X-Men-First Class: Rise or Fall

Chapter Seventeen

Author's Word: Wow of wows! I love you all so much for that unbelievable feedback I received for the last chapters. Thanks to everyone else who put this story on alert or favorites. I'm glad everyone seems to be having as much fun with this story as I am.

Withdrawing the thick burgundy drapes, Charles allowed the sunshine to pour into his bedroom. A smile came to his face when he saw the dark green sedan pull up in front of his magnificent estate. The pleasure on his features became more evident when the thin auburn haired creature stepped out of the vehicle. Charles made haste to the downstairs.

No matter how many times she had seen it before, the incredible property still left her awe-struck. She removed her sunglasses off her face just as the front entrance opened. Out walked Charles with a large picnic basket over his right arm and a small individual tugging at his ledt hand.

"Hello, Moira," the Professor greeted happily.

"Charles," she reached out, hugging him lightly, "it's good to see you." She noticed the boy who ducked behind the well pressed pants leg of the older mutant. "Hi there, Joey. It's good to see you again, too."

"Joey," Charles said encouragingly, "you remember Miss Mactaggert, don't you?"

The blonde head nodded timidly. "Hello, Miss Mactaggert."

Charles did a brief survey of the sky and air. "The weather seems to be in our favor today."

"Looks like," she concurred positively.

After making room in the back of the car for Joey as well as the picnic basket, Moira offered Charles the keys to her rental since he obviously knew the layout of Westchester much better than herself. Once he began to drive, Charles right away noted the trepidation still present in Joey's eyes. He gave him a wink in the rearview mirror. With the child's posture more at ease, Charles took off down the driveway and onto the road.

IIIIIII

Grunting with a level of frustration capable only by an adolescent girl, Becky felt about ready to fling her hairbrush right into her vanity mirror. Two things kept her from doing it; one, having to listen to Charles' reaction to breaking perfectly good furniture and two, the fact that the vanity had a pretty peach color and floral design to it.

In any event, Becky had been trying for over an hour to get her utterly impossible hair to work for her. At noon, the heat index had shot up, which called for good temperatures along with bad hair days. With it being such a laidback Sunday, there had been no demand for a formal sit-down lunch, something the distressed girl felt greatly thankful for. However, her stomach rumbled immensely and she knew she would have to go downstairs eventually.

Trying to think quickly, she went into her spacious closet and began digging through her hats. None made her hair look remotely attractive and not one could be made to stuff all of her untamed lochs inside. Becky quickly formulated a new plan. When she finished with it, she headed downstairs and into the kitchen.

To her distress, she immediately sensed the active minds of a good chunk of her housemates. With a moan, Becky attempted to keep things as casual as possible as she strode into the eatery.

As soon as a strange figure in a dark blue well oversized hooded sweatshirt with 'HARVARD' printed across the front entered, all conversation ceased at once.

Raven squinted. "Becky, is that you under there?"

"Uh huh," came a faint reply from inside the humongous shirt. Becky opened the refrigerator, partly to search for food but mostly to cloak herself further.

Frank smirked and got up from the table. "Who are you supposed to be? The Invisible Man?" He reached out for the back of her hood.

"Frank!" she snapped. "Cut it out!" The moment he yanked on the shirt, her wild mess of curls unleashed like snakes out of a can.

"Oh no…" Frank's face split into a grin, followed closely by fierce chuckling. "Now I know who you are. You're Cousin It!"

Despite himself, Alex could not contain his own laughter. "Aw, you're like a little baby tumbleweed."

Raven shot both of them a glare and a sympathetic glance Becky's way.

The now furious child exploded at them. "Stop it! Stop it!" She shocked both boys into silence. "It's not my fault! Leave me alone!" She turned and ran out, nearly tripping over the bottom of the shirt she had on.

Upset herself, Raven smacked the back of Alex's head hard. "What is the matter with you? She's just a little kid."

"Ow!" Alex rubbed the sore spot. "Geez, I didn't know she was gonna act like that."

"What did you expect?" Raven turned on Frank next. "And you. I can't believe you're the kind of guy who would stand there and humiliate a girl on purpose. I thought you were better than that, Frank."

The twelve-year-old's face fell at her words. He also had not expected Becky's reaction but Raven's hit him the hardest.

Alex groaned, figuring Becky would go in search of one of two people in the house. If she turned to Erik, Alex hoped he would get off with a lecture. If she went to the second option, Alex knew he would not be so lucky…

IIIIIII

Hank popped his head up from a pair of very interesting bacteria specimen when the double doors of his lab burst open. A hooded little body came in, uttering some sort of angry incoherent language, before dashing over to a corner of the large room and falling out in full blown whimpering.

Approaching the curious subject carefully, Hank knelt down in an attempt to establish contact. "Becca?" He then took notice of her present attire. "Is that my shirt?"

With only her eyes viewable, she nodded. "I really needed to borrow it. Do you want it back?"

Hank gave off a shake of his head. "Unnecessary. It looks cuter on you, anyway."

"Only because you can't see how I really look," the sullen one replied.

Confused, the scientist asked, "Becca, what are you talking about?" Unmasking herself with a shaky hand, Becky revealed her problem. Hank, however, did not so much as bat an eyelash. "Humidity got you again, huh?"

"Mmhmm." She sat up slightly, her mouth in a set sad line. "Alex and Frank saw and they made fun of me. They were calling me names."

Now this caused Hank to bat an eyelash and wrinkle into a deep frown. "Were they? My little sister? Maybe I need to go down there and beat them up."

"That's what Alex is worried you're going to do," Becky told him. "I know. I'm reading his mind right now."

Normally ready to admonish the girl for such an intrusion, Hank only smirked. "What do you say we let him sweat over it for a little while?"

Becky grinned wickedly in return then kneeled forward against him as he wrapped his long arms around her protectively.

IIIIIII

Feeling as though he could sincerely reach out and take hold of the sun in the palm of his hand, Joey continued back and forth on the swing. Charles stood behind him, assisting him with pushes. Moira rested against one of the blue poles that made up the swing set, observing their interaction. Any on-looker would think the male pair had known each other for years as opposed to mere months.

"I'm flying, Charles!" Joey squealed.

"I see," Charles said but still cautioned, "Hold on tightly now. And pump your legs as you move forward."

Joey stretched his legs out as far as they would go when he went up again. "I'm doing it!"

"Good show," Charles cheered him. "Think you can handle it on your own for a bit?"

"Yeah!" Joey replied eagerly. "Watch me, Charles, okay?"

Charles stepped back a few feet to the side to get a better view. "There we go, Joey. Brilliant. Positively brilliant."

Moving over closer to him, Moira stated, "You constantly amaze me, Charles."

"How do you mean?" Charles asked curiously while never taking his eyes off the giddy child before them.

"I would have thought you'd be closest to Agent Douglas' daughter," she explained. "With you both possessing telepathic abilities."

Charles nodded. "I expected the same initially. I train with her constantly but she seems more in tune with Erik, which is fine. I think it's done him a world of good."

"It's hard to imagine him having any kind of tie with children," Moira put forth.

Not caring for that particular remark, Charles came back with, "People can surprise you."

"Charles, push me!" Joey requested. "Please?"

Going over to give him another jostle, Charles coached, "I told you to pump your legs. Don't retreat into laziness now, little one. I won't be able to push you when you're sixteen after all."

"Yes, you will," Joey countered in a singsong tone.

"Is that so, young man?" Charles smiled, gently prodding him forward again. "Well, we'll just see." Simply thrilled to see the youngest of his mutant clan having so much fun, Charles thought he could propel him to age sixteen, seventeen, and beyond if it meant more of these ever fleeting times.

IIIIIII

Hanging upside down from her mattress in a style that very much resembled a certain scientist she knew, Becky peeled through the pages of one of Raven's fashion magazines. After reading through a particularly interesting article, an idea hit her. She flipped over onto her feet and rushed downstairs to the foyer in time to catch Erik, who had his briefcase ready.

Looking her up and down, Erik surmised, "Playing dress up in your big brother's clothes, are you?"

"Hm, sort of," Becky replied before moving on to the matter at hand. "Erik, may I go into town with you? Please?"

At her excitement, he inquired surpiciously, "Whatever for?"

"I want to go to the salon." She waved a hand over her head, creating an illusion of long luxurious straight hair. "I want to look like this."

"You are not getting your hair chemically straightened," Erik said frankly.

Shattering the illusion along with her hope for a solution, she wanted to know, "But why?"

"Because your own hair is natural and beautiful. The last thing you need to do is allow some half-cocked beautician to alter you in any way, least of all with chemicals."

"But my hair isn't beautiful," Becky insisted. "It's frizzy and disgusting. Please, Erik, let me get it straightened."

With a bit more firmness, Erik reiterated, "I said no, Rebecca."

She lowered her face in defeat. "… Yes, Erik."

Trying to ignore the ping in his chest that resembled a gunshot wound at her profoundly disappointed expression, he offered, "You're welcome to accompany me into town still if you like."

"No. Not looking like this." She pulled the hood back on, tightening it with the pull strings. "I don't even want to go outside. It'll just get worse."

Sighing slightly, Erik tapped the side of her face to get her eyes up. "You are beautiful, Sweet Imp. No matter what condition your hair is in."

She smiled for his sake. "Thanks, Erik." She hugged him around the waist. "Will you be back before bedtime?"

Erik pressed her to himself for a moment. "You have my word."

Becky remained standing as he took his leave from the house. It took her under two minutes to formulate her next plan. Making her way across the hall and around the corridor, Becky went into the laundry room. Steaming up the iron, she started to run the hot device through her bush of curls. The process worked until the iron got a little too close to her cheek.

Letting off a shriek of pain at the blistering contact, Becky ran from the room. She clutched the side of her face while crying out for Raven.

IIIIIII

As soon as they finished eating, Joey got Charles back up for additional play sessions. The two of them darted back and forth between the numerous trees. When it became Joey's turn to chase Charles, the small boy mad dove for the Professor. Charles made a show of tumbling over onto his back in the grass while still making sure his charge retained no injury in the process.

Joey rested against Charles' stomach, panting and grinning from ear to ear. "Your turn again, Charles."

"I'm afraid I need to take five, pet." The man gestured with his head towards a nearby flock of pigeons. "Why don't you chase the birds for a bit?"

"Okay." Joey jumped up and ran over, making the pigeons take off in flight at his presence.

Charles returned to Moira, who sat watching from the red and white picnic blanket.

"He is an active one," she noted.

"To say the least," Charles concurred, trying to catch his breath. "It's all right, though. He'll sleep soundly tonight." He arched his head slightly to look at her. "What's the word on Shaw?"

The woman shook her head, lowering her cup of lemonade. "Still nothing. He's being a little too quiet if you ask me."

Charles started to say something but Joey running over toward him made him turn silent about the negative conversation.

"Can I have a cookie?" the boy asked.

"I don't know," Charles answered, feigning cluelessness. "Can you?"

"May I have a cookie?" Joey corrected himself. Charles held the plate out to him and he decided on an oatmeal raisin. "Thank you, Daddy." He headed back for the birds as he munched.

Astonishment all over her face, Moira turned to the beaming Charles. "Did you hear what he said?"

Charles looked at her. "Sorry, what?"

"Charles," Moira said importantly, "he just called you Daddy."

The telepath realized it. "Ah, yes. Well, he pops that out every now and again. You know how small children are."

Moira made a bit of a contorted face. "Charles, don't you think that's just a tad inappropriate?"

"How so?" Charles asked her with a slight shrug.

"Well, I can't help but think he may be a little too attached to you. You're supposed to be his teacher and somewhere down the line that became surrogate parent."

"Moira, the strictly professional teacher to student relationship withered away Day One," Charles informed her. "These children are all a part of me. It's been an honor and a privilege to guide them and watch their advancements. It's not merely a professor's pride but a parent's as well. Joey's an extra special case." Charles stopped, taking in the recollection. "When I first discovered him, he came across as a small frightened animal; so lost and confused. But slowly he's become this spirited little boy with so much hope and potential about him."

Smiling at this, Moira asked, "Do you ever think about having some of your own?"

Staring at her squarely, Charles stated, "They are my own." His sudden rise to his feet kept her from responding. "Where is… Joey!"

"Charles!" Moira called, hurrying after him.

Doing a quick mental scan of the playground, Charles found Joey sitting on his knees on the other side of a nearby tree. "There you are." Charles let out an enormous sigh of respite before kneeling down to see what the boy had in his hands. "What have you there?"

Holding up the baby pigeon, Joey said solemnly, "He won't wake up."

Charles sighed regretfully. "Oh, Joey. Sometimes…" He stopped speaking to witness the tiny golden jolts escape the child's fingertips and transfer over to the motionless bird. The creature stirred and sat up right in Joey's hands. "Dear God… Joey."

"Will he be okay?" Joey asked worriedly.

Moira piped up from behind, "Looks like he will be now."

Charles placed his arm around Joey, planting a kiss to the top of the light haired head. Suddenly, hope and potential did not sound strong enough to describe the amazing young mutant.

IIIIIII

Managing to track down the second floor first-aid kit, Raven returned to her room with it. A sullen Becky sat cross-legged in one of the large chairs.

"Here we go." Raven placed the white kit on the little table between them before sitting down. She took out and began to apply the burn cream to the reddened mark between Becky's left ear and jaw. "I hope this helps. Usually Hank's the go-to for boo-boo patrol."

"I know," Becky said. "I just didn't want to tell him I ironed my face."

Raven nodded understandingly. "Why didn't you ask me for help?"

"Because I thought you might say no like Erik did when I told him I wanted to straighten my hair with chemicals."

"Why would you want to do that?" Raven asked, frowning slightly.

"Because I hate my hair," Becky told her in exasperation. "Every time it rains or if it's too warm out. People always make fun of me just because my hair's a frizz ball."

"Your hair is not a frizz ball," Raven said to the contrary. "It's curly and unique and so pretty."

Becky found herself unable to believe that. "I think you're lucky, Raven. You have shiny red hair and you can look like anybody you want. I can't hold an illusion for that long."

"You don't need illusions," Raven asserted. "Look at you. There is nothing wrong with you at all. Don't ever let what a bunch of stupid words from ignorant people make you doubt your own beauty, Becca." The shape-shifter quickly realized what she'd just said. "I'm sorry. I know you only like it when Hank calls you that."

The younger girl shook her head. "You can call me Becca if you want to."

"Thanks," Raven felt supremely touched at the simple statement.

"And Raven? I think you're pretty, too. In all your forms."

Smiling, Raven leaned in secretly towards her. "What do you say we leave the guys to fend for themselves for dinner and we skip right to dessert?"

"Yeah!" Becky agreed wholeheartedly.

IIIIIII

Even though he had spent a decent portion of his life shedding the blood of those who wronged his kind so long ago, leaving Becky with a wounded countenance had left Erik feeling like a monster all day. Picking up the package from his passenger seat, the metal wizard unlocked the car with the use of his mutation and got out. He came up to the main level

Going into the living room, he spotted two very contented girls with three different flavors of ice cream and a variety of chopped fruit and other toppings straggled between them.

"Well, well, well," Erik said in a mock reproachful tone. "Gorging yourselves on ice cream? And in the living room no less."

"We're rule breakers," Raven shrugged.

Becky sat up, spreading her hair out in front of her face in what she hoped passed for a casual gesture. "Hi, Erik."

Glad to see his little girl back to her usual cheerful self, Erik walked in and got down on the carpeting with them. "I have something here for you that I thought could help your rather distinctive hair texture." He placed the pink basket, filled with a variety of colorfully feminine hair products, down before her.

Raven smirked. "You went shopping in the little girls' section? I would have given a leg and a kidney to see that."

"Hush," Erik sneered her, watching as Becky dug through the basket.

"Ooh, anti-frizz spray. I needed more of this. And gel and…" She got to the bottom and pulled out a huge purple wire hairbrush. "This looks even better than the one I have now. Thank you, Erik."

"You're welcome," Erik returned. His keen eyes then zeroed in on something. He tucked a few curls behind Becky's ear, spotting the burn. "What happened to you?"

"Nothing important," Becky tried to dismiss.

"I see marks. On you. Therefore it's more than important," Erik stated matter-of-factly. "Now, what happened?"

Coming to her aide, Raven said, "She wanted me to iron her hair for her. I cut it a little close."

Becky smiled appreciatively at her.

Erik glanced back and forth between them, as if able to sense the secret they shared but not pressing on it. "Well, then, Raven, try to be more careful in the future."

"I will," Raven promised.

Giving a delicate kiss to Becky's mild bruise, Erik said, "Go take a bath and get ready for bed. I'll be up later to say good night."

"I'll clean up here," Raven added.

Becky gave her a hug. "Thanks, Raven. For everything. Good night." She took hold of her basket by the handles and started out.

"Good night, Becca," the older girl called after her.

Helping Raven with the mess, Erik asked, "Are Charles and Joey still out?"

"No, they got home a half hour ago." Raven tried to balance the two tubs of ice cream and multicolor sprinkles. "Charles didn't say much. Just went straight to the parlor."

Erik nodded and returned to the clean-up.

When Frank spotted Raven coming into the kitchen with her armload, he leapt up from his seat. "Let me help you with that."

"I think I can handle it, Frank." Raven placed the sprinkles in the drawer then returned the ice cream to the freezer.

Keeping his eyes on her every mannerism, Frank asked hesitantly, "Are you still mad?"

"Yes," she replied briskly then turned to punch his arm playfully. "You're lucky I love you so much."

Frank gave her a relieved smile. "I didn't mean to make Becky feel bad."

Sean chimed in from where he sat at the table with Alex, "How would you like it if someone mocked something that made you feel self-conscious?"

Alex looked at him. "Taking that a little personally, buddy?"

"I wouldn't expect you to know," Sean retorted. "Try being born with red hair. The jokes get old real fast."

"Hey, you think I don't know what it's like to be teased?" Alex came back with. "I used to be as short and scrawny as Joey. Lost count of how many fights I had to get into to stand my ground."

Frank spoke up after a moment. "My older brother, Linny, used to poke fun at how weird my eyes looked compared to everybody else's. But that's okay because I always used to point out his buck teeth."

Alex smirked at that. "See, that's the problem with Becky. She can't handle a little teasing because thinks every older brother on earth is like Hank."

Raven informed him, "Well, you might want to do a lot of apologizing to Becky in the morning because I heard a little rumor that Hank is on the warpath about what you said to her earlier."

The blonde frowned. "Are you serious?"

"Oh, messing with one of Hank's girls again." Sean shook his head grimly. "Well, maybe this time he won't choke you. At least not for very long."

While trying to mask the obvious apprehension he felt, Alex decided to start off his morning by making Becky's bed. Just to be nice, of course.

IIIIIII

Erik stepped inside the parlor and saw Charles working on something at the desk while Joey lay happily passed out on the loveseat, snuggling with a throw pillow.

Charles acknowledged him without looking up. "Hello, Erik."

The wizard of metal nodded once, keeping his focus on Joey. "I see the little Kangaroo had a full day."

Smiling, Charles recounted, "He was sound asleep by the time we pulled in. I'll take him up shortly. I only wanted his company for a while."

Taking a seat on the edge of the desk that allowed him to face the younger man, Erik asked, "And how was your day with the twig?"

Shooting him a look of disapproval, Charles replied, "Moira and I had a lovely time. We played with Joey, we talked, we ate."

"Hm," Erik hummed in thought. "So I take it you'll be having more of these outings?"

"Absolutely," Charles responded then tacked on, "as friends."

Erik's brow furrowed. "Really? Nothing more?"

"I'm afraid more simply is not possible. Moira and I— our worldview is so different. Our goals for life and family…" Charles paused, saddening. "They simply don't add up."

"I didn't realize you were looking to settle."

The Professor chuckled ironically. "Neither did I. Oh, but Erik." He reclined in his seat, letting out a sigh. "Ever since we started this mission— this cause— my life as I know it has not been the same. Months ago, I wasn't ready to be known as a professor. Now I'm…"

"A father?" Erik supplied.

Charles gazed up at him. "Quite. Having you and Raven and your constant support has meant so much. But I cannot help those moments when I wish I had someone to share it all with."

"A lovely lady, perhaps?" At the nod he received in response, Erik said, "Well, I can honestly say I never foresaw fat grandchildren between you and Agent Mactaggert."

"Well, you could have told me."

Erik raised an eyebrow. "Would you have listened?" Charles went silent at that, giving Erik an answer. "The point is, Charles, you will find the right woman someday."

Charles said, "You say that as if there's a guarantee involved."

"There is," Erik replied straightforwardly. "You're the kind. You're the living embodiment of domesticity. You have so much to offer a woman."

"So do you, Erik," Charles returned.

Letting off a low chuckle at this, Erik said, "Many would argue that claim and I happen to be one of them. The status quo suits me fine. However, if the far-fetched opportunity presented itself- well, I'd just have to see."

Both men went quiet after that, thinking over their own positions.

"I need to check on Rebecca," Erik spoke first. He nodded towards the loveseat. "Would you like me to take him up?"

"Please." Erik got up to go pick up Joey when Charles petitioned him again. "Erik? Do you really believe 'she' will appear to me one day?"

Lifting up the young electrified mutant, Erik reminded, "You're the mind-reader. You know very well what I really think." He hugged Joey to himself securely. "Good night, little Lab Rat."

Charles smiled. He then watched as the man he considered a brother carried out the boy he considered a son.