X-Men-First Class: Rise or Fall
Chapter Seventy Two
Author's Word: Hi, guys! Another incredible round of reviews. Whoo! The inspiration flows. Keep it up and enjoy!
A merry hum preceded Charles coming around the backyard. Responding to active minds as well as loud hammering, he arched his head upward and discovered two boy sized birds nested in a tree, a wide wooden platform underneath them.
Charles called up, "If this is your idea of running away from home, you have a great distance to go."
Frank glanced down. "I can't run away from home. It'd make Alex too happy."
"We're building a tree house, Charles," Scott informed.
"Oh, I see," the Professor nodded. "I suppose the "no girls allowed" sign will arrive shortly?"
"No chance of that," Frank said to the contrary. "Why would we keep the X-Girls out? They're nicer than the X-Men."
"And prettier," Scott added.
Seeing Emma approaching, Charles said, "I must agree. Hello, love."
"You're not to call me that until you answer one question." She folded her arms. "Did you remember to press your tux?"
A deer-in-the-headlights expression came to Charles' face. "The Fantasticks… tonight! I am so, so terribly sorry. I've had far too much on my mind recently. Can you ever forgive me?"
Emma half-glared at him. "That straight-face fabrication skill of yours bothers yet intrigues me greatly."
Chuckling, Charles pulled her to him. "I've been looking forward to this all week. Tonight, it's just the two of us."
When they leaned closer, Frank shouted, "No kissing allowed!"
With a whirl of his hand, Charles made the two of them vanish from the boys' sights.
IIIIIII
Turning another page from where he sat on the lab floor near the chalkboard, Sean's mouth formed a giddy circle.
"Dude, WU offers abroad study?"
"Yeah," Alex replied, bent over the desk with other Westchester University information. "Not that there's any chance of me jet-setting any time soon. Not without Joey and Scott and of course I have to punch Frank so often to keep him in line."
Sean asked with a smile, "So you don't have to punch me?"
"Nah," said the blonde. "You already know I'll kill you."
"I must say," Hank sat in the chair behind his desk, flipping through another course catalog, "I'm very envious of you and Raven. This will be the most exciting time in your life. Until you get married that is."
"Oh yes," Alex said dryly. "Only thirty more years 'til I get to swap out my motorcycle for my very own set of chains."
"But I must advise," the scientist continued, "do not sign up for any eight AM's— not during your first year, anyway. Also, knock out as many prerequisite courses as you can while narrowing down your major."
Alex gave off a long-winded whistle. "Doctor, teacher, scientist, and student advisor. Forget all this other stuff. I'm majoring in Hank."
IIIIIII
The moment he reached the second floor, Erik picked up on the choked exhales and started in the direction of the recreation room. He pushed the ajar door fully open, catching Joey in the midst of a coughing spell.
"Kangaroo?"
Joey found his voice and looked to the man with a smile. "Hi, Uncle Erik." He snapped the lid to his trusty case shut. "I'm ready to go."
Eyes narrowed, Erik walked to him and squatted. "Are you feeling alright?" He reached a hand out to touch his forehead and the boy stepped back. "Joey, come here."
"Can't. We'll be late." Joey grabbed his art case and started to dash away.
Erik caught him easily. "Let's have Hank take a look at you first."
Joey wriggled his feet. "But Becky's waiting."
"If she knows it's for you, she won't mind at all," Erik said plainly. He carried the less than willing little body out towards the lab and sent a mental petition out for Charles and Emma to meet them in there.
Hank returned to the exam table with the instruments he needed and removed the thermometer from the puffed cheek Joey's mouth.
"His temperature is normal," he announced to the other three adults. "No fever."
Joey promptly tried to get up. "Good. Now I can go to art class."
"Hold on a moment there, Joey." Hank coiled an arm around him to keep him from zooming off. "We're not done." The tall scientist picked up a tongue depressor. "Open for me, please."
"Uh uh," Joey hummed with a headshake, forcing his lips together as tightly as possible.
"Charles Xavier," his father sternly prompted.
Face sunk, Joey opened his mouth widely.
Hank shined his tiny flashlight in first then pressed the tongue down. "His throat's a little swelled, but not overly so." He raised the stethoscope up from where it hung around his neck and put the buds in his ears. Hank put the silver end against Joey's chest. "Give me a deep breath in." Joey inhaled. "And out." He blew. "Heavy congestion in there. It appears to be a sinus infection." He looked at the boy again. "I'm sorry, Joey, but by doctor's orders I want you in bed."
With a heavy heart, Charles delivered the most hurtful part of the diagnosis. "I'm afraid you'll have to miss art class for today, son."
At that, the little boy loudly beseeched, "Mummy!"
Emma hurried over to him. "Now, now, Joey, please." She hugged him. "It'll be alright, Treasure. Mummy will get you something special to make up for it. New paints, new art books…"
"No!" he whined. "I wanna go to art class. Make them let me."
"Them?" Erik echoed.
"That is quite enough." Charles stepped up, tugging him over so that they faced each other. "I know this sounds awful, but we don't want you to get sicker."
"I don't care if I get sicker!" Joey insisted, volume growing. "I. Wanna. Go. To. Art Class!"
The overhead laboratory lights flickered wildly with his outcry.
Charles gave his son a disapproving glower and placed two fingers at his own temple. Charles Joseph, if you don't stop this immediately, Daddy is going to give you a spanking. Is that what you want?
When the nine-year-old calmed slightly, Erik had one guess as to what Charles had said to him.
After they tucked Joey into bed and went back out to the hall, Emma said, "I don't want to go out anymore."
"What?" Charles reacted. "You've wanted to see this show for weeks."
"I cannot enjoy myself while my son is stuck here suffering."
"Erik and Hank have cared for Joey while sick and this will be no different," Charles assured.
"Charles," she sighed.
"No," he shot down, prodding her forward. "You are going to go shower, put on something that will expose a generous portion of your legs to my view, and have a sensational evening with no concerns at all."
Emma rolled her eyes. "Fine." She headed to her room.
"And don't make that face at me, young lady," Charles called after her.
IIIIIII
Snuggled up with Dickon, Joey's face displayed nothing remotely resembling a reaction when Erik came in through the door with a silver tray.
"See what I have here for my poor little Kangaroo?" Erik came close, setting the tray on the boy's legs before sitting near him on the bed. "My special Polish soup, bread, orange juice, and a side of animal crackers." He gave Joey a secretive glance. "I may have even spotted a wolf among them."
Staring back at the man dryly, Joey stated, "I want my mummy."
"Your daddy took her out for a special evening. Now," Erik gathered a portion of the soup into the spoon and held it out to the little boy's lips, "let's try to eat a little."
"I'm not hungry," Joey told him.
"You usually love this when I make it for you," Erik reminded him.
"I love art class more," he countered matter-of-factly.
Trying to maintain his patience, Erik transferred the tray over to the night table and looked at the bedbound one directly. "Are you angry with me, Joey?"
Joey thought then nodded. "Yes."
"Why?" Erik asked next.
"You told Daddy I was sick and made me go to the lab. You never let me have any fun. Mum does."
Erik stared at him a moment. "You really love your mother, don't you?" Joey nodded. "That's very good. You should always cherish her, as she does you. Your mother especially because she chose to be here with you and love you and see to it that you have that fun you speak of. That's the joy mother and aunts are allowed." Erik's brow creased over in seriousness. "However, a father's duties, as well as an uncle's, and sometimes even an elder brother's, are to protect, provide for, and discipline you. Keeping you out of your art classes hurts us just as much as it does you. Do you believe that?" At the lack of response, Erik stood. "I'll check on you soon. If you get hungry at all, try to eat something."
Watching the man leave out, Joey absently reached over for an animal cracker.
IIIIIII
Basket loaded with sandwiches and juice boxes, Becky approached the tree. She tied the dangling rope to the basket's handles securely.
"Pull!"
Scott grinned down at her. "Thanks a lot, Rebecca. Why aren't you at dance practice?"
"Joey is too sick to go to art class, so I'm skipping dance. It's an act of little kid protest."
Frank started reeling the basket up to the platform. "Soon as we're all moved in, you can pick the curtains and junk like that. But no frilly stuff or unicorns. Unless they have fangs and breathe fire."
"Got it. And Hank says you have to come in soon so he can check your eyes," she informed.
"Got it," Frank returned.
Becky skipped along back to the house and into the kitchen, seeing Hank and Alex still at the island with the latter's course materials spread out between them.
"Are they being careful with those tools?" Hank asked his sister.
"Uh huh." Becky went over to one cabinet.
"I still don't get this random tree house deal they're on," said Alex.
"Boyish project," Hank waved off. "You never wanted one as a child?"
"You know what I wanted?" Alex turned around. "To get home without having to rearrange some jerk's face."
Hank pushed a list of majors over towards him. "And now?"
"Beats me." Alex looked back. "Hey Becky, what do you want to be when you get older?"
"A mommy who never has to cook." She gathered her assortment of food supplies into a box.
"And she's majoring in Emma," Alex deduced.
"Becca," Hank saw her head away with the box, "just who is all that for?"
She replied with, "It's for the cause," and left.
Hank stared up heavenly. "The little kid protest continues. I blame Erik for giving them those current event assignments."
"I checked on Joe a little while ago. He was taking a nap," Alex said. "He's pretty sore about this art thing, huh?"
"You would think it a fire and brimstone apocalypse with that display he put on in the lab. Which reminds me," Hank pushed his chair out to stand, "someone needs his medicine."
"I could give it to him," Alex offered.
"No, thank you," Hank declined. "I've survived too many of his electrical outburst to be frightened away now."
Alex sent him a thumbs-up of support.
The young doctor went upstairs and stopped off in the bathroom the Frank, Scott, and Joey normally shared and retrieved the cough medicine. He continued on to Joey's bedroom.
The short blonde ducked under his covers with his package of cookies.
Becca Bear delivery service, Hank thought as he came over. "Well, it's certainly nice to know you have something on your stomach because it's medicine time."
"No!" the muffled child protested.
"Yes," Hank countered simply and yanked back the blanket, revealing the sour little face. "Now, sit up and take this down so your congestion can clear up." Joey held up Dickon as a blockade. Taking a deep breath through his nostrils, Hank swatted the side of Joey's left leg firmly. "Stop that this instant, Joey."
The child slowly lowered his bear and Hank nodded approvingly. He used the napkin on the tray to wipe off Joey's soup spoon then poured the proper dose of medicine into the utensil. He wordlessly put it to Joey's lips and the boy grudgingly swallowed.
"I'll get you some juice to help wash that down."
"Hank?"
The older male turned back at the petition. "Yes?"
"Are you my uncle now?" Joey asked.
Initially surprised by the question, Hank stopped to sincerely ponder over it. "By marrying your Aunt Raven, yes, I suppose I am. Do you want me to be?" Joey shrugged slightly. "Perhaps if I'd lied to Erik and your parents and let you go on to art class, you'd be more willing to be my nephew. Is that about right?"
Joey replied quietly, "You'd make me go to regular school if I was sick I bet."
"Yes, because I'm just mean old Hank. Wanting nothing more than to bore you in class."
"That's for sure," Joey mumbled.
"I'm very sorry you feel that way. But I'll tell you this much, Joey. It doesn't matter the title you use for me. Even if I'm nothing more than your doctor to you, your health is more important to me than how popular I am with you." Hank took the package of thin mints away from him. "I'll get you that juice now." He got up and walked out the door.
IIIIIII
Arms folded dejectedly, Emma leaned against Charles' shoulder as they headed away from the theatre. "I'm sorry."
"For what? Forcing us to leave before the final act?" Charles scoffed. "Oh pish posh. Now I get to imagine my own ending."
"Do you think I planned this?" she suddenly erupted, stopping to face him. "There was a time not long past when I could be wined and dined until all hours of the night without a care or cause in the world. But then you," Emma pointed an accusatory finger towards his nose, "just had to be on that CIA ship that night. You just had to come in and change my pathetic shallow life for the better, didn't you? That's so like you, Charles Xavier." She huffed over to the fountain.
A confused Charles followed her and dared to sit near her. "Part of me wants to deposit you at the nearest asylum and be done with it. Yet there's another part of me that would feel eternally empty if I did. Then the third and final part wants to slap that part silly and go have a tall bitter."
"Sugar," Emma pulled on her hair in exasperation, "I tried to enjoy myself tonight, I really did. But all I could think about was Joey and how he's feeling, if he needs anything, does he miss me."
"I know." Charles put his arm around her and scooted her closer to his side. "Your mind wasn't exactly silent in there. I feel exactly the same way, but I wanted so badly for you to have a nice time tonight."
"It's your time that was ruined." Emma nuzzled against his cheek. "I'm so sorry, Charles."
"Well," Charles slapped a hand down against the fountain's water, dousing her lightly, "let's call it about even."
"Charles!" She jumped to her feet, wiping at her dress. "I could just…"
He got up and gave her a kiss. "Come. Let's go see about the baby."
She smiled and joined hands with him on their way to the parking lot.
IIIIIII
Going into the garage, Alex instantly caught the echoing of hard coughs all throughout the space. Frowning, he went over towards where Joey sat have a severe spell beside Sean's BMW.
"Joe?" Alex scooped him up and began patting his back to soothe him before hurrying back into the mansion with him. He returned the child to the warmth of his bed then ran downstairs to retrieve a tall glass of water. "Here." Alex sat up against Joey's headboard and held the glass to his lips. "Drink up."
Joey gulped until the majority of the cup emptied into him. "Thanks, Al."
Putting the glass to the side, Alex wanted to know, "What did you think you were doing down there, anyway? You're supposed to be resting."
"I wanted to wait on Mum and Dad," Joey told him.
"Give me your hand right now," Alex demanded. Joey slowly surrendered the small appendage to his brother's grasp and received five hard smacks. "Don't you ever go off down their while you're sick. You could've caught pneumonia."
Light morning turned into full on crying from Joey.
Alex pulled him onto his lap and massaged his hand for him. "I'm sorry, Eel, but you're being really bad today. Come on, nix the waterworks." Alex laid the sobbing boy on his back then started drumming on his stomach on all of his tickle spots.
Joey's face brightened and he began to giggle. "Quit it, Al!"
Alex kept on. "You quit crying first."
"'Kay." Joey swiped his wet eyes with his sleeve.
Taking a Kleenex from the box on the night table, Alex wiped the residue from the child's nose. "There you go. Clean enough to kiss." He lowered over the younger blonde and gave pecks to his cheeks and forehead, making him laugh again. "Now level with me." Alex tickled noses with him. "Why are you giving Erik and Hank such a rough time today? They didn't want you to get sick you know."
"Uncle Erik told on me and Hank made me go to bed."
"I make you go to bed when you're sick," Alex pointed out. "And Erik wasn't trying to rat you out. If that's what it was about, that means he doesn't like you. Personally, I don't make special soup for guys I don't like. You were ticked about art class and got mad at everybody, right?"
Joey looked up at him closely. "How'd you know?"
"Remember when I failed my practice test around Christmas?" Alex brought up. "I wasn't nice to you or Erik or anybody. Joe, I never want you to act like that just because things don't go your way. You are so much better than that. You're my good baby bro, aren't you?"
"Yeah," Joey smiled.
"That's what I thought." Alex raised him up in a hug. God I love you. "Now stay put." Alex moved him back over against the pillows. "I'm going to grab the cough syrup for you."
"Al? Do you think maybe you could ask my Uncle Hank to give it to me?"
"Uh, sure thing, kid." As he headed out, Alex felt his brain mush a little at the very weird and ever changing family ties that made up the X-Men.
IIIIIII
When the telepaths arrived home, their minds led them into the parlor. On the right hand loveseat, Erik sat nearest the fire with Joey nestled against his chest, a blanket covering the boy.
"Daddy," Joey grinned, "Mummy. You're home."
"Treasure." Emma hurried in on heeled feet and bent to hug him. "How are you feeling, sweetheart?"
"Kind of better," Joey reported. "Except my chest keeps whistling."
Charles came in and sat on the loveseat. "Did he behave?" he asked his brother.
"I'd say so," Erik answered. "Hank gave him his last round of cough medicine for the night without hearing a single complaint and he ate every morsel of his dinner. Why are you home so early?"
"You know how smothering your brother can be when it comes to these children," Emma said. "We didn't even get to catch the final act."
The men shared a secretive glance and Erik immediately knew the truth.
Charles looked to Joey. "Ready for bed, little one?"
Joey nodded and kissed Erik's cheek. "Night, Uncle Erik."
"Good night, Kangaroo," the man returned before giving him over to Charles.
Charles carried him out with Emma following.
"I'll be over to say good night in a minute," Emma said when they got upstairs. "Just let me shed this dress."
"Alright." And thank you for the image, my love.
Emma smirked and went towards her suite.
Charles continued on to Joey's room and got him situated comfortably in bed. "There we are. Here's Dickon for you." He gave him the bear. "So little one, I was thinking that while you're sick we could conduct your art lessons right here. I'll even call your teacher to make sure we're covering the proper materials. How does that sound?"
Joey started to smile, but his joy quickly faded. "Daddy?"
Charles frowned at his son's expression. "What's the matter?"
"What am I thinking?"
Burrowing into the young mind, Charles divulged the answer. "So you were rude and unpleasant while I was out?" Joey nodded. "But you also apologized?"
"Yes, Daddy."
"Did your powers go off?"
He shook his head to that. "No, Daddy. I promise."
Charles rubbed his chin in thought. "Then I don't believe a spanking will be necessary. However, if you're naughty while you're sick, you won't get an art lesson that day. Understood?"
"Yes, sir," Joey answered promptly. "Thank you, Daddy."
"That's my precious lad," Charles smiled. "Ready for a story?"
At his nod, Charles selected an item from their mini library on the shelf and settled in with his son to begin their latest nightly adventure.