X-Men-First Class: Rise or Fall

Chapter Eighty Five

Author's Word: Hi, everybody. It's great to be in touch again. I'm sorry if it feels like I haven't updated in so long. I had a major cat emergency and such things take a backseat to all else. Things are thankfully fine now. I just can't wait to get some rest. And feedback is always comforting. Enjoy!

Plane raised well above his head, Scott made sputtering noises from his mouth and began his flight. Raven proved unmoved as he zoomed around her and the kitchen island in a circular motion.

"Hey, Sky-High Summers," she transferred the round sweets onto different plates, "can you come down for a chocolate chip pit stop?"

Scott screeched to an immediate halt. "Always." He placed his model on the counter and sat at the island. "Thanks, Raven."

"Any time." She gave him three with milk before loading the rest onto a tray and going to the living room. The two little boys reclined on the couch, eyes on the TV. "Who wants a treat?"

Joey's eyes flashed over to here. "Ooh, thanks Aunt Raven."

"Thank you," Cody seconded after he, too, returned to reality.

Raven placed their plate and milk glasses on the coffee table. "Okay, you two. Don't party too hard in here. You know we can't bother the invisible people next door." They chortled and she left out.

Maya put down her book when she saw her coming in. "I thought you were Sean."

"Nah, his hair is way redder." Raven sat on the bed, hanging over the last plate and glass she had. "Calorie sucking time."

"Aw thanks, gorge," the younger female smiled.

"Please," Raven waved off. "This stuff is the least I can do."

"Raven, come on. Last I checked you were in there, too," Maya reminded. "Thanks to my magnificent klutziness."

"You slipped because I didn't make sure the pond was totally solid," Raven emphasized. "God Maya, you could have drowned."

She joked, "That would have gotten me out of gym class this year for sure."

Raven gaped, "Maya!"

"Raven, just kidding. You're going far too grownup serious on me."

"I know. Better stop before the chessboard comes out." Raven looked at her closely. "I'm just glad you're doing okay now."

Maya shifted uneasily on the bed. "Yeah."

IIIIIII

Radio humming on low to the musical styling of Tony Bennett, Erik worked to unravel Becky's hair. She and Frank played some game involving Barbie being rescued by Superman. Alex lay horizontally at the foot of the sofa bed, peering through a WU leaflet.

"Anya, be still," Erik ordered of the squirming one holding onto the presently defenseless doll

"Ow!" Becky jumped when he reached a particularly difficult knot. "Papa!"

Erik kissed her head. "My apologies, Ladybug."

Frank made his action figure float near the headmaster. "Hey Erik, who was your favorite superhero when you were a kid?"

"I'm afraid my heroes existed solely on the pages of scripture, boychick." Done with the irritating French braid, Erik began brushing out Becky's hair.

"They have a lot of heroes there," Becky brought up. "Daniel, Joseph, King David—"

Alex interjected, "Yeah, not so sure about that last one, babes."

"Why?" Becky wondered. "He brought down Goliath with a slingshot."

"He did much more later on, Sweet Imp," Erik told her. "We'll review it at some point."

At Joey rushing in, Alex braced for impact. He had Cody behind him.

The short blonde hopped onto his stomach. "Al, I need a real big favor."

Alex wound arms around him. "Who do you want me to kill?"

"No," Joey shook his head out, "Will you take me and Cody to look in the big toy shop tomorrow? Please?"

"Sure, but just for a little while," Alex agreed. "I have to help Charles with therapy."

Becky smiled and looked up. "Can I go, too, Papa?"

"So long as you only look," Erik said pointedly.

"I will," she promised.

"Thanks, Al." Joey pecked his nose and got up.

Cody went over to where Frank sat on the bed. "Is that the kind that talks?"

Frank held up his action figure. "Yeah, he's my third one. Got him for my last birthday. Don't expect you to know much about Superman. Ya know, not being from the US and all."

"So what?" Cody turned around. "I know who Hernando Cortes is and he was from Spain."

"Yeah well, he couldn't fly and shoot lasers out of his eyes," Frank downplayed.

Joey smiled at his friend. "Come on, Cody."

As the two zoomed back out, Erik could only wonder about the level of sugar coursing throughout both their bloodstreams.

IIIIIII

Eyes focused on the cracked and distorted pond before him, Hank spoke with, "Not to dampen your attempt at creepiness, Victor, but I've smelled you for the last five minutes."

"Creepiness?" Victor emerged out of the darkness. "This comin' from the guy who smeared himself in raw meat like some kinda smoke signal?"

"Experimentation requires a certain amount of unconventionality."

Victor tilted his head at him. "You ate lunch alone in school, didn't ya?"

"Only when I needed to concentrate on a project," Hank told him. "Otherwise I ate with the rest of the football team."

Victor felt his mouth open yet no sound came out.

He faced the pond. "It's just nature ya know; grand design. Like those mutts that came at ya. Confused, starvin', rabid. Nothin' evil about 'em."

Crouching, Hank dipped a hand into the frigid water. "You are right. Though it does nothing to curb my want for retribution. Yet I have no vessel to cast it on."

"I saw it, yak now." Victor then clarified, "You were ready to go down with Raven. Love really makes a fool."

Hank shook out his hand and stood. "You would understand if you were married."

Victor's gaze turned upward. "I was, Hank."

The younger man's eyes jumped. "You were?"

"Fall over why don't ya?" Victor returned. "I am a coup'la years older than you after all."

Hank informed, "Years and eons are measured differently."

"Keep it up, four-eyes," Victor darkly cautioned, going to look upon the broken up pond, "and I'll start givin' ya the ankle biter treatment."

Hank shrugged lightly. "There are worse things."

"You ain't lyin'," Victor had to agree.

"However, four-eyes is a bit of a sore spot with me." Hank whacked at the tree near them and stepped back.

Victor cringed when the pile of snow dumped on him from the branches. A roar rumbled from his chest as his gaze went to the scientist.

"Well, good night." Hank turned to go.

"I'll kill ya, kid." Victor started shaking off the moisture. "I'll kill ya dead."

"Which would be the point of killing," Hank responded, never glancing back.

Gripping a fistful of snow, Victor looked at it in his palm and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

Stupid kid…

IIIIIII

Aided by his solid oak cane, Charles came to stand in the living room doorway. With the light off, the picture from the box gloved over the captivated faces of the ones on the couch.

Charles cleared his throat to catch their attention. "Someone came to tell me that two little children were up and about." He indicated the white rabbit tucked under his arm.

"Bounty." Joey hurried to retrieve him. He then looked up at his father. "Can't we stay up a little longer, Daddy? Cody doesn't have a TV at home."

"If you go straight to sleep, I'll fix pancakes for you both to eat in front of it in the morning," Charles bargained. "If you clean up after yourselves."

"Thank you, Daddy," Joey beaned.

"Yeah, thanks," Cody piped up.

"Now, time for sleep." The boys laid head to toe on the couch with Bounty on Joey's chest. Charles readjusted the comforter over them. "Good night, little one."

"Good night, Daddy," Joey returned, scratching Bounty between the ears.

Charles went to Cody's end. "If you have any trouble sleeping, don't hesitate to seek me out."

Cody smiled. "Okay, good night."

"Rest well, Codicat." Charles switched off the television before leaving out.

"Man Joey," Cody settled his head against his pillow, "your dad's so nice. He's nice like somebody's ma."

"I know," Joey agreed happily. "He's always like that."

Cody said, "I used to think bein' adopted meant your folks ain't treat ya good. But you and Becky got it made."

"So do you," Joey countered. "Y'all have a lot of fun. You get to swing axes, shoot guns, use your powers whenever you want…"

"Do chores," Cody mumbled then piped up, "We better go to bed before your daddy hears us." He certainly did not want to make the kind man angry.

"'Kay. Night."

"Night."

They tuckered out and Bounty burrowed into the middle portion of the comforter.

IIIIIII

Mind jolted, Becky opened her eyes and groggily clicked on her reading lamp. She witnessed the intense movement taking place on the other bed and got up.

"Maya," Becky approached, shaking her lightly. "Maya, it's okay. Wake up." She looked towards the door. Uncle Charles, Auntie Em!

The elder telepaths came into the bedroom almost immediately.

Maya, Charles sat beside her and touched a hand to her forehead, Maya. Wake up now. You're alright, love.

With a last moan, Maya settled and her eyelids peeled back.

"Professor," she acknowledged, rising up against the headboard.

Charles gave her a tight hug. "Come along, dear." He handed his cane to Emma before helping the teenager up and out of the room.

Emma knelt before Becky and said, "Why don't you go lay down with your father? Your uncle and I will see to Maya."

"'Kay, Auntie." Becky went to collect her bear.

Emma followed the light into the kitchen, where Maya sat at the island while Charles poured the hot water for her tea.

"Thank you." Maya added two teaspoons of sugar before taking a sip.

"Do you feel any better?" Emma went around to stroke the dark brown hair.

Maya put her cup down and whispered, "A little." She looked back and forth between them. "I'm really sorry about this."

"You've no reason to be sorry," Charles said firmly. "Maya, you cannot control your own dream state."

Emma asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Maya quietly went into recollection. "I close my eyes and I feel that freezing water. Then it's like I'm choking again."

Charles placed a hand to her back. "You went through a horrid ordeal, but it will all soon pass."

She looked to him. "Raven blames herself, but it feels like all my fault. If I could just be better, stronger. Like the rest of you."

"Maya, no one is invincible," Charles emphasized.

"Even with our great psyches, we nearly perished in a car accident we never saw coming," Emma pointed out.

"Remaining at your mother's and Sean's sides takes a great deal," said Charles. "You're much stronger than you're able to see." He cupped her cheek, receiving a smile. "Now, let's get you back to bed."

Pushing beyond his limp, Charles kept an arm around Maya as they headed back to the girls' bedroom. Emma held onto the cane and followed.

Once Maya got situated in her bed, Charles covered her. "We'll be right here should anything else happen."

"You don't have to," Maya claimed.

"Yes, we do," Charles countered. "It's the whole reason we're here."

Emma rubbed Maya's arm. "Sleep well, sweetheart."

Maya closed her eyes peacefully and the adults went to lay in Becky's empty bed.

As soon as the child drifted off, Charles and Emma did as well, arms around each other.

IIIIIII

The moment they entered the store, even Alex gave pause to the immense selection.

He recovered quickly and directed, "You shrimptoids go nuts but don't go off far or I'm putting you on leashes."

Joey tugged on his hand. "Look, Al."

Alex went with him over to the display of molding clay.

A mesmerized Becky walked to the Barbie selection. Cody went after her, but detoured to the blue isle next to it.

Lines of army, police, and firemen kept his attention. When he reached the superheroes, his face became aglow by the Superman action figure that resembled Frank's down to the letter. The price sticker quickly deflated his cheer. After a few more seconds of staring, he gazed all around him before reaching for the one nearest the front.

Becky turned the corner in time to see him zip up his coat with the clear package inside. "Cody?"

The boy jumped a foot high and turned around. 'Becky. Look, please don't tell. Please."

"Becky!" Alex called for. "Cody, over here!"

Becky said softly, "We better go." She started back for the entrance.

Cody darted his eyes about again before going after her.

IIIIIII

Hand in hand, the young couple walked through the rear grounds, crunching snow under their boots.

Sean brought up, "Have you talked to your mom?"

"Not about what happened," Maya answered. "On the off chance she decides I should come home and stare into space from the safety of our living room."

"I'm glad you want to pack it up after everything."

She looked up at him. "I want to stay with you. I always want to stay with you, Sean."

He held her hands up close to his chest. "I don't sleep too well either lately. See you laid up like that… Alex asks what's wrong, but he doesn't get it. He'll never understand us."

Maya said, "Raven and Hank do. Emma and the Professor do. Last night when they were with me, for a few hours I got to remember what my life used to be like." Her eyes darkened. "When I still felt safe at night."

Sean dipped to put his hands to her waist. "Come here."

The girl closed her eyes as he moved in to kiss her.

IIIIIII

Leaping from the truck, Cody rushed his goodbyes to Joey and the others. He zipped into his house, through the kitchen, and into his bedroom. Cody tossed his coat off then lowered to the floor to unzip his overnight bag.

Victor stepped in. "Thought I heard ya."

Cody forced the package down. "Dang, can't ya knock?"

The man's eyebrow shot up. "Pardon me, your highness." He nodded towards the bag. "What was that?"

Cody feigned confusion. "What, Uncle Vic?"

"That thing you just crammed away like a human head or somethin'."

Taking the action figure out, Cody explained, "I found it. I just didn't want Ma to see and make me figure out who it belonged to."

"Let me take a look at that." Victor took it for examination. "Brand new; not even a nip in the box. Ain't you lucky?"

"Yep," Cody grinned.

Still eyeing the toy, Victor tossed out, "Didn't happen to find this thing before it got lost, did ya?" He watched his nephew's glow fizz out. "I've been around ya since the day you were born, kid. I can tell what your heartbeat starts jumpin' around like a jackrabbit." He pointed outward with his thumb.

Cody sighed and walked out into the kitchen.

Pulling out a chair, Victor instructed, "Park it." When they both sat, he said, "Let's hear it, 'mite."

"Joey's brother took us to the store," Cody began. "Nobody was around and they ain't have a camera over me so I just grabbed it and put it in my coat."

"Why?" Victor wanted to know. "Why do somethin' so petty?"

"I really wanted it. That Frank kid Joey lives with? He's got three and he says it like it's nothin'. If I'd have asked Ma and Dad they'd have said wait for Christmas." Cody sighed. "I get sick and tired of hearin' that."

Giving him a look, Victor stated matter-of-factly, "Boy first off, you ain't old enough to be sick and tired of squat." He leaned back in his seat, arms folded. "So you wanted to keep up with the Xavier kids. Hope it was worth what Logan's gonna give ya. He'll be back with your ma in a few."

"Uncle Vic, do you gotta tell? Ya know how he is after work," Cody urged.

Victor replied, "Ya shoulda thought of that. If you don't wanna catch a whippin', don't do dumb crap."

Cody put his head in his hands. "Can I at least keep it?"

"Let's see." Victor held the toy up. "Way I understand it, this guy stands for truth and justice— ya think stealin' and lyin' to me fall in with that?"

"No, Uncle Vic," the boy whispered, brown eyes beginning to water.

"Hey, hey. Don't start that up," Victor said not unkindly. "Ya can't…" He sighed. "Ya can't always get everything ya want. That's just the way life works."

Cody stood from his chair. "I'm sorry I lied…"

Ah, shoot me. Victor brought him into a little hug. "Go wait on your folks."

The small boy turned around to return to his room.

Victor looked to the toy of the red and blue figure contained within the thick plastic.

IIIIIII

After spending time in the snow with Joey, Frank, and Scott, Becky proved too distracted and headed in. She found her father in his den seated beside the glowing fireplace with a copy of the Invisible Man.

Erik looked up and smiled softly at the sight of his sharkling lass. "Done playing already?" She nodded and went to climb into his lap. Erik began taking off her wintery outerwear. "You're practically an icicle." He put her coat and accessories on the end table and brought her up against his shoulder.

Becky nuzzled against his neck. "Papa?"

He ran a hand up and down her back to rid her of the chill. "Yes, my Anya?"

"What would you do if you saw someone breaking a commandment? A big one?"

"In my case, child, that'd be a case of the ax criticizing the butter knife. Out of curiosity," he stroked her hair, "which commandment are you referring to?"

Becky answered, "Number six."

"That certainly is a big one," Erik agreed wholeheartedly. "You witnessed a murder?"

"No wait." Becky shook her head. "Number eight."

"Theft?" He pulled her back so they could face other. "Is that what you saw?"

"Yes, Papa," she replied solemnly.

"Hm. Honestly, this is not something you should worry yourself over," Erik told her. "Unless you see someone being treated with great cruelty, you do not exist as a universal hall monitor. Believe me. A man's wrongdoings always come to light, normally when he least expects it."

Becky studied his eyes and nodded. "Yes, Papa."

"Very good. The boys should be in soon. Want to help me get some hot chocolate on for them?"

"Okay," she smiled.

Erik stood her. "And wear your hat the next time you go outside. Do you want to catch pneumonia?"

A playful glint came to her green eyes. "Yes."

Erik used his book to pat her bottom. He fondly watched her scamper away like a curly haired kitten before rising to follow.

IIIIIII

At the undeniably familiar sound of the motorcycle pulling into the shed, Cody felt not an ounce of his usual supreme enthusiasm of having his parents arrive home. He opened his door by the most marginal crack to peak out. Victor stood over the stove. Not even the smell of his uncle's rich meat stew could elevate him.

A giggling Kayla ran inside from the kitchen entrance, being chased by her husband. "Would you stop?"

"Your fault." Logan wrapped arms around her waist from behind and hoisted her up. "You and that sexy squeal, mmm." He growled affectionately into her neck, producing another of the aforementioned squeal.

"I'm gonna need you two to act like real married folk every once in a while," Victor remarked.

Logan snorted. "Why do ya think I got married?"

Kayla managed to pry away from him to see what Victor had put together. "You cooked?" She put a hand on her hip. "Alright, what'd you break of mine this time?"

Victor batted the excess juice back into the pot before placing the spoon down and switching off the burner. "Figured you two might need a break tonight."

Kayla glanced around. "Where's my baby?"

Cody slowly left out of his room, approaching the adults. "Here I am, Mama."

Grinning, Kayla bent to hug him closely. "Oh I missed you, honey. I expected you to keep the phone ringing." She looked at him. "You weren't supposed to have fun. You were supposed to call Mommy all night."

"I'm sorry," he said. "I missed you, too."

Logan noticed his son's attire. "What's with the jammies this early?" He lifted him with one arm. "You sick or somethin'?"

Kayla immediately frowned and went to inspect his forehead. "You don't have a temperature."

"He ain't sick," Victor told them then sighed internally before delivering the rest. "He swiped one of them Superman figures out of a store."

Kayla's expression froze from the shock. "What?"

Logan placed Cody down and pinned him with a glower. "The hell did ya do that for?"

"I'm sorry, Daddy," Cody emphasized. "Nobody was around and I knew you'd make me wait."

"So that was worth stealing?" Kayla folded her arms.

Cody burst with, "Why do I always have to wait? Joey's parents get him whatever he wants."

"You lousy little ingrate." Logan pinched his earlobe, tugging on it. "I ought to knock you into next week. We all work to make sure you get everything you need and now all of a sudden what we do ain't good enough for ya?" He let go of the boy. "Get in your room. Move it."

Cody rubbed his ear as he hurried into the specified space.

Before Logan could follow, Kayla touched his wrist. He turned back, getting a hug from her. They pulled back, looking at each other for an extended moment. Logan let her go and continued on into the room, shutting the door after himself.

"Save me some dinner." Victor went to pick up his coat. "I'm goin' out for a while."

"Victor," Kayla called after him. "This isn't easy for him, either."

"I know that," was all the man said before he left out.

Logan removed his jacket and left it on top of the desk. From the bed, Cody snuck glances at him. Apprehension completely covered him when his father began rolling up his shirt sleeves.

Clapping his hands together once, Logan ordered, "Get your eyes up." Cody managed to comply with the order, albeit with difficulty. "There ain't a reason good enough to go around stealin' when you got a roof over your head, clothes on your back, and food on the table. Least of all to keep up with a bunch o' rich kids. Your ma works at that resort. If you'd have been caught, you'd have brought shame on her like she ain't takin' care of her own kid. Is that what ya want? To shame her?"

"No," Cody answered strongly. "But Daddy, it ain't fair. I do my chores and try to do what ya say and I still have to wait all the time."

Logan shook his head. "Kid, you got no idea how easy ya got it. Ya call the little odds and ends around here real work? When I was just a bit older than you I knew real work. Any gig I could get to keep us a decimal above poverty. I ain't steal unless things got absolutely desperate and it was for food, not some little trinkets. We work so you ain't gotta know anything about that and ya turn around and do this."

Cody blinked back the moisture in his eyes and his voice began to crack. "I'm sorry, Daddy."

"That ain't gonna save your hide this time, Cat," Logan told him grimly.

He hitched a sob. "You gonna whip me?"

"I ought to." Logan's hand went to his belt buckle and Cody looked about ready to be nauseous. "You're just lucky I'm too beat for all that." He moved the desk chair out and sat down. "Over here, now." Cody stood and walked to him on dreading feet. "You know how this is played." Logan tapped the child's hip. "Pants at your ankles, boy."

Complying with his father's order, Cody lowered his pajama bottoms down. He got across his lap, pressing his hands firmly against the floor. Logan tugged his underwear down then wasted no time in raining down stinging swats across the exposed behind.

Though he only hissed at first, Cody let loose a full on howl by the fifth blow. He had to pound at the floor to keep from reaching back to cover his rear with both hands.

"Daddy!" he cried out.

"Don't you 'Daddy' me, Codicat," Logan scolded as he continued. "It's been too long since I tanned you good, but trust me, I won't slip up again. And if you decide to help yourself to anything else that ain't yours, this'll look like a cakewalk."

The little boy jumped when Logan raised one knee. Knowing what it meant. "No, Daddy!" He yelped at the first strike to his upper thighs. "Daddy, please, I'll be good! Owwwww!"

Logan had wanted to stop long before he started but did not want to land in the same position so immediately if the lesson was quickly forgotten. When Cody turned into an utter mess of tears and sobs, he stopped and allowed him up and fixed his clothes.

"Go fix your face," Logan ordered.

Having heard every bit of her son's agony, Kayla's heart completely ripped from her chest when he came out. His small fists tried in vain to rub out the tears.

Cody made her out through the salty water. "Mama…" He reached for her pleadingly.

"Baby." She rushed to pick him right up. "Oh, Mama's here. It's okay." She hummed into his and sent a soothing hand in circles around his back. "Let's get you cleaned up." Kayla carried him towards the bathroom the boy shared with Victor, starting up a story about the adventures of a young coyote.

IIIIIII

Fingers going across the writing on the glossy package, Victor spoke without looking up. "Out here again, huh?"

Hank stepped forward, hands in his coat pocket. "If you plan to kill me, I could at least display enough decency to arrive on time."

"Not in the mood for it tonight, McCoy," Victor informed.

Concerned, Hank got down beside him. "What's troubling you?"

"My nephew decided to try out the five-finger discount." Victor indicated the toy. "My brother's givin' it to him with the gloves off." He got up to lean against the tree. "Not somethin' I like listenin' in on."

Hank followed his movements. "Does Logan go overboard?"

"Only by your kids' standards," Victor said. "Cody's got the healing factor like us. It takes his dad to really lay into him."

"Or you," Hank brought up.

Victor shook his head. "I'm strictly Uncle Vic. Any time I've ever had to raise my hand to him… Ah, what do you know?"

"Not much at all," Hank stated honestly. "Contrary to popular opinion."

Looking to him for just a moment, Victor turned back to the action figure. "Crazy thing is, I want the kid to keep this. Just wanna sneak it to him when his folks ain't watchin'. Nothin' but a dumb toy, makes no difference to the store. But it means a lot to him."

"Any ideas of what to do?"

"Probably drop the cash off with the store," Victor figured. "Then make him do some extra work around the house to earn it. Values and all that crap."

"Indeed," Hank smiled slightly. "May I ask who she was?"

Victor looked confused. "Who?"

"Your wife," he clarified.

"Another time. Maybe." He started to walk off.

Hank hastened to get in front of him. "I want to know now."

Victor regarded him evenly then put forth, "Tell you what. You hold your own next time we meet up, I'll fill ya in."

"Deal," Hank accepted and stepped out of the way to allow him movement again. "What if I don't hold my own?"

Having one more glance at him, Victor said, "Good night, Hank," then jumped up for the nearest branch.

Returning his hands to his pockets, Hank started for home.

IIIIIII

The red saddled rocking horse teetered forward as the boy gave it another nudge. Cody sat up on his knees when he heard his knob turn.

Logan walked in, dressed in sweat pants and an undershirt. "Hey, Cat."

"Hi, Daddy," he returned with a smile.

Sitting near him on the bed, Logan touched a hand to the child's recently punished area. "Still scorchin'?"

Cody rubbed the spot. "It's a little bit better."

"Lay down so I can check." When Cody stretched across his legs, Logan lowered his pants and briefs a bit to inspect the damage. The redness had lightened significantly. "It's cracked, but it ain't broken." He recovered him then laid back with his son over him. "Ya know it ain't my favorite thing, right?"

"Yes, sir," Cody replied, snuggling against the man's chest. "And I'm real sorry. I never wanna shame you, Mama, or Uncle Vic ever. I wasn't tryin' to be ungrateful."

"Ya know somethin'?" Logan touched a hand against Cody's back. "If I had a chance at a million bucks and some castle on an island by myself somewhere, I'd pick you and your ma, and maybe Vic, every time. Lot of folks got money, Cat, but this family? Ain't too many got that."

"I love you, Daddy." Cody smirked up at him. "Even though you're a big ol' ugly grouch."

"Get a good look," Logan pulled up his shirt to tickle his bare stomach, "this mug's your future, junior."

Cody giggled. "Nope. I'm gonna look like Mama."

"I hope so." Logan turned off the nearby lamp. "Shut your eyes, Cat."

Getting in his comfortable spot under his father's chin with the man's hairy chest tickling his cheek, Cody quieted.

Logan waited for his breathing to deepen then pressed a kiss to his right temple. "I love you, baby boy."

IIIIIII

Responding to the knocking door, Kayla found the white adorned blonde on the other side.

"Emma, hi." Kayla headed over towards the counter. "Come on in. Coffee?"

"Thanks." The other woman entered. "I thought I'd swing by this morning. We haven't seen much of you since the pond."

Kayla poured the second mug of piping hot brew. "Things have been a little hectic."

"Where's Cody?" Emma sat down.

"Out in the shed with Logan." Kayla brought Emma's coffee over and joined her at the table. "He caught himself a spanking last night so he's going to be extra Daddy clingy today."

Emma nodded and took a sip of her coffee. "I know the type."

Kayla then asked, "How is Maya?"

"A few nightmares," Emma reported. "But otherwise she seems to have fully recovered from the ordeal. Massive thanks to you of course."

Her eyes dimmed. "More like massive luck."

Emma lowered her mug. "What do you mean?"

"Emma," Kayla started slowly, "what Charles told us about Joey and his- his biological mother- that was deeply personal and he didn't have to share that. If you two can be that comfortable with us then there's something I want to tell you, too."

"I'm listening," Emma promised, watching her closely.

"When Cody was three, Logan and I had another child; Jaycee. I used to call her Blue Jay because she had her father's eyes," Kayla recalled fondly. "I'd bring her to work with me and it was always, "Here comes Jay and Kay"." She turned somber. "Four years ago a bad spell of influenza came through and both the kids got sick. That's when we found out about Cody's mutation. He recovered within three days. But Jay only got worse. I got desperate and I tried to use my powers." Emma could see Kayla's struggle with her next words. "But it made her body completely attack her. She died." An ironic smile came to her face and she got up to go lean hands against the sink. "My daughter died because of me."

Emma remained silent before going around to her. "My friend back in New York lost her daughter as well. She was stillborn. I myself have never carried a child. But I did lose several due to my own negligence."

Kayla looked at her. "The kids you have now…"

"Long before them. And I responded to it by becoming a horrible person for a long time. But you," she gripped Kayla's wrists gently, "you're here. With your son and your husband and tolerating Victor on a day to day basis. There's no destroyer in you, Kayla. You helped Maya and I know that's what you're really capable of. Join the X-Men. You'll have the opportunity to teach and learn at the same time."

"And the part where I take a frying pan to my husband to knock him into compliance?" Kayla mentioned. "Which is going to take several tries because he doesn't harm easily."

Emma shrugged with a casual air. "I believe you can find a gentler means of persuasion."

A smirk came to Kayla's face. "It's a possibility."