X-Men-First Class: Rise or Fall

Chapter One Hundred Eighty Nine

Author's Word: Hi, fam! I hope everything is going well for you guys because I can't really say the same. I have some very weird conflicts going on inside of me that I believe some well-placed prayers would loosen up. I also want to thank you all for reading me and following Rise or Fall so continuously. It helps more than you know. Please enjoy and review!

Immense gratitude radiating off them at the shade offered by the oak tree on the ninety plus degree day, the couple lounged together against the trunk. Not far on the blue picnic blanket, their small ones frolicked in a way that bubbled the merriment only children proved capable of producing.

"Trav, be careful," Hank cautioned his son at the boy's attempt to lift his sister, "You're not big enough for that yet."

"Okay, Daddy." Trav sat down with the now giggling Kiki.

The little girl's attention veered over to a short man pushing a dessert cart with delightful bell attached to it. "Ooh, Mama, Daddy, ice cream!" She pointed as urgently as she spoke it.

"Ice cream!" Trav seconded then made a pleading motion towards his parents. "Please, please, please?"

Hank shared a look with Raven as he said, "I don't know. Grandma did pack brownies for us…"

Raven brought up, "They ate their vegetables without a word." Not that her children ever proved too difficult with devouring anything so much as resembling food.

"Alright," Hank gave in with a smile. "Ice cream it is. What kind do you want?"

"Chocolate," said Trav while Kiki requested, "Berry!"

"Sherbet," Raven piped up.

Hank winked at her as he went to fulfill their orders.

Trav laid out near his mother. "I wish Uncle Erik was here. He likes it when I share my chocolate with him."

Raven picked up Kiki to sit in her lap and left a hand in Trav's hair. "We'll just have to call him so you can tell him about it. I know he misses you, too."

Thinking of something else, Trav looked up at his father's return to their small group. "Daddy, when I am big, will I still be a cub?"

"Son," Hank gave the tykes their bars and handed Raven the tub of multi-colored sherbet, "you'll be my cub even when you have cubs of your own."

Trav smiled and said, "Thanks, Dad," before biting into his fudge bar.

Kiki mumbled a thank you of her own around her eager nibbling.

"You're welcome." Lowering down, Hank revealed the two spoons he had with him to Raven.

The presently blonde shape-shifter enjoyed a spoon battle with her husband over the treat. She then used the monumental stack of napkins they'd brought along to wipe off her kids' faces after they finished their ice cream.

Trav noticed the formerly crowded playground equipment opening up. "Can we go play?"

"Stay where we can see you." Raven finished cleaning Kiki's cheeks then allowed the girl to scamper off with her brother. "I love those two…" A dreamy expression filled her before she turned to Hank with a certain twinkle in her eyes. "I want more."

With a chuckle, Hank gave her his arm. "Let's pace ourselves until they're a little older. Also remember that it was because of fortune's smile that we even have those two."

"I know." Raven put her head on his chest and cuddled in. "I've been meaning to tell you something. I think I know what I want to major in now."

This captured the scientist's full attention as he peered down at her from under his glasses.

Laughter emitting from the energetic duo, Kiki and Trav bounced repeatedly on the jungle gym's shaky bridge.

"This way, Kikiko!" Trav dashed for the slide.

However, a man jogging by with his dog tickled her fancy more. "Puppy…" She moved to get down from the jungle gym.

"Wheeeee!" Trav's jovial outcry became cut off when he reached the base of the slide and made sudden hard contact with another.

"Ow!"

"Sorry." Getting up, Trav looked around to see who he had bumped but found no other children immediately around him. "Huh?"

"Here I am."

Trav spun in a complete circle. "Where?"

"Here!"

He looked over at a nearby tree in time to see another boy appear seemingly out of thin air behind it. "Ah!"

"Shh, shhh!" The other boy, thin with freckles and a messy mop of dark hair, screeched. "Someone'll hear."

Promptly clamping his mouth shut, Trav approached him with great interest. "Who are you?"

"Who're you?" the other youth countered.

"I asked you first," Trav pointed out.

"I asked you second."

Trav blinked at him, "You're real weird," but still told him, "I'm Trav McCoy."

"… Max Murphy," the scruffy boy at last introduced himself.

Trav pointed at him. "You're a," he lowered his voice, "mutant."

Max looked at him questioningly. "And how do you know about mutants?"

Locating the fluffy Pomeranian, Kiki waved at him. "Hi, puppy."

The jogger glanced up from where he bent over the water fountain. "Hello, sweetheart. This is Dex. Would you like to pet him?"

Kiki did not hesitate to rub at the soft fluffy fur while Dex only regarded her with dark curious eyes.

"Kiki!"

The dog's owner flinched at the sudden appearance of the taller and far more irritated man. "I take it this is your little girl?"

"Yes, she is. Excuse us." Hank hoisted the three-year-old straight up and began carrying her away towards a more private area of the park. "Kiki, you know better than to wander away. You scared Mommy and Daddy."

She looked up with genuinely remorseful eyes. "I'm sorry, Daddy. I wanted to see the puppy."

"If you want to say hello to a doggie, you come ask me or Mommy. You never, ever go after a stranger," Hank emphasized.

Finding a bench, he sat down and positioned his daughter over his lap. He then applied five fast but firm swats over the seat of her jumper.

Kiki's entire form burst over with tears. Feeling an uncomfortable swell of his own, Hank immediately picked her back up to hold against his shoulder.

He ran a soothing hand down her head and back. "Do you understand why Daddy spanked you?" Hank felt her nod into his shirt. "Are you going to walk away like that again?"

"Noooo!" she wailed. "I sowwy!"

Hank pulled back to smooch her face over and over. "Shhhh, baby bear."

Kiki sniffed, tugging on his clothes for comfort. "Daddy mad?"

"No, no." Hank nuzzled her. "Daddy could never be mad at you. He just doesn't want anything to happen to his little girl. Because he loves her so much."

"I love you, Daddy," she returned.

Hank hugged her close as he started back with her.

At the shadow that approached them next, Max vanished without a word.

Trav had no time to question it as he found himself spun around to face his mother. "Travis, aren't you and Kiki supposed to stay together when you go play?"

"Uh oh," the boy realized, looking around. "Where is she?"

"Daddy has her." Lifting him, Raven carried him back to their picnic spot. "I know it's hard sometimes, but you have to watch to make sure she doesn't get away from us like that."

"I'm sorry, Mommy. I got busy playing with Max."

Raven asked, "And who's Max?"

"My friend," Trav explained with an air of mystery. "He's invisible."

The smallest smile formed on Raven. "Ah." When she saw her husband returning with their youngest, any scold she had previously prepared fizzled away with her daughter's tear-streaked face. "Oh, come here, baby."

Hank handed Kiki over to Raven's waiting grasp.

"I'm sorry, Daddy," Trav said. "She runs fast like you."

Sitting down, Hank gave Trav's bottom one hard swat. "Next time, pay better attention. And be sure to come and get me instead of chasing after her if you do see it."

"I will." Trav reached inside the picnic basket and retrieved a brownie. He held it out to Kiki. "You can have mine."

Hank smiled proudly and could not help sharing Raven's desire for an addition in that moment.

IIIIIII

Strolling into his boys' bedroom to return the well-fed Brian to his crib, Charles paused afterwards to peer over Joey's shoulder at his latest sketch.

"Is that Logan you're drawing?"

"No, Cody," Joey clarified. "His claws are here you know."

"Yes, Sean told me." Amusement tugged at Charles' mouth corners as he tapped the picture. "However, I doubt if they're twice the size of his body."

"It's an abstract, Dad," Joey explained away.

"Ah yes, of course."
"I think it's cool to have claws." Joey stood up from his desk chair and now went to take a seat on his bed. "All of Cody's powers honestly. They don't cause anywhere near the trouble mine do."
"Oh, you think so?" Charles came over, sitting at the head of the bed to face his son. "I'm sure Cody has difficulties of his own dealing with the distractions his own abilities bring him. Not to mention the pain of his claws developing."

"Well, that's one good thing," Joey admitted. "My powers don't hurt me."

"I understand how Cody feels," Charles said. "With the headaches from my telepathy."

"Do your headaches get as bad as Becky's?"

"I'm afraid so, though they happened more frequently when I was her age," Charles recalled. "Some days, though, the strain is terrible enough to affect my vision."

Joey winced on his father's behalf. "I'm glad I don't have that, even though I wish I could do illusions." He then considered something else as solemnness came over him. "Dad, do you think I was really bad for… for cutting myself on purpose?"

"Oh no, son." Charles reached out, laying a hand over one of the boy's. "I know I was terribly upset and worried, but I never thought of you as bad for doing it. I only hated the horrid things that led you to it. I did things myself as a lad that haven't left me feeling very proud."

Joey said, "I don't see you doing anything really bad, Daddy."
Charles moved his hand up to caress the boy's cheek now and remarked fondly, "My little lamb. How much you have to learn about your father."

IIIIIII

Audience of stuffed animals arranged around the room, the enthusiastic young researcher carried over the bucket of various blocks.

"I have called you all here to share my very important discovery." Trav sat the bucket down and raised his hands with triumph. "We found gum drops on Mars!"

Entering, Raven commented, "That beats finding other life forms any day. Hate to interrupt, Dr. McCoy, but you sister needs her nap." She supported the drooping toddler against her front.

"Aw, okay." Trav moved his toys to one side. "Is Daddy home yet?"

"No," Raven situated Kiki in the center of the bed, "the ladies from Grandma's bridge club are probably talking his ear off still. Why don't you play downstairs until he gets back?"

"Okay, Mommy." Hopping up, Trav headed out of the room.

When he reached the first level of the house, he stopped outside of the kitchen due to some particularly loud... munching? Walking in, Trav peered around the ice box and zeroed in on the table. He got to his hands and knees and inched over until he honed in on the eager eater hugged up with the pale blue cookie jar.

"Max?" Trav's eyes widened. "What are you doing here?"

"I followed you and your folks." Max held out the nearly empty jar to him. "You got any more of these?"

Trav shook his head. "Not until Mom or Grandma bake more."

"Damn." Max slammed the lid down.

Trav frowned deeply. "Hey, you can't use words like that."

"Yeah, yeah." Max crawled out from under the table. "Your folks around?"

"Dad's not home, but Mom's upstairs with my sister." Trav looked uncertain. "Maybe I should go get her."

"No!" Max hurried around to block his path. "Don't do that. She'll make me go back and I don't wanna go back."

"Back where?" Trav wondered.

"… Some place." Max glanced down, bobbing back and forth on the balls of his feet. "There's a lot of kids there and rotten adults. How would you like being sent back to some place you don't wanna be?"

Trav experienced a small churn of recollection at this. "Okay, I won't tell. Do you want to play?"

Max raised his head. "Sure!" He then remembered, "Hey, you never showed me your powers."

Trav then explained, "I'm not supposed to use them while we're visiting Grandma. Someone might see."

"Nobody'll see inside. Trust me," Max took one of Trav's hands, "nobody ever sees me."

Nodding, Trav held on as they raced out to the living room together.

IIIIIII

Arms loaded with most of the goods acquired in town, Erik still allowed the two children to proceed ahead of him into the kitchen. While they went to work putting the perishable items away, he nearly dropped his own assortment upon finding the sink in such disarray.

"Who was supposed to clean up after breakfast today?" Erik inquired.

"It's Leon's turn," recalled Scott, putting a box of pasta in one cabinet.

"Maybe he got busy with something else," Becky offered out.

"Maybe." Leaving them with the groceries, Erik left to seek out the teen in question.

Glancing back from hanging clothes, Alex acknowledged the entering man with, "Hey, Dad."

"Hi." Erik walked in closer. "You're putting Leon's things away for him?"

Alex shrugged. "Nothing I haven't done for Frank."

"True, but Leon is more than old enough to know better. He didn't clean the breakfast dishes, either. Where is he?"

"Out back I think. But Dad," Alex stepped up to him, "don't come down hard on him, okay? You know Lee's usually better about this sort of thing."

Regarding his oldest with pride, Erik picked off a stray piece of lint from the young man's shirt. "Be at ease, big brother." He next turned to leave the older boys' room.

The colors of deep orange and pale yellow swirling together, the pointed flame danced together in the brown irises. Not until he heard a summons of his name did he extinguish it.

"Dad?" he called back.

Erik made his way inside the wooden structure. "Here you are. Have you forgotten about your chores or simply ignored them?"

Considering the two options, Leon answered, "Forgot." He stood from the steps leading upstairs. "I'm sorry."

Accepting the apology, Erik extended a hand out to him. Walking over, Leon took the offered arm. On their way out of the barn, he shoved the lighter into the very bottom of his pants pocket.

IIIIIII

With a bit of a grunt, the small body made it to the top of the wall.

"See?" Trav peered down at his new comrade. "I can almost go to the ceiling with it."

"That's so cool!" Max leapt on his toes. "You could jump fences and do all kinds of stuff with that."

"I better get down." Trav scuttled to return to ground level. "My daddy hates it when I go too high."

"Really?" Max tilted his head in fascination. "Mine has me use my powers every day. Especially when he's got a big job."

Trav's eyes widened with even greater intrigue. "Your dad lets you use your powers at his work?"

"Yep, 'cept I better not ever louse it up."

Trav asked, "What happens when you do?"

Max noticed the finger paints over on the activity table. "Want to see something cool?" Going over to the small children's table, he used the yellow paint to smear the base of his thoroughly worn out sneakers.

Trav watched until he suddenly disappeared again. The next thing he knew, he witnessed yellow shoe prints maneuvering across the floor.

"Wow," he reacted with glee.

"Travis Xavier McCoy!"

The named child stilled in place until he dared move his head in the direction of his mother's highly dissatisfied countenance. "Mommy."

"I don't believe this." Weary hand going into blonde hair, Raven gazed about the living room in woe. "Look what you did to Grandma's rug."

"But I didn't do it, Mommy," Trav urged. "It was Max."

"Travis, stop it. You can't blame your imaginary friend for something you know you did."

"But he's not imaginary."

"Travis," Raven gripped her patience as she lowered into an armchair, "I said enough. Come here."

Head bowed, Trav slowly approached her. Raven brought him over her lap and delivered three quick smacks to his bottom.

Trying her hardest to ignore the whimper the mild punishment produced in her son, Raven carried him over to one corner. "Now, you sit here until Mommy comes for you." She pulled over a short chair from the activity table. "I have to clean the rug before it stains. Don't move, okay?"

"Yes, Mommy," he whispered, taking his seat at the windowless corner.

Raven smoothed out a section of his hair before leaving to gather the necessary cleaning aides.

Reappearing at his side, Max let off an uncertain, "Hey…"

"Go away." Folding his arms, Trav turned his head as far away as he could. "I don't want to be friends with you anymore. You got me in trouble with my mommy."

"I didn't mean to," Max insisted. At Trav's continued silence, he next put forth, "My mom's real mean, too."

Trav darted eyes over at him to inform, "My mom's not mean."

"Well, mine is," Max continued. "She doesn't make me sit in corners and stuff. That's easy. She makes my mouth bleed."

Brown eyes enlarging, Trav had no time to speak as Raven returned and Max resumed his invisible state.

Raven hid a smile at Trav sitting up straight at the corner, making a show of being a proper young man for her. Scrub brush and soapy water as her tools, it did not take the shape-shifter long to clean away the, thankfully washable, paint from the carpeting.

As soon as she finished, she took a seat on the couch. "Okay, Pooh Bear. Time's up."

Shooting up, Trav ran around to get to her. "I'm sorry, Mommy."

Raven gathered him into her lap within a second. "I know." She hugged him close and kissed the top of his head. "Do you want to tell Mommy why you misbehaved like that? Daddy and I have told you to keep the paint on paper, remember?"

"I remember," Trav said, resisting a giggle at his blue skin escapade. "I think I just got carried away playing with Max."

"We all have moments like that. Come on." Raven stood with her little boy. "Let's go check on your sister."

Crouching beneath the end table beside the couch, Max watched her carry his friend away. He decided one thing right then; this woman was anything but mean.

IIIIIII

Though it took some work, Trav managed to wriggle free from the snuggle spot in his mother's arms. He got down from the wide bed silently and crept towards to him. Unknown to him however, a pair of bright eyes followed his every movement.

When he reached the kitchen, Trav collected as many leftovers as would fit onto a plate. He snagged and juice box and tipped out of the eatery. Load prepared, he made his way to the next room.

Clicking on the desk lamp, Max greeted with a soft, "Hi."
"Hi." Trav used his bottom to close the door. "I brought you what he had from dinner. Sorry it's mostly cold."

"That's okay." Hurrying over, Max sat on the floor with him to begin digging into the offered spread. "What is this place, anyway?"

"It's my grandpa's office," Trav told him. "He's the one who stole me away from where I used to live. So I could be with my mom and dad."

"Lucky." Max stuffed a piece of bread into his mouth. "Wish I had a grandpa."

Trav's expression changed. "He's not here with us anymore."

Understanding, Max uttered an, "Oh… sorry."

"It's okay." Both boys then reacted to a sound beyond the door. "Don't worry." Getting up, Trav took a peek outside the door and sighed with relief. "It's just my sister." He opened it, allowing the toddler entry.

"Hello," she waved at the strange boy. "I'm Kiki."

Max proved unconvinced. "Can she keep quiet?"

"Yep, don't worry about her." Trav sat back down. "I talk more than she does."

Max flinched at Kiki reaching into his hair but allowed the touch. "How old is she?"

"Three." Trav then stated importantly, "I'm six."

"Ohh, you're little kids," Max determined. "I'm seven."

"Well, I'm gonna be seven, too you know," Trav reminded.

Kiki tapped Max's shoulder. "Where you come?"

Trav clarified, "She wants to know where you came from."

Max took a few slow sips from the juice box before answering. "My folks left me at their last big job. A jewelry store. I messed up and the people saw me. The police took me away."

Trav grimaced. "From your mom and dad?"

"Yeah, but it's okay," Max said. "If I'd have gone back to them, they'd have socked me good for messing up like that."

Trav suggested, "Do you think they're looking for you?"

"I don't really know. They never looked for my brother."

Trav formed a small smile as another thought crossed his mind. "Hey, maybe you can stay here with us. You can be our brother."

Max shot that down with, "Your folks'll never go for that."

"They will so," Trav insisted. "Just you wait. We'll wait 'til morning to tell them, okay?"

Max took that into a lengthy consideration. "… Okay. But if they make me go back, I'm running away."

"Okay," Trav agreed. "We'll sleep in here together. Nobody really comes in here at night."

Max nodded and went to bite his bread again, finding a particularly hard spot on it. "Shit!"

"Oooh!" Kiki wagged a disapproving finger his way.

"You better cut that out, Max," Trav cautioned. "If our Uncle Erik hears that, he'll rinse your mouth with vinegar."

Max lifted an eyebrow. "You have an uncle?"

"Sure, lots of 'em," Trav stated naturally. "Uncle Alex is a lot of fun. And Auntie Emmie. And we have all kinds of cousins."

"Wow…" Folding his legs, Max leaned back and forth against his knees. "This might be alright."

IIIIIII

"Hank?" Reaching across, Raven seized a fistful of her husband's under shirt. "Where are the kids?"

"What?" Completely jostled now, Hank sat upright in bed. He then fully absorbed Kiki's presence far from him. "Relax," though he had to calm his own temperament, "they're probably in the bathroom."

Getting into their robes, the couple went off in search of their children. Not finding them anywhere on the second floor, their concerns increased by the multiples and they promptly headed downstairs. It was then that Hank noticed the door to his father's office partly open. He pushed it back in full.

Raven's jaw dropped at not only discovering her own missing two but a tot she had never seen before. "Travis, Kiki."

Hank clicked on the light, causing all three to stir from where they lay spread on the floor together.

"Mommy?" Trav rubbed his eyes. "Daddy?"

Consciousness returning to him, Max instinctively vanished.

"Oh no." Raven shut the door hard to prevent his escape then reached down to pick up Kiki. "I don't think so."

"What is going on here?" Hank wanted to know.

"Max, it's okay," Trav coaxed. "Really."

Slowly, Max reformed before them.

"So you weren't kidding when you said invisible friend," Raven concluded.

Hank knelt down to the boy's level. "I'm Hank and this is my wife, Raven. Your name is Max?" He let off a nod. "How did you get here? Where are your parents?"

Trav spoke with, "He doesn't want to go back to where he was, Daddy. And he doesn't want to go with his mom and dad."

Raven stepped up. "First thing's first. You need a bath and some clean clothes."

That said, they moved things on to the first floor bathroom.

Filling the tub, Hank explained, "I'm just going to get you clean then check you over to make sure everything is okay. I'm a doctor."

Hugging himself, Max mentioned, "Trav said you're not bad like other doctors."

Hank held out a hand at that. "I won't hurt you, Max."

Slowly accepting the large appendage, Max allowed the man to get him undressed and washed in the tub. He had to admit how nice it felt to have the days' worth of dirt finally washed away. As the shampoo rinses away, Hank discovered the reddish strands on the boy's head. Afterward, they returned to the bedroom. With Max's thin form, fitting him into Trav's extra pajamas proved quite simple.

"Trav told us about you following us home from the park today," Raven said from where she sat at the foot of the bed with Kiki and Trav. "How long have you been living outside alone?"

Dipping his head, Max dipped his head. "Since last week. I got away from the van those men put me in."

Raven and Hank looked to each other, knowing they shared the same thought. The mutant containers at work again.

Hank touched his shoulder. "What about your mother and father?"

"I can't go to them," Max shook his head hard, "they'll be too mad I messed up at the jewelry store."

Hank glowered. "They make you use your powers to steal for them?"

Max nodded slowly.

Raven took his chin, lifting it a bit. "I used to live outside alone, too. Until I found someone and somewhere I could be safe. We can give you that, too."

Max looked back and forth between them. "You won't make me go back?"

"Never," Hank promised.

Trav could not help smirking. "Told you."

Max developed a smile of his own. "Okay."

"Right now," Hank went on, "you all need to rest."

It did not take long for all three children to tucker down together on the bed.

Hank and Raven sat in a chair together, watching them sleep.

"Wait until Charles and Erik hear about this," Raven said. "I think we're bringing home the biggest souvenir of all."

"We'll get lots of practice." Hank kissed her head. "Explaining this to my mother come morning."

IIIIIII

"Here we are." Adding another pancake to the already high stack, Edna encouraged, "Eat up. There's plenty more."

Max lowered his fork long enough to say, "Thank you."

"Wait until you see our house," said Trav excitedly. "Wells, lots of it is broken now but it'll be fixed soon."

Leaving the children at the table, Edna resumed sipping coffee with her son and daughter-in-law by the counter. "To think what that poor boy's been through."

Raven watched him eat. "I'm just glad he found us."

"He doesn't seem to have any obvious physical damage," Hank reported. "I'll conduct a full exam later."

Edna reacted to a knock at the back door. "Who could that be this early?"

Hank walked with her to answer it and found complete disbelief at the visitors on the other side. "What are you doing here?"

Estevan spoke to Edna with, "Pardon the early intrusion, ma'am, but I believe you have something that belongs to us."

Bypassing the man, Cloak walked right into the kitchen. "Max!"

The boy in question brightened completely at the sight of him. "Collin!" He sped from the table to go to him.

The teenager grabbed him up into a strong hug.

"Ah, the Murphy boys together again," stated Estevan. "Haven't seen each other in roughly two years you know."

Raven demanded, "How did you know we were here?"

"My daughter picked up on his mind." Estevan smiled charmingly. "I once considered you X-Men an unfortunate nuisance, yet you continue to come through for me."

"Henry, who in the world are these people?" Edna wanted to know.

"I'll explain later." Hank kept attention on Estevan. "I know you don't think you're taking him."

"I really don't wish to get nasty here," Estevan claimed then pointed out the two reunited youths. "Do you really want to get in between this?"

Collin clutched Max to him and the little boy in turn clung tighter.

Trav's eyes glossed over. "Max…"

Raven shook her head. "Hank, we can't let them just…"

"Please," Collin's voice broke through. "I don't want any trouble here. I just want my brother back… please."

Taking Raven's hand, Hank turned back to Estevan. "If I find out anything has happened to him, I will find you."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Estevan stepped back. "Boys, let's be off."

Max glanced back at the McCoy children. "Bye, Kiki… bye, Trav."

As the Acolytes departed, Raven rushed over to wrap arms around a now crying Trav. Hank picked up Kiki and held her to his chest. Edna regarded them all with absolute sympathy.

IIIIIII

"I honestly don't know if we did the right thing," Hank attempted to relax in his father's desk chair, "but seeing him with Cloak that way. How much Max wanted to go. I couldn't see myself dividing them."

"Considering how much of a whirlwind that last twelve hours have been for you, I'm surprised you were able to think so objectively," Charles said. "The Acolytes may be many things I don't care to name, but after seeing the effort he put in for his daughter's return, I don't believe he'll allow true harm to come to his charges. If worst comes to worst, we will intervene."

Hank grew silent on his end. "If the worst does happen, how do I live with myself?"

"Henry," the older man spoke again, "you've only been married for a short time and you've taken on so much. There are times when you will have to make difficult decisions. You cannot beat yourself up over them or fret over every possible outcome."

Hank felt the need to point out, "That's what you do quite frequently."

"It is my right," Charles claimed. "I am the Professor."

II

Running a hand through her son's hair as they laid together on the mattress, Raven asked after a moment, "Are you okay?"

Trav released a sniff. "Why didn't he want to stay with us, Mommy? We were gonna be brothers…"

"I know." Raven pressed a kiss to the back of his head. "I think it's sort of like… would being with me and Daddy have been the same if Kiki couldn't come with us?"

"No," Trav admitted, shifting around to face his mother. "But why couldn't his brother come live with us, too? Instead of them."

"I can't really answer that, honey." Raven stroked his cheek. "The X-Men are just very different from the Acolytes. But I want you to know that I'm really proud of you for helping someone that way. Only next time, I want you to come to me and Daddy right away."

"I will." Trav wound arms around her as tight as the small limbs could let him. "I'm so glad you're my mom."

Closing her eyes to keep back her building tears, Raven squeezed him back. "Me, too, Pooh."

IIIIIII

Astounded by the elevation the aircraft had to offer, he could hardly stand to look away from the window.

"Whoa! Do we really get to live here?"

Collin reclined in bed with a smirk. "Pretty sweet digs, huh?"

"Yep!" Max climbed up onto his own twin mattress then leapt over to him. "Look out!"

"Hey!" Collin managed to catch him, but brought him down to face him. "Take it easy. Yeah, we get to live here, but you got to remember that if you're last name ain't Cortez, you're pretty much a guest. You've got to do whatever Estevan tells you. But it's good. He helps us with our powers," Collin held him in his lap, "and we get to stay together."

"Okay." Max's countenance turned worried. "You're sure Mom and Dad won't find us?"

"I promise." Collin brought him closer, resting his chin in his hair. Hard to find what you're not even looking for…