back. "You mean raising kids? Pointing the twins at the right stories about the X-Men and not Magneto's rantings?"

"Yes, I didn't factor in your stunning success as a librarian."

"He's just mad you got to use your powers for fun," Scott told his brother.

Sinister sighed heavily. "Believe what you will as you tell each other stories," he said. "You already know you cannot push the lines I've put in place. Lovely as always to see the two of you support each other's denial."

"I'd tell you where I want you to go and what to do with yourself when you're there, but…" Alex shrugged.

"I'l be seeing you both soon," Sinister said as he got to his feet and made to step around Alex, stopping close to him to smile and dust off his shoulder. "Try not to strain yourself."

Alex glared as he watched Sinister leave, but even after they heard the door close, it was a while before they could turn toward each other and move freely again. "What the hell, Scott."

Scott dropped heavily into a chair and put his head in his hands for a while before, once Alex was seated too, he looked back up. "The only thing we have going for us is he's interested to see what James can do. He's thrilled with his studies, says James is asking the right questions to change the whole field. Which is all true."

"But it's dangerous in his hands," Alex finished for him.

Scott nodded. "Honestly, it feels like he wants to take James under his wing. Permanently, if this works out."

"And that's where there's gonna be a problem, considering the kid has a future husband, a family, Stark's interest…"

"Like he's ever cared about anyone else's claim," Scott said, sounding tired. "And the second James wants to do something else…"

"Yeah. Or the second he hears Sinister's interested in the kids."

"Yeah," Scott echoed him. "That… I hate that that's probably what will do it, but…" He trailed off. "And he's not doing anything right now, which is the most maddening thing. How the hell can I warn anyone about a plan I know nothing about when I can't even tell them he's here?"

Alex watched Scott for a long time before he simply reached over and pulled his brother into a hug. "You gotta figure out how to breathe, Scotty, because he's going to make you fall apart if you don't get a hold of yourself. You're not sleeping, you're freaking out - how long is it gonna be before you're so twisted up you're too tired and stressed to turn him down anymore?"

Scott nodded and wrapped his arms around Alex in return. "I know. I know."

"Yeah, forgot who I was talking to." Alex took a deep breath and let it out. "So, I can't tell anyone either. The thought of getting my phone out was a big fat nope. We're just lucky I gave James so much to work with before I talked to you." He let Scott out of the hug to look him in the face. "But, hey, now I know. So at least you can call me and scream, right? You're not alone anymore, Scotty."