X-Men-First Class: Rise or Fall
Chapter Eighty Seven
Author's Word: Hi, people. I hope everyone got a chance to enjoy Martin Luther King Jr. Day yesterday. I know my family certainly did. Here's a little dream of my own, Rise or Fall for as long as possible. I want to again ask all of you to send out as many prayers and well wishes as you can for all of my cats. They're doing well so far and I'd like to keep it that way. Please enjoy and review!
The sun's radiance gliding across his face caused Charles to rouse. Instead of the magnificent creature he expected to find right at his side, he discovered an empty spot. He did not have long to speculate as Emma came in dressed for the day.
Charles sat up with a small smirk. "We really must discuss this morning after disappearing act of yours. A bloke could develop a complex."
Emma informed grimly, "Cordelia is gone and Chris has no idea where she is."
"What?" Charles reached for his cane and hurried up to get his clothes on. "When did this happen? Where is Winston?"
"He's in Florence closing a deal for the company. Chris has tried to call me since yesterday. God Charles," Emma pressed a hand to her forehead, "this is not what I expected to come home to. I never should have gone to begin with."
Charles went to her, standing in his pants and socks. "This is no fault of yours, my love. You could not have known this would happen."
Emma questioned with vexation, "Where is she?"
"We'll find her, love," Charles took her into his hold. We'll find her.
IIIIIII
"Joey? Sweetie, wake up."
The little boy moaned. "Mummy?" He then opened his eyes. "Cordy!" He shot up, throwing his arms around her.
Cordelia squealed, falling onto her back on top of the mattress. "Oh Joey…" Her eyes nearly watered as she squeezed him tightly. "I missed you."
"I missed you more." He sat up on his knees.
"Nuh uh," she argued. "I missed you most."
"And I missed you better than the most." Joey touched her hands. "This is great. My new best friend is coming and now you're gonna go to school here."
"Yeah, about that." Cordelia got up, sitting cross-legged. "Your mum and dad don't know I'm here. It's a big surprise for them. You can keep the secret, right?"
"Of course. Oh hey." Joey got up to retrieve his rabbit from the crate. "Meet Bounty Bunny. Me and my friend Cody found him up in Canada."
"Hi, Bunny Face." Cordelia reached out to hold the rabbit. "So that's where you went. What on earth were you all doing in Canada?"
"Daddy took us skiing after the accident."
"Accident?" she echoed in confusion.
"Hey, Joe." The doorknob started to turn.
"Al, wait!" Joey ran over to keep the door shut. "I'm not dressed."
Cordelia rolled down to the floor and underneath the bed. She clutched Bounty, shushing him to keep quiet.
"Joe, please." The child stepped back for Alex to walk in. "You're talking to the guy who's bathed you. Not to mention changed you every time you've puked on yourself." He took in his appearance. "You're still in your pajamas, dude."
"I said I wasn't dressed." Joey smiled coyly.
Alex lowered down to pat his small stomach. "Wise guy. But anyway, I wanted to talk to you now that we're home. Since me and Raven are starting school I won't be able to wake you up most days. Sean's a lazy bones himself in the morning so I'll probably have Hank help you out. Sound good?"
"Whatever you say, Al," Joey went along.
Indicating his back, Alex offered, "Wanna catch a ride downstairs?"
"Not right now," Joey turned down.
Alex patted his shoulder. "Cody will be here before you know it. Don't worry. You just make sure he knows who's in charge around here." He gave Joey a wink and left out.
"Who," Cordelia's upper body poked out, "was that dish?"
Joey turned to her with a scrunched up face. "That what?"
"Was that the legendary Alex?" Cordelia let Bounty hop free while she crawled out. "You never told me he was too handsome to believe."
"Hm." Joey paused to think about that. "I never noticed."
"But of course he is. He looks just like you will in a few years," she reasoned.
Joey went to hug her again. "I'm so glad you're here."
Cordelia rested her cheek against his. "I'm glad you're glad." Her fingers ran through Bounty's cottony fur.
IIIIIII
Copy of Little Women stored away, Erik could not begin to find room for the rest on the extremely crowded space.
"We're going to have to get you a new bookshelf," he determined.
"Mmhmm." Becky currently stood before her wall mirror, savoring the feeling of being back in a summer dress and sandals.
Erik looked over at her. "That doesn't resemble unpacking to me, dear."
Becky carried a green ribbon that matched her lemon and lime decorated dress. "Will you tie this for me, Papa?"
Giving her a very mildly perturbed look, Erik took the ribbon from her and directed, "Turn around."
"Erik," Hank's voice spoke out over the wrist communicator, "your presence is needed in the kitchen, please."
"Straight away," Erik replied. He handed Becky back the ribbon and kissed her cheek. "Finish getting this room together."
Becky watched him go then went back to her mirror until she heard Joey's mental petition.
Becky, come to my room quick.
Coming! She dashed out.
IIIIIII
When Erik entered the kitchen, he immediately honed in on the unfamiliar male blonde amongst the other adults surrounding the island.
"Erik, this is Chris Frost," Charles introduced. "Emma's brother."
The metal wielder went to stand beside Alex. "What's this about?"
"Our youngest sister Cordelia has been missing since yesterday," Chris explained. "Along with her car. When I had no luck on my own I decided to fly in to get Emma's take on this."
"Have you tried contacting Adrienne?" Charles brought up.
Chris scoffed at that. "Our father would know in all of five minutes. That's all I need."
Emma added, "And Cordelia would enroll herself in finishing school before she'd ever turn to Adrienne. As would we all."
Hank proposed, "Has a new boyfriend caught her attention?"
"It is summer," Raven mentioned. "Maybe she's just goofing off with her friends."
Chris admitted, "I don't know much about her friends."
"Have you tried the cops?" Alex threw out.
Chris said, "Not just yet."
Erik looked at him directly. "Exactly what have you done?"
Chris sent him a glare. "I have combed the entirety of Boston in search of this child."
"Is she back on the pills?" Emma questioned.
"I'm not sure."
"Chris, if she isn't monitored throughout her recovery she could fall straight into relapse," Charles emphasized.
"I'm well aware of that, Charles," Chris snapped. "She is my sister in case you've forgotten."
"And he is my brother," a mutated blonde Raven informed. "So how about you not get snide with him in our house?"
Emma put a hand on her hip, fixing him with a look. "We've discussed this before, Christian."
"I'm sorry," he apologized. "This whole situation has been stressful."
Frank walked in and Raven said, "We'll start breakfast in a sec, love bug."
"Don't worry about it, Rae." Frank started gathering cereal boxes. "Us kids are gonna eat out back."
"See to it that Becky and Joey don't go overboard on the sugar," Charles requested.
"You got it, Charles." Frank removed the milk from the refrigerator then noticed the stranger in their eatery. "Who're you?"
"My brother," Emma answered.
"Huh." Frank looked the man over before leaving with his breakfast tray.
Chris surmised, "One of your pupils I take it, Emmie."
Emma replied, "He sure is."
IIIIIII
Finished transforming the ribbon into a bow, Cordelia fluffed out the remaining down portion of Becky's hair.
"There you go. You're a gem."
Becky smiled and shook out her curls. "Thank you."
Scott sat at the patio table with his head propped with one hand. "That looks nice."
"I'm sure Auntie Em can't wait to see you." Becky looked back to Cordelia. "When are you going to tell her you're here?"
"In a little while," the teenager waved off.
"She'll be real surprised," Joey said. "And Daddy, too."
"Chow time, people." Frank came up, placing the loaded tray on the table. "Hey Cordelia, you know your brother's here? Tall prick looking guy?"
"Chris?" Cordelia and Joey reacted, the former shocked and the latter sour faced.
Cordelia wondered, "What is he doing here?"
Scott looked at her. "Maybe he doesn't know about the surprise."
"Yum!" Cordelia reached for the box of Fruit Loops. "I hardly get to have stuff like this with gymnastics practice."
"That sounds like the girls at my dance studio," Becky mentioned. "Their moms hardly let them eat anything. I'm so glad I have a dad."
Cordelia smiled. "I know what you mean."
After they ate, the five went off into the woods.
"Is it true you're made of gold?" Becky asked.
Going still, Cordelia shifted her body into the dazzling form. "Sometimes."
Becky gasped in delight at the radiant sight.
They started up a few mini games.
"Cordy is so completely gorgeous," Frank stood off to the side with Scott, "but that figures. She is Emma's sis."
"Something's off about that girl, Frank." Scott watched her spin about with a jubilant Joey on her shoulders. "It's too weird that she popped up out of the blue this way. And now their brother is here, too?"
"Yeah, it is kind weird," Frank concurred with a far more indifferent tone.
"Don't you remember Joey saying he wanted her to get "better"?" Scott went on. "Better from what? What if she's not even supposed to be around him?"
Frank scowled. "Look Cyc," he put a hand to his friend's shoulder, "just because somebody says you're not together in the head doesn't mean it's true. And sometimes people break from stuff for a reason, not just 'cause they're bad or whatever."
And she loves Joey.
The boys turned to where Becky lingered just a short distance from them.
IIIIIII
Arms crossed over his chest, Erik remained in the doorway until Charles got off the telephone.
"I now have two detective agencies scouring Boston and the surrounding towns," Charles reported after hanging up. "They have Cordelia's description along with her license plate number."
"Have you tried a telepathic scan?"
"For such a needle in a haystack we would need the Triad." Charles arched back in his seat with frustration. "And I'm averse to bringing the children into this. Joey is quite fond of Cordelia and I don't want to alarm him."
Erik came in fully and sat at the desk, facing the younger headmaster. "Has she ever done this before?"
"Not according to Emma," Charles said. "And she was making such marvelous progress with her rehabilitation. I should have checked in with her more frequently."
"You?" Erik's eyebrow went up. "What about her actual brother? They share a roof and she managed to creep right by him. Now, it seems his only concern is seeing to it that Dear Daddy does not learn of his error."
Charles told him, "Chris and Winston don't have the greatest of relationships. Winston has extremely high expectations of a male heir that don't mesh well with Chris' less than reliable nature."
Erik deduced, "So he's the family screw-up."
"Your harsh straight-to-the-point assertions never cease to amaze me, brother."
"He'll discover how harsh I can be if he does not watch himself," Erik cautioned. "It's obvious he has no high opinion of you, Lab Rat."
A smirk teased along Charles' lips. "Going to kick his bum on my behalf are you?"
"Yes," Erik answered without thought.
IIIIIII
Making her way into the security room, or Eye Spy as Alex and Sean had decided to dub it, Raven glanced around at the wall-length panel containing countless buttons and switches. Over a dozen monitors hung from various points.
"The CIA called. They want their genius hunk back."
Hank glanced over his shoulder at his wife. "I'm afraid I have no desire to backtrack." He returned his visual to the massive screen in front of him. "With the safety of our own charges in minds, I want to begin reviewing footage of our time away."
"I'll help," Raven offered.
Hank gathered the necessary date and they spent several minutes watching fast-forwarding of nothing remotely eventful, minus a stray cat or two passing through the property.
"Hold on." Hank paused at one point. "That glint. It's reminiscent of Emma's solidity power."
When he zoomed in, Raven realized, "Hank, that's not diamond. It's gold."
IIIIIII
"You sound like a Brit," Frank observed.
The five formed a circle in the grass, seated near to the lake. Cordelia and Becky gathered various floral buds, Joey and Scott attempted to catch a rather evasive frog, and Frank stretched out stomach down with legs dangling upward.
"We are Brits," Cordelia informed, scattering petals over her black pants leg. "But what you're hearing is Bostonian." She gave him a sideways smile. "And you sound exactly like a sharp cut New Yorker."
"He is," the other three children piped up.
"Not so much on the sharp front sometimes," Scott teased. He picked a sunflower and handed it over to Becky.
Frank sent him a playful sneer.
"I know Joey's from Illinois," Cordelia recollected. "What about you, Becky?"
She replied, "My brother and I from D.C., but my papa's family is from Poland."
"Ah." Cordelia looked to the boy near the younger girl. "And you, Scott?"
"Alaska," Scott answered then toppled over in pursuit of the frog, making Joey laugh.
"Let me help," Cordelia offered and crawled over. "Come on, Joey."
The little blonde followed her movements.
"I'll shoot it some light," Frank proposed.
"Dude, we're not trying to blind him," Scott said.
Joey, Scott, and Cordelia all attempted to close in on it, but the creature hopped off before any of them could clamp hands down around him. They all fell forward, stirring up a fit of laughter. The frog came near Becky and her flower bunch and she stroked a finger across his smooth back.
Then the little girl sensed, "Raven," and got up.
"Hey." She waved before inching any closer. "I come in peace."
"It's just my lady, Cordy," Frank reassured. "She's cool."
Rising, Cordelia approached the unfamiliar female, eying her somewhat warily.
"I'm Raven." As she extended her hand, she shifted back into her natural blue state. "Mystique."
Initially shocked at the display, the teenager enclosed herself in her own glittery casing. "Cordelia," she shook with her, "Glimmer."
IIIIIII
At the touch to her right shoulder, Emma did not bother to turn away from the abyss she presently stared into. She'd detected her brother's mind before he'd even entered the parlor.
"So typical," her gaze stayed locked ahead. "Life becomes calm and wonderful then it's a wretch all over again."
"You mustn't think that way," Charles urged her, seated with her on the loveseat, his hand clutching hers.
Chris stated, "But it is the Frost family way. What a surprise Cordelia, too, has picked up on the art of running to escape it all."
"Here." Erik brought a bloody Mary over to Emma. "For your nerves."
"I'm going to phone the investigators again." Charles took his cane to stand. Hank came into the doorway and the Professor immediately absorbed his all too serious expression. "Henry?"
"I believe you've been looking for this." He stepped out of the way, allowing the girl in dark pants and yellow crop-sleeved top entry.
Joey walked with her while Raven and the other children brought up the rear.
"Cordelia," came the multitude of reactions from every adult that recognized her.
Her only rejoinder was an alarmed, "Charles." She rushed up to go to him.
The telepath caught her with one arm and pulled her in close. "Dear girl, thank Heaven you are alright."
"Are you alright?" she countered, moving away to look at him. "Why do you need this cane?"
"Never mind that." Chris spun her around. "You have some explaining to do."
"What are you even doing here?" Cordelia wondered glibly.
Emma took her sister's arm and fixed her with a look. "What do you think he's doing here? He flew out here searching for you. Why on earth did you run away?"
"I didn't," she denied.
"Oh, so you simply went for a drive and took a wrong turn at the Hudson River?" Chris deduced dryly.
Cordelia looked at him flippantly. "If I ran away then why did I call here half a dozen times?" She turned to Charles. "You can read my mind if you don't believe me."
"I don't think I need to," Charles determined. "Though I know Emma's powers are not at full strength when it comes to you and your siblings, I'm curious to know why I did not sense you in the mansion."
Becky answered that with, "I helped, Uncle Charles."
Erik placed his attention on her. "You "helped"?"
"It was supposed to be a surprise," Joey defended.
"Don't be upset with them," Cordelia beseeched. "I wasn't honest."
"You've been completely deceitful all around," Chris reproached her. "But we can discuss that much on the way back to Boston. Perhaps I'll consider not mentioning this to Dad."
Cordelia gave him a cross look then marched over to the table containing the telephone. "Call him." She raised the receiver. "Call Daddy, Chris."
Surprise filled his features. "W-what?"
"Call your daddy, Chris," Raven decided to repeat, a dark smirk on her lips.
Cordelia hung up the extension. "He won't."
"Only to save you," he insisted. "Do you know what he'll do if he learns you've been missing since yesterday?"
"Try two days ago." Cordelia walked close upon him. "I packed and strolled right out to my car. You might have noticed if you hadn't been so busy getting toasted."
"Chris," Emma gaped at him, "you've been drinking again?"
"She is exaggerating," Chris claimed.
"No, she isn't." They all looked to Charles, who wore a knowing expression.
Emma hissed, "Damn it, Chris."
"Emmie." He had no words beyond that.
"I didn't run, Chris," Cordelia further informed. "You're just a crybaby drunk who can't stay married for more than five minutes. I used to honestly feel sorry for you, but Daddy is right. You're not worth running from."
As if he'd been slapped clear across the face, Chris took a large step back.
"Cordy," Emma took her sister's hands to get them to lock eyes. "I know we were away, but why did you keep out of sight from us like this?"
"I wanted to talk to you, Em," Cordelia told her. "But while I was staying in Joey's room I got to thinking. You probably don't want me here period. That I'm just something else you're trying to get away from."
Emma cupped her cheek. "That is not true. I told you things would be different now."
"They're exactly the same," Cordelia emphasized. "How could you not tell me that you and Charles were in a terrible car accident? Or were you just too eager to hit the slopes?" She moved out of her sister's touch and started out heatedly.
"Cordelia," Emma called after her.
"Cordy, wait," Frank petitioned her. "You don't have to go."
Joey reached out for her. "Cordy…"
She paused at the doorway long enough to glance at him. "I'll be back, Joey. Promise." She left out.
Raven watched her movement but did not try to stop her. She looked toward her husband, who gave off a solemn shake of his head.
Stopping off at the foot of the stairs, Cordelia leaned against the banister, eyes filling up.
Footsteps soon came upon her and a voice said, "Hey. It can't be that bad."
Glancing to her left, she acknowledged, "Alex." She stood straight and wiped at her face.
"No fair." He put his hands to her shoulders. "You know my name, but what's yours?"
She tucked some strands of shoulder-length hair behind one ear as she answered, "Cordelia."
"Cordelia?" he echoed. "Kinda figured. Wow, you about had Charles ready to send the Hound of the Baskervilles sniffing after you. Are you okay?"
A smile came to her face. "Yes, fine."
"Good. Now, I know your sister's been real worried about you." Alex took her by the hand. "Come on."
Feeling her palm quiver, she complied without hesitation. "Okay."
As they walked back towards the parlor, Alex mentioned, "Has anyone ever told you that you sound seriously British?"
IIIIIII
Sunset vastly approaching, Chris barely paid it notice, his visage on the tops of the trees.
Emma stepped out front, going around to look at him. "Will Father soon have another autopsy report to smudge?" When he only glanced down, she let loose an annoyed breath. "Chris, have you learned nothing from Mother's death? Our sixteen-year-old sister is fighting addiction now and you decide to enter a drunken stupor while alone with her?"
"Do not dictate morals to me, Emmie." He stood from the bench and walked from her a few feet. "It was your beau who learned of Cordelia's problem, not you."
"I've admitted that mistake." Emma went to stand behind him. "When are you going to start doing the same with your own?" At his lack of response, she shook her head slowly and informed, "You can return to Boston first thing in the morning. I'll handle Cordelia."
He turned around. "And what am I to tell Daddy?"
"Try a little truth," she suggested sharply. "Just as I did a few minutes ago."
Chris' eyes widened before he broke into a scoff. "So all it took was for him to place an heiress crown upon your head for you to turn into Adrienne."
"I," Emma gave him a forceful shove backward, "spent years comforting you and defending you. You're my older brother. Mine and Cordelia's. Why can't you act like it, Christian?"
Scuffing his shoe against the grass, he answered honestly, "I don't know."
Emma gazed away for a moment. "There are so many things about Daddy that I don't understood or agree with." She turned back to her brother. "However, something he never did was run. No, we learned that from Mother. And I will be damned before I let Cordy turn into her. Or you."
Chris did not, or possibly could not, speak again as he watched her return to the house.
IIIIIII
With Bounty nuzzled between them, Cordelia and Joey lay sprawled over the latter's bed, hands linked.
"I never want you to go away," Joey whispered.
Removing something from her pants pocket, Cordelia showed it to him. "Do you remember these?"
Charles came near but stopped outside the door.
Joey smiled and pulled out his nightstand drawer to take out his own set of photo booth prints. "I look at 'em every day."
"So do I." She enveloped her arms around him and he rested against her. "If I did run, Joey, it wasn't away. It was towards you."
Using his cane to tap the door, Charles retrieved their attention as he at last entered. "I just finished a lengthy conversation with Winston. He'd like you to call him back."
Cordelia flipped her legs over the side of the bed and sat facing the telepath. "What did he say?"
"He said he would go along with what Emma and I believe to be best." The corners of Charles' mouth turned up. "Welcome home, Cordy."
Cordelia shrieked in glee and hugged a grinning Joey.
The teenager abruptly paused their cheer to point at Charles. "Am I in trouble?"
"Only if the two of you don't scuttle along to wash up for supper," he replied.
"Race you." Joey hopped off his bed.
"No cheating." Cordelia scrambled down to hasten after him. "No cheating!"
Lifting Bounty, Charles rubbed his back fur. And, of course, I am left to feed the bunny. The rabbit's cold nose twitched against his hand.
IIIIIII
Returning from his day spent with Maya, Sean walked into the living room in time to catch Scott being dragged across the floor by Alex.
"Hey, Summerses," he greeted them, twirling the chain to his car keys around one finger. "What's up?"
"Joey had a chick in his closet." Alex tickled the bottom of Scott's foot.
"Cut it out," the boy sincerely giggled.
Sean's eyebrow shot up. "What?"
"Emma's sister," Scott decided to clarify, jumping up.
"Yeah, she hightailed it out of Boston because she got sick of their brother getting bombed every night." Alex caught Scott as the child attempted to pounce.
Sean absorbed the information then stated flatly, "I miss everything."
Alex messed Scott's hair vigorously while Scott's only form of retaliation proved to be waving his arms in a wild motion.
IIIIIII
Working the comb through her recently washed lochs, Cordelia stayed looking into the vanity mirror when a knock came to her door.
"Come in." She yanked at a few matted strands.
Emma walked in, placing a stack of linens on top of the mattress. "Chris is going to overnight the rest of your things when he gets back to Boston."
"On his time or mine?" Cordelia felt the need to ask.
"Mine," Emma responded meaningfully. Sighing, she came up behind her sister. "You and this hair will be the death of me." She took the comb from her and picked up the brush to smooth out the strands instead. "When will you learn to deep condition after sweating so profusely?"
"Remember what Mother used to say?" Cordelia recalled. "We don't sweat—"
"We glow," Emma finished, a small smile forming. "That was so many moons ago." She lowered, putting arms around her from behind. "I'm sorry, sweetheart."
"No, I understand," Cordelia reassured. "Charles planned a spontaneous trip. He was just trying to heal."
"I don't mean that." Emma sat by her on the bench, her back against the vanity so that they could continue to face each other. "I mean for not being a good enough sister to you."
"Sorry, but did you swap bodies with Adrienne?" Cordelia quipped.
"Uck, please," Emma cringed. "Only she can carry that fat- I mean, Cordelia honestly."
The girl laughed lightly. "I never thought we'd be together this way again."
Emma joined hands with her. "Not another moment will be wasted. There's been enough of that. But," she put on a serious expression, "this is not going to be the same simplicity you have living with Daddy. In this house, we have major rules and equal consequences. I believe Charles already demonstrated that to you."
"Oh yes," she wholeheartedly remembered.
Emma nodded. "We'll be going over everything in detail tomorrow." They stood and Emma gave her a hug. "I love you, Cor."
The younger female returned it. "I love you, too, Em."
Giving her a kiss on the head, Emma took her leave.
Making her way over to the master suite, she found Charles upright in bed with his nose in a book.
"Is that more interesting than I am?"
The man glanced up. "Hm. Hemmingway or Frost…" He promptly tossed the book to the side and held his arms out for her.
Emma giggled flirtingly and shut the door before getting into his hold. "You have no idea have good you feel right now."
"Which reminds me," Charles peered blue eyes into hers, "with all that's happened we never got a chance to discuss last night."
"Honestly? Part of me wonders if the whole thing was a mistake."
Charles attempted to mask his instant disappointment. "Do you think we rushed things?"
"After taking the slow motion route for how long? No." She brushed his shoulder with her fingers. "It's only that I don't know how to sleep without waking up in your arms anymore."
Clicking off his reading lamp, Charles encouraged softly, "Then sleep." He brushed a gentle kiss across her lips. "I'll be here the moment you awaken."
Knowing those words carried absolute truth, Emma dissolved into near immediate slumber in his clutch.