Chapter 16 - Surprise Arrival

A few weeks in Hawaii had turned into a month before Rachel and Bobby had even realized it, so that on top of the way Alex had been acting when he saw them off to the airport combined meant Rachel was sure her dad was going to read her the riot act once they landed.

She wasn't really sorry. At all.

It had been a great vacation all around. Alex really did have some great suggestions for not only beaches but a few caves and mountains to explore — and the lagoon that last few days had been perfect.

And just like she'd done with Alex when they started off their vacation, Rachel beat Scott to the punch here. Don't start, she warned — though that wasn't really going to do a thing.

"I thought you were just going out for a couple weeks," he started out.

"It turned into more," she shrugged.

Scott raised an eyebrow at her but then glared Bobby's way. Don't start went entirely ignored. "And when were you planning on telling me about any of this?"

"I wasn't aware I had to inform you of everything I did," Bobby replied. "What happened to, you know … not being kids?"

"Bobby, you're my age," Scott pointed out.

"I … am a year younger," Bobby defended weakly.

"One." Scott crossed his arms over his chest. "One year."

"What are you getting at, Scott?" Bobby asked. "It's not a terrible thing. Really."

Scott pinched the bridge of his nose. "You — you can't just go dating my daughter! Behind my back!"

"Hey, we haven't been sneaking around; you just … haven't been paying attention," Bobby replied.

Scott glared at Bobby and looked like he was just getting ready to start up again when Annie poked in with his cell phone in hand. It was enough of a distraction to get him to pause, and she just walked right up to him to press it into his chest. "You've got a call," she said, then turned to Bobby and Rachel. "Did you two have a nice trip?"

"It was lovely," Bobby said her way with a genuinely friendly smile. "Thank you so much for asking. How are you feeling, Miss Annie?"

"Oh, I'm fine," she said with a little laugh as Scott got totally distracted by whoever was on the other line.

"Did we miss anything earth-shattering?" Bobby asked.

"Powers changing, visiting SHIELD agents, but nothing earth-shattering," Annie said with a smile.

"That … sounds … normal-ish," Bobby said, his head tipped to the side. "All things considered. So where is everyone?"

"Well, it's still summer, and school starts up in a few weeks, so last minute vacations… family trips…" Annie shrugged lightly. "I think everyone needed a break. The Wagners should be back from Winzeldorf at the end of the week."

Scott hung up the phone and looked genuinely upset as he turned back to the others. "Bobby, tell Hank to get Steve Rogers to cover Logan's classes," he said before he gave Annie's hand a quick squeeze on his way past. "I've gotta go."

"Wait — you're gonna switch from yelling at me to sending me on errands?" Bobby asked with a frown. "What gives?"

"Logan and K are in Canada. K went into labor early," Scott explained over his shoulder, already on his way out.

When Scott got to the hospital, he wasn't surprised to find that Mac Hudson was stationed outside, clearly keeping an eye out for trouble — and when he saw Tyler before Scott, he was tense for a second before he saw Scott as well.

"Yeah, I get that reaction a lot," Tyler said.

"You have no idea how crazy it's been," Mac said, letting out a breath. "The whole team has been keeping watch. Which is something else when you consider everything."

"Well, good reason," Scott said with a small nod. "How are they? Tyler's in his last year of med school — and he can heal — if you need a hand…"

Mac shook his head slowly. "She's tiny."

"She's here then?" Tyler asked with a broad grin. "Last we heard, she was still in labor."

"Just barely four pounds," Mac said. "Heather … is fiercely protecting both of them. All three of them, really. But the little one … she's gotta stay for a while. She's just too small."

"Well, genetics ... and then this early…" Tyler said with a nod.

Mac nodded, though he looked Tyler up and down once more. "Go ahead. I'll stay here."

"Thanks," Scott said with a little nod as the two of them passed on inside — and when they got to the room where Logan and K were staying, both of them were shocked to see how small the little girl was. Hearing about it was one thing, but…

"Who tipped you off?" Logan asked, obviously surprised to see Scott there.

"Mac," Scott admitted.

"Here to take Elin and James back?" Logan asked.

"And offer any help if you needed it, but… it looks like you're alright," Tyler said, grinning widely.

"I think it's more of a security concern than anything," Logan said honestly.

"I can stay on," Scott said.

Tyler glanced Scott's way and then shrugged. "Yeah, I can fly the kids back. You know Tammy'll spoil 'em rotten."

Logan gestured over to where K was sleeping — snuggled up with both Elin and James. "Might have to wait a while."

"Oh no," Tyler said straight faced. "I guess I'll have to stay and say hi to the little one."

Logan shook his head at that and turned to find a chair. "Well, good luck. Heather sees you, she might attack."

"Good point," Tyler said.

Almost on cue, Heather came in, very gently holding the little girl, though she stopped when she saw the two new X-Men in the room. "Oh no. They're not going anywhere," she said, shaking her head as she frowned at them.

Tyler raised his hand with a little smile. "Yeah," he said. "I get that a lot."

"Yeah, and that's just a big no for you," she said, glaring his way before she turned to Scott. "Why … who told you to show up?"

"Mac called to let me know what was going on," Scott explained.

"Well," Heather said, looking down to smile at the tiny bundle of girl. "I think they should spend the year up here."

"I thought it would only take a few weeks tops," Scott said with a frown.

Heather smirked up at him. "No no, at least a year. Maybe two."

Scott shook his head at her, arms crossed. "Yeah, no."

"Why no?" Heather challenged. "You've had them forever. My turn."

"They're teaching at the school," he said. "And they're on my team."

Logan was shaking his head, an amused smirk on his face watching the little showdown. "Hand her over to him, Heather," he said. "You've had your turn."

"Such a rotten timeshare," Heather said with a false anger as she shifted to very gently hand the new baby girl to Scott.

Scott shifted so he could take the tiny little girl — suddenly wide-eyed as he tried to be as gentle as possible. "She's even smaller than she looks," he muttered.

"We'll be a couple weeks," Logan said. "Regardless of what Heather says."

Scott looked up at him and smirked. "Right. I've got Cap on your class for a few weeks."

"You know he won't leave until he meets her, right?" Logan said.

"He'll probably just stay through September," Scott chuckled. "Considering the other six due at the beginning of the month."

Logan let out a sigh. "Well. That's one anyhow."

"What's her name, anyway?" Tyler asked.

"Sadie," Logan replied. "Apparently, it was one that Coulson suggested. K liked it."

"It's a good name," Scott agreed.

"Sit down," K said suddenly from the other side of the room. "You can spare ten minutes, right?"

"For you?" Scott smirked, already carefully taking a seat. "You did great. She's amazing."

"Are you crazy?" K replied. "I did horrible … waaaay too early."

Tyler had to smirk. "Yeah. How'd that go? The leaving for the middle of nowhere so close to the due date."

"Well … we should have had time," K replied. "And she was small enough that we didn't quite make it to surgery… so I guess... Okay."

"She's still tiny," Scott said, grinning down at her.

K smirked up at Scott and resettled herself in the bed a little. "Look at her hands and feet, Scott."

Scott did just that, gently picking up one tiny hand with the edge of his pinkie as he just grinned that much wider.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Tyler whispered, leaning Logan's way, "a preview of days to come."

When Scott looked back over at K, she was holding her cell phone up and quickly gave him an innocent look. "Nothing."

"Right," he said, shaking his head. He let out a little breath and looked like he might say something more — until he heard his phone buzzing in his pocket. "You sent it to Annie, didn't you?"

"May-be," she said. "I also saved the still as my wallpaper." She grinned sedately. "You get to send it to Kurt, though. He doesn't know yet."

"You're gonna put Pete out of a job," Tyler teased.

"You haven't even seen it yet," K told him as she handed him the phone so he could.

Tyler just grinned that much wider when he saw it. "See? Pete's got problems."

"I don't think so," she said as James woke up and looked around the room. He grinned when he saw Tyler and gave him a sleepy little wave.

"Hey, buddy," Tyler grinned his way, returning the wave. "You and Elin want to come back with me and watch Natasha's face when she hears the news?"

"Uh-huh," he said, nodding tiredly.

"Not until you meet Sadie too," K said. "But I'm not breaking up that love fest." She gave Scott a little smile.

"Hey, I was told by the redhead I'm not allowed," Tyler said with a smirk.

"Well, see where that got you?" K said. "Now you have to wait until Scott's had enough. So … you don't get to even touch her until she's old enough to run away from him."

Tyler just laughed. "Yeah, but you're assuming she'd ever want to leave the love fest."

"I … assume nothing in this scenario," she defended. But Scott's decision was made for him as Elin climbed down and made her way over to Scott.

She didn't say a word; instead, she very carefully kissed her baby sister's forehead and gave Scott a look that clearly read 'my turn'.

Scott let out a little half laugh and gently scooted over so that Tyler could take the little Sadie— who fit in one of his hands easily — and Scott could scoop up Elin.

Tyler very carefully sat down with the tiny baby. "She… alright," he said, trying to figure out how to not totally encompass the little girl in his much larger arms.

"Now that is something that I never thought I'd see," Heather said in the doorway. "A Creed holding one of yours nicely?"

"Ty's alright," Logan replied. "Stop tryin' to jinx it. We're goin' back to New York."

"You got a picture of that too, though, right?" Scott asked K with a little smirk.

"You bet," she said before she handed Scott the phone this time.

Scott grinned at the picture and handed it back. "Great shot."

"Sorry to have you come out for nothing," K said.

"It really isn't nothing," Scott said with a smile. "She's amazing. I'm glad we got to meet her."

"Still, I'm sure you'd rather have stayed with Annie. We'll be back eventually."

"She's with Rachel," Scott said, then paused and added, "And Bobby," as he rubbed a spot on his forehead.

"Scott," K said, sitting up a little straighter and holding her arms out. "You need a hug."

Scott almost paused except for the 'go on' look Elin was giving him, so he let out a breath of a laugh. "You're the one who just had a baby," he said as he gently leaned over to give her a hug.

"Yes, but I'm already all healed up — tired, but healed," she pointed out. "And you … looked like you needed it."

"He's been like that all morning," Tyler said, glancing up from Sadie with a crooked grin.

"Is this about them dating?" K asked. "Because I really thought you were okay with it for as long as it's been going on."

"How long is that?" Scott asked in disbelief.

"Months," K said. "Not a year yet … but we're getting there. They've been taking it slow, by all accounts."

"They just spent a month in Hawaii," Scott grumbled, rubbing his forehead again.

"Yeah? Well … I can tell you for a fact he's been dragging his feet, not wanting to push her … at all."

"He's my age, K," Scott said.

"Does that mean they don't deserve to be happy if that's what they want?" she asked.

"I knew him when he was a teenager. I've seen just about every love life disaster he's had. I think I have a right to be worried," Scott pointed out.

"And he's too old," K said, nodding her head. "What's the cutoff age for happiness?"

Scott rubbed his forehead again. "Look. I'm just trying to take care of Rachel. I didn't get to before, alright?"

"I get it," she agreed, looking completely open as she nodded. "You're beating yourself up over what a different reality you did. And trying to fix his mistakes."

"He's not that far different from me. And she's still mine."

"But he is different," she pointed out. "And …. If you're entirely sure that he's going to hurt her, I'll put him down for you."

Scott let out a sigh and shook his head. "I appreciate the offer."

"I mean it," she said. "Can't have that dirty old man messing around with that sweet little redhead."

"K," Scott let out a sigh. "Stop."

"What? Backing you up? Never."

Scott just shook his head again, leaning back. "Besides," he said after a long pause, "you and I both know she could fry him if she wanted."

"Yeah, but that's not the point," K insisted. "It's the principle of the thing. You're right. He's really way too old for her. That gap is completely unacceptable."

"It… it's just that it's Bobby," Scott said, shaking his head at her.

"Oh, I've heard the stories. The crap he pulled. Unforgivable, right? Frozen pipes, snowball fights… And I heard about when Mystique took advantage of him. He should have seen that coming, right?"

"Hey." Scott leaned forward with a glare. "Lay off."

K schooled the smile she wanted to let him see for just a moment longer, knowing how close he could be to getting it. "Yeah, but … it's Bobby. Right? Sweet, playful, throw himself in front of a train Bobby."

"Yeah, alright, yeah, yeah," Scott grumbled.

"You know he'd rather sink into the earth than hurt her, right?" K asked. "Or to hurt you."

"Yeah," Scott let out a sigh and gestured wordlessly.

"Sorry about that whirlwind trip," she said with a little smile. "But … I had you defending him."

"I don't hate the guy," Scott said, holding up his hands. "And that jab was too far."

"I know. I didn't want to go there," she admitted. "But you can be stupid protective in all the wrong ways." She gestured to Logan. "Look at how mad you were when I started in with that one."

"I read your file," he pointed out.

"And you were afraid I was gonna take your teammate out," she said. "Even though you knew damn well he could take care of himself."

"I should have stayed with Annie," he muttered, leaning back against the wall as Elin grinned up at him.

"Why? Because the truth hurts?" Heather asked. "You were ready to fight me over them staying longer than a few weeks."

Scott gave her a dry look. "At least with Annie the arguments are more fun."

"Well, since no one has pointed it out, I will," K said. "The gap with Rachel and Bobby is the same as the one between Logan and I. So it's not the gap. It's the threat."

"Yeah, Annie already reminded me about Kate and Kurt; she beat you there."

"Oh, they are an out-of-control huge gap," K teased.

"Which reminds me," Scott said, smirking her way. "Annie didn't tell me about Bobby either. Thanks, K, for teaching my wife how to keep secrets. That's really helpful."

K looked honestly sorry for just a split second. "She really did need a poker face," she defended. "Which … she's really good at now too. By the way."

"Yeah, I want to thank you for the cleaning out as well," he smirked.

"She left you a consolation prize, Slim," Logan said. "She really meant it earlier … you get to tell Kurt that you knew first. And got to meet her first."

Scott laughed. "Can you send me that picture? The one of me and Sadie."

"Picture or video?" K asked. "I have both."

"Both. I'll send them on to Kate and Kurt."

"And time how long it takes for him to call you when he can't find us at the house?" Logan laughed.

"I give it five minutes tops," Tyler said.

K picked up her phone and turned the screen Scott's way. "Done. It's all yours. I'll run the timer. Tyler, hand her back to Scott, please. So he's not lying when he tells Kurt he has her."

"I'd give it ten minutes," Scott said diplomatically. "Depending on if he's near his phone."

"Two," Logan said with a nod. "He's got his phone close. He's paranoid."

The group of them were grinning as they timed it from when Scott sent the message, and Tyler laughed when the telltale buzz of the phone sounded four minutes in. "Close," he said.

Where are you? Kurt asked before Scott could even say hello.

"Canada," Scott said. "I can text you the coordinates."

"Text him another picture," K whispered.

Scott smirked her way and sent the picture of Tyler with Sadie. "You get it?" he asked Kurt a moment later.

K was grinning widely and trying not to laugh outright as Kurt sputtered into the phone. Where. Are. You?

Scott's smirk just kept widening, though he did finally text the coordinates, and Kurt appeared in a poof of smoke a moment later.

"What took you so long, Elf?" Logan teased.

"I didn't know where to look, and you know it!" Kurt said, shaking his head before he teleported just behind Scott so he could see the little one. "Ich bin dran," he said, scooping the little girl up to press a little kiss to her forehead. "She is darling."

"Oh, you say that to all the babies," K said with a little wave.

"And I mean it every time," Kurt insisted.

"Her name is Sadie," Logan told him, since he knew it might take a while for Kurt to get there on his own when he was trying to assert possession against Scott.

"Guten abend, Sadie," Kurt said to the little girl with a grin.

"We won't be back for a few weeks," Logan told him. "So it's up to you to deal with Angry Tasha. Good luck."

"Oh, no; I leave that to Clint," Kurt laughed. "I have to deal with Kate."

"Yeah, she was thinking it would be like … two weeks tops between little ones," K said with a nod. "Sorry. I guess I got out of it a little early."

"She simply decided she needed the space," Kurt teased. "It's in her genes."

"Yes. She was taking up way too much real estate," she agreed. "If it makes it easier, you can tell Kate and Natasha that I need the hospital stay more than she does."

Kurt grinned at her and then turned his attention back to the little one. "Well, naturally. You both worked so hard, and she was so impatient."

"Could you bring her godparents in for us?" Logan said, catching Kurt's attention suddenly.

Kurt glanced up and reflexively held the little girl closer. "Now?"

"You can hold her again when you get back," Logan said. "No transdimensional travel for her until she can breathe better."

Kurt's shoulders dropped slightly, and he let out a breath of longsuffering. "You are missing out, little one," he teased Sadie before he handed her to K and brushed off his hands on his pant leg. "Fine. Yes. Who am I getting?"

Logan took the few steps closer and leaned in to whisper the names to Kurt. "They have no idea."

Kurt broke out into a huge, sloppy grin. "I won't tell," he swore before he disappeared in a poof of blue.

"He's a little imp," K said as Heather complained about the smoke.

"Gets it honestly," Tyler smirked.

"Yeah, but he just embodies it so well."

Hardly five minutes had passed before there was a telltale bamf — outside the room — and then another bamf. Kitty could be heard shouting Kurt's name in obvious surprise as he disappeared to get the second guest of honor.

"Come in here, Kitten," Logan called out, mostly to get her to settle down.

Kitty had just barely opened the door when there was another bamf, though this time Kurt appeared right in the doorway with Peter Parker in tow — who had clearly gotten much less warning than Kitty had; he was still cringing and totally lost on what had just happened.

"No rushing ahead, Katja," Kurt said in a mock severe tone.

But Kitty had already clued in to where she was - and heard Logan — so she just walked right through him with her nose in the air. "Excuse you," she said as she strutted her way over and then beamed at the little girl. "I thought you weren't due til the end of the month! She's so tiny!"

"I wasn't," K said, gently tipping the tiny girl into Kitty's arms. "So we're here until her lungs are better suited for life outside. But she needed to meet her godparents right away."

Kitty gasped out loud. "Shut up!"

"Nope, we agreed on both of you," K said, though as entertaining as Kitty was — Peter was far more fun to watch.

"You're next, Petey," Logan said in a totally relaxed tone.

But Peter was just… stock still. His jaw was dropped, and his eyes were wide, and he hadn't moved a muscle until Kurt elbowed him in the side. "Uhhh." He closed his mouth and shifted — but didn't move any closer.

"Logan's idea," K added, since she was enjoying busting the guys out.

"Uh…..huh," Peter said slowly. He shook his head to himself, then shook it harder, huffed, and inched forward, still totally wide-eyed and very much speechless as he peered over Kitty's shoulder.

Kurt grinned impishly and elbowed Logan in the side, tipping his head to where one of his bamfs was sitting on Tyler's shoulder and recording the whole thing with Kate's cell phone. "I've never seen Peter so ... quiet," he teased.

"So when is she coming home?" Kitty asked, grinning as she played with Sadie's tiny fingers.

"It'll be a few more weeks," Heather broke in, leaning on the doorway as she watched the show.

"Ugh. That's so long." Kitty shook her head and went back to playing with Sadie. "Guess I'm just gonna have to take the Elf Express and visit often, huh?"

"Oh, absolutely," Kurt said, still chuckling to himself at the whole scene — especially when Kitty finally got around to letting Peter have a turn and the totally silent Spiderman had a staring contest right then and there with the little one.

"Oh good. They speak the same language," Tyler joked, smirking hard.

"What's wrong, Spidey?" K said. "Don't like her? I'm sure Kurt will take over if you don't want the job."

"Nooooo," Peter said quietly, shaking his head. "I want it."

"Because, you know … Kurt will be waiting if you chicken out."

Peter took a quick glance at Kurt and just sort of held Sadie a little tighter. "Nope."

"Glad to hear you'll stick with Sadie then," Logan said.

Peter finally broke into a huge grin at that. "Oh, yeah, for sure," he said as his mouth started to catch up to the rest of him — finally. "Yeah. We're gonna have a blast, right, Sadie? You and me?"

The tiny girl just drew in a big hitched breath and yawned, but for as small as she was, Peter could hardly feel her move.

"She is the tiniest … ohmigosh," Peter said, grinning up at K.

"I don't want to see any come smaller than her," K agreed. "She can stay the featherweight champ."

"Agreed," Kurt said with a little nod.

"Sounds like you're already planning to have more," Scott teased, getting a small glare from K for the jab.

"You get a picture of them with the tiny one, Tyler?" Logan asked, wisely not stepping into the teasing about a new little one yet.

"Of course," Tyler said, grinning. "And the local reporter—" He tipped his head at the bamf. "—got video of the silent Spidey."

"I so need to see Hank's voiceover on that," K chuckled.

"He'll have to watch the video a few times to stop laughing first," Kitty teased Peter.

Logan gave a little wave Tyler's way. "Alright. You guys — you're in charge of telling those that need to know."

"Who's going to take Elin and James back?" K asked as Elin curled up on Kurt's lap.

"That's me," Tyler said, though he glanced toward where Elin was curled up with Kurt and James with Scott. "Unless the kids mutiny and I go home by myself."

"I think as long as they end up at the mansion, they'll be fine," Scott said diplomatically, though he was cuddling up with James all the same.

"Right, so I'll fly then," Tyler said, unable to stop the smirk.

"I don't know," Kurt teased. "Scott will need a ride home when he's done watching over everyone."

A little bamf appeared over Tyler's shoulder and leaned forward slowly until they were touching noses, and he muttered out a growly little 'bamf'.

Tyler held the little guy's gaze with a wide grin. "But I promise not to scratch the blackbird when I fly Ol' Cuddles."

"I'd be careful who you call 'cuddles'," Scott replied. "Especially since we haven't sent that picture of you with Sadie to anyone but Kurt." He turned Tyler's way with a deadly serious expression. "Kitten Whiskers."

Tyler laughed out loud. "Hey, everyone knows about me. Opposite of the way I look in that department. I'm not scared."

"Does he look nervous to you?" Logan asked with one eyebrow raised.

Tyler just laughed again. "No, he must have embraced it."

Scott smirked and turned to Tyler. "You think it's not well known? She got me first."

Tyler held up both hands. "True enough."

"Well then, if you two are headed back to the mansion, you wouldn't mind taking these two, would you?" Kurt asked primly as he scooped up little Sadie from Peter's arms. "I can find my own way, danke." He sat down in the chair by Logan with perfect finality, totally stealing Sadie away.

"I was planning on staying to keep watch," Scott said, watching Kurt.

"For three weeks?" Kurt asked, shaking his head. "No, no. You have your own little one to attend to."

"What about your little one?" Scott challenged.

"I can be there in an instant — can you?"

Scott stared at him for a moment before he let out a breath of a laugh. "Fine. Give her to me and take watch."

Kurt grinned triumphantly as he did just that, scooping Elin back up afterward to kiss her cheek. "You have a wonderful family, Elin. Do you know this?" he teased her.

"Mom says she looks like me," Elin informed him.

"Of course she does," Kurt said, nodding seriously. "We must have only the most beautiful girls in the family, ja?"

She giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Ja."

…...

Translation from German:

Ich bin dran - It's my turn

A/N - And thus ends this volume! If you like what you're reading, please keep your eyes open on robbiepoo2341's profile for "The Initiative" - our next volume in the 714 Universe!