Chapter 27: Eyes In

As soon as Kurt and Peter got back to the manor, Peter rushed off to go find Gwen and get started. The two of them were ready to get married, and the engagement was out the window.

"We spent forever locked up together in a secret lab and still want to get married; I think that totally counts," Peter said if anyone pressed him on it — not that Kurt did press him.

So with Peter making a beeline for Gwen, Kurt turned the other way and headed toward where he knew he would find Scott. More days than not, he was in Fitzsimmons' lab as the pair of scientists was getting ready for the surgical replacements they had in mind — measuring and testing and generally assuring a skeptical Scott that everything was going to work perfectly.

So Scott sounded honestly relieved when he heard someone open the door to the lab. "Come to help them poke at me?" he called out to whoever it was.

"Not exactly, but if they need an extra hand?" Kurt replied. "Who am I to argue?"

Scott smirked at that and shook his head, though now that he knew it was Kurt, he couldn't help grinning wider. "So, how long are you going to wait before you help me sign those things?" he asked. "Let's get out of here; they're done poking me anyway, aren't you?" he asked Fitz, who looked like he might argue but decided against it when he realized what was going on.

"Whenever you're ready," Kurt said with a grin.

Scott hopped down from the table and skirted around the other lab equipment with the ease of someone who had been there often enough to learn where everything was before Kurt led the way to one of the rooms that wasn't being used so they could sit and sign in peace.

"I've filled out the basic parts for you," Kurt said. "But the signature …"

Scott nodded. "Just show me where to sign it," he said.

"How about you try it out on a plain sheet of paper first so I can see how it needs to lay for you?" Kurt suggested.

Scott nodded approvingly. "Yeah, good idea."

Kurt smirked and pulled out a blank sheet. Once Scott was holding the pen, he guided Scott's hand to a spot he designated, just so he could watch how he wrote. And when he had a decent idea after a few signatures, he drew a line and tried one last time before he was reasonably sure how to orient the paper best for him.

"Now ... the real thing," Kurt said, carefully guiding Scott's hand.

Scott wrote carefully and precisely in small handwriting, then tipped his head Kurt's way. "Well? I didn't sign in her spot or anything?" he asked with a grin.

"No," Kurt chuckled. "You did well."

"Thanks, Kurt," he said, leaning back.

"You're very welcome," Kurt said, unable to stop the grin.

"I can hear you doing that. You're going to have to pull it back sooner or later."

"What?" Kurt asked, still grinning widely. "I'm not doing anything."

"I can hear the grin in your voice," Scott told him, though he was smiling too.

Kurt let out a dismissive noise and waved his hand. "As if that was a terrible thing."

"No, but you're going to have to get it under control."

"Nonsense," Kurt said gruffly. "You simply need to let it out more often."

Scott chuckled. "I think I'm fine on that front, really. But seriously, Kurt, it's obscene, and I'm going to have to listen to you doing that the whole time if you can get the licensing done to do the ceremony."

Kurt grinned somehow wider before he did his best to try to school his face-splitting smile. "What makes you think that I didn't already?"

Scott looked surprised. "Kate had mentioned it a while ago, but I didn't know you'd finished."

"It was the simple matter of filling out a form here," Kurt said. "And with as many couples as we have here, I figured it would be a matter of time before we needed one. And ... Skye has yet to get her title officially, so … "

Scott couldn't help the little chuckle at that. "Yeah, I didn't think about that. Skye could probably do it in a few years... but I'm not going to wait that long."

"Does that mean you'd like me to handle your ceremony?" Kurt asked — just needing to clarify.

"If you're not opposed," Scott said with a nod. "Heather's handling pretty much everything else, honestly."

"What on earth would I be opposed to?"

"You never know. Fitz was telling me he'd ream me out if I got married before the surgery, so everyone's got an opinion," Scott said with a small laugh.

"You'd only be robbing yourself of seeing your bride," Kurt pointed out. "You won't look at anything else that day anyhow."

"Yeah, if this works… I'm looking forward to seeing her, honestly. She keeps insisting she looks different now, and I'm looking forward to proving her wrong," Scott said with a little smirk before he pushed the paperwork Kurt's way. "Anyway, thanks for the help."

"Anytime," Kurt replied. "Now. Back to the stylings of the lovely Fitzsimmons — who I have to tell you: Skye was joking about putting the papers together for them and presenting it to them for Christmas — or to your lovely fiance?"

"They'd sign them without realizing what they were signing if you put them in front of them when they're all worked up like this," Scott pointed out.

"She was going to sign it for them and file it — because they have caught on with her and read things now. She said she'd forge their names, but Logan pointed out that she can't write their last names independently."

Scott smirked. "Well, I honestly think Fitz might surprise us. None of you have spent as much time with them as I have, and I'm telling you: you can hear it in just the way he talks to her. It's even more pronounced than before."

"Then perhaps I'll get more papers," Kurt said. "Leave them on his desk."

"That might be just the push he needs," Scott mused. "Have someone else do the terrifying work of having to go somewhere and just… have them on hand for a moment of bravery."

"Consider it done," Kurt agreed before he took Scott's elbow and started toward where he knew Clara was with Kamala, quietly discussing what they thought was next up in the Capitol, what with Osborn putting together his own security 'teams' and 'investigations' and generally being an idiot.

"Mind if I borrow you for a little while?" Scott asked Clara once Kurt got them both there.

"How can you borrow me when I told you," Clara said with a playful little smirk, "I'm already yours, goon."

"Maybe I just like being reminded," he teased. "Kurt went down to town to get some paperwork, by the way. You just need to sign it; he did all the hard work."

"Gimmie," she said, already making grabby hands.

He chuckled as he let her grab it from him. "Also, he's apparently already set to minister, so…"

"Perfect," she said with a nod. "Then all we do now is wait for Heather to tell us when we can get all prettied up."

"I'm sure she's already got everything set up. I thought we were waiting for Fitzsimmons to let me loose," he pointed out.

"Yeah, well … I thought they'd tell you things," she said, shaking her head. "It's just a matter of making it happen. At least, that's what they were saying a couple days ago."

"Well, if that's true, I don't see why we can't just get it over with. I'd rather know one way or the other if it'll take," Scott said.

"Talk to them. Tell them you know and it's time they tried getting it into gear for once," Clara said.

"Might start a trend," he said with a smirk, thinking on his conversation with Kurt.

September 19

Howlett Manor

As was usually the case whenever they were on the crux of a big project, Fitz and Simmons were both doing their best impression of totally nervous as they rushed around the lab preparing for the surgery for Scott — all while Skye watched close by with a small, almost protective glare and her arms crossed over her bulging stomach.

"Really, Skye. Everything is going to be just fine," Simmons said in a tone that was almost breathless.

"Uh-huh," she said, her chin tipped up as she looked down her nose at the goings-on. "I'm just saying … the last time you two started in … just … make sure you get it right."

"Oh, this isn't anything like the last time," Simmons assured her quickly.

"No, no — the surgery's just like with Ororo," Fitz agreed.

"Now, we've made a few modifications—"

"Since it's both eyes—"

"And of course, there was some damage around the sockets as well—"

"But essentially, yes, it's still the same," Fitz finished out with a decisive nod.

"And you told him everything you have planned out in your little mad scientist scenario?" Skye challenged. "Because I do not like you two experimenting on my boys from Seven."

"It's not an experiment," Fitz said.

"It's new, but it's not experimental," Simmons agreed.

"And we did tell him we're improving his vision," Fitz said.

"Oh, substantially," Simmons said, nodding seriously.

Skye half-glared at both of them. "I don't have my van to deal with him later if something goes wrong …"

"Nothing's going to go wrong," Simmons assured her.

"At the worst, the heat vision doesn't work," Fitz agreed.

Skye's eyes widened at that. "Is that a joke? Because if it's not, that … that falls into the 'you need to tell him first' category."

"Well, we told him we'd like to add in a few different kinds of vision, and he seemed fine with it as long as it meant he could still pilot," Fitz said.

"Were you talking to him in your rapid-fire, shared-brain speak?"

Fitz and Simmons shared a look. "Well, it's not like we can exactly help it," Simmons offered mildly.

Skye took a few steps closer and gave them both her most serious expression. "You need to explain it to him. Slowly. And clearly. Because you two? You get going, and no one can follow you."

The two scientists glanced at each other, shared a look of concern, and then both nodded before they headed over to where Scott was just… waiting to get started.

"It's come to our attention that we might not have fully explained all the modifications we want to make," Fitz said awkwardly, and Scott smirked.

"No, I think I followed… half of it," he said. "I'll still have normal vision, though, right? I can see colors, details, all that?"

Simmons was quick to nod. "Oh, absolutely."

Scott shrugged. "So, what's the holdup?"

Skye tossed her hands up. "I tried. Seriously. That's all I can say."

Scott chuckled and shook his head at her. "Hey, I'm not going to complain if they can let me see Clara again — and fly and carve. Everything else is incidental."

Skye shook her head and crossed the short distance to lay a hand on his arm. "I'll be here when you wake up."

"Thanks," he said with a smile as he gave her hand a little squeeze. "No offense, but could you make sure Clara's there first?" he added with a teasing tone to his voice.

"Oh, I'm sure she'll be perched on your bed. I'll be across the room — or next door strangling someone if something goes sideways."

Scott laughed and shook his head. "It wouldn't be their fault."

"Stop … being so reasonable," Skye said as she smacked his arm.

"Can't, sorry," he teased, leaning back to get a little more comfortable as Fitzsimmons were finally ready to get started, and Simmons was already falling into "doctor" mode, assuring him that it was going to be fine as she got him set up with an IV to put him under.

A while later, when Scott started to come out of the sedation, it wasn't immediately obvious whether or not it had worked, since the first thing that came back was his sense of hearing, and he was still a little groggy. And even then, he had to pause for a second before he tried opening his eyes, still halfway nervous about it.

But, like she'd promised, Clara was right there — the first thing he saw — and he broke into a wide grin on seeing her. Yes, the marks that Creed had left behind were distinctive and obvious, but otherwise, she looked exactly like he remembered her. "Told you," he said in a raspy, still-waking-up voice when he saw her.

"Oh, crap," Clara said, trying not to smile too much. "They don't work."

Scott chuckled. "Don't let her lie to you, Simmons," he said before either of the scientists could react — and without looking away from Clara. "She just can't take a compliment."

She grinned at him and quickly leaned forward to kiss him. "And the focus is clearly off."

He laughed before he pulled her into a slightly more involved kiss then finally looked around to see Skye too. "And you were worried," he teased.

"You don't know how last time went," Skye pointed out before she got to her feet and crossed the room to just give him a quick hug — and Clara too. "Now, prepare for the dozen or so needles."

"Well, I've been warned," he said with a smirk before Simmons came over to do just that, running through a few tests to make sure that his body wasn't rejecting the replacements, while Fitz bounded over looking excited.

"I'll see you later," Skye said as she turned to leave. "I'll let everyone know you made it through fine."

"Thanks," Scott called out her way. "Really."

Skye waved over her shoulder and left the young couple to Fitzsimmons.

"Alright then," Fitz said, looking excited as he slid up next to Scott. "I told you: we've made a few adjustments. Different kinds of vision. Just your basics. Night vision… heat vision… infrared," he listed off.

Scott blinked at him. "I… thought you meant I could see further off or something," he said.

"Well, you can," Simmons said. "Distance and peripheral vision should be markedly improved."

"You'll have to be tested, of course," Fitz said. "To determine your new thresholds."

Scott had a disbelieving sort of stunned smile on. "Right. Of course."

"Oh, but Fitz, show him how to toggle between the different settings," Simmons prompted, sounding proud of Fitz' invention — as usual.

"Right, right," Fitz said quickly, beaming. "We've got it set up ... just here…" He tapped a spot on Scott's temple. "Go ahead, try it out."

Wearing a totally bemused expression, Scott did just that, pressing the spot that Fitz had indicated — and he let out a soft 'woah' when the world changed colors into an infrared setting. He blinked around for a moment as he tried to adjust to it.

"He seems to be enjoying this," Fitz said quietly to Simmons.

"Did you mean for them to glow?" Clara had to ask as Scott switched to heat vision and back to infrared, slowly starting to grin at the cybernetic eyes that had gone from brown to a deep red that, even in the light of the lab, gave off a glow.

"Yes, well, that's part of the enhancements anyway," Fitz said with a little huff and a wave of his hand.

"It won't glow for normal vision," Simmons said with a hopeful smile. "It's just part of how they convert power for the more advanced bits of tech."

"Can I have a mirror?" Scott asked at that.

"Oh!" Simmons said, jumping slightly before she rushed to bring him a hand mirror. "Of course you'd want to see."

Scott smirked her way for a second at that and then tipped his head sideways as he studied the reflection — first normally and then with the different settings, though it was hard for him to see the glow when it wasn't a normal setting in the first place. "It's not too noticeable, is it?" he asked.

"Well, of course, the sensors compensate for the glow, so it might be a titch brighter than what you're seeing," Fitz tried to clarify — while simultaneously waving the concern off.

"Clara?" Scott turned her way, one eyebrow raised and with the infrared on. "What do you think?"

"I think it's a lot less troublesome than the sunglasses you had, oh, fearless leader."

He had to grin at that and chuckled. "Well alright then," he said before he switched back to his 'normal' setting and smiled at Fitzsimmons. "Thanks — really."

"Try not to let Skye tell you 'I told you so' too loudly," Simmons advised.

"That's a daily struggle sometimes," Scott returned with a smirk.

"Go ahead," Simmons said with a little shooing motion. "I've got all the samples I need for now; if it looks off in any way, I'll come find you."

At that, Scott broke into an honest grin as he grabbed Clara's hand. "Come on," he said in a more excited tone. "Let's go see the Hudsons."