Scott stood up and grabbed their plates off the table as they finished eating. Taking the dishes into the kitchen he places them into the sink and returns to the living room. Picking up the bottle of wine he asks Ro if she would like some more, at her nod of acceptance he pours them both another glass and takes a seat on the couch next to Ro.
"That was delicious. Thank you for inviting me to dinner." Ro raises her wine glass to Scott, who promptly picks up his and tips it back at her in acknowledgement, before taking a sip.
"You're welcome. It was nice having a quiet dinner with a good friend." Ro smiled.
"So you ready to discuss the Danger Room schedule." Scott shook his head and placed his wine glass on the coffee table.
"Actually no, I would like to discuss something else." As Scott paused, Ro quirked an eyebrow in inquiry. "I've been giving this a lot of thought and I wanted to get your opinion before I approached the Professor." Scott turned on the sofa until he was facing Ro and took a deep breath. "After events of the last two years the Liberty Island incident, Stryker's attack on the school, the cure and Magnetos war, things have been getting progressively worse between mutants and certain sections of humans and as much as I hate to give credence to anything Magneto says or does, I have to face the fact that eventually there is going to be another confrontation; possibly one even worse than Alcatraz. While I know the Professor is working hard to establish a peaceful coexistence between human and mutants; I have to work on the assumption that somewhere out there Magneto is working just as hard gathering an army to make sure that that peace never happens."
"That may be true but that's what the X-Men are for to ensure that whatever Magneto tries fails."
"Yes, I know but we are only a team of nine, with one more in training. How many mutants did Magneto manage to gather, in a relatively short period of time, before he attacked Alcatraz? He won't make the same mistakes twice. The next time he attacks he will be much more organized and will have an army that is prepared to not only take us on but to possibly take us out."
"Okay, so what do you suggest we do?"
"Recruit." Ro looked at Scott in confusion.
"The Professor is always recruiting students for the school." Scott shakes his head.
"Not students. Adults. Adults in full control of their powers to be part of the X-Men." Scott rose and went over to the desk in the corner. Pulling some files out of the bottom drawer he came back and handed them to Ro. "These are just a few of the individuals I want to recruit. Each one has skills that we can use."
Ro spread them out on the coffee table in front of her, so that she could see the names on the files. Cecilia Reyes, Jean-Paul Beaubier, James Proudstar, Elizabeth Braddock and Ro glanced up at Scott as she read the last name, Remy LaBeau.
"Remy?" Scott nodded.
"Yes, I know he's not big on team work but I think he would be an excellent addition to the team. His skills as a thief are the best I've seen." Scott smiles at Ro. "No offense."
Ro smiles back.
"None taken. But I don't think Remy will do it."
"He'll be hard to convince but I think after a personal visit by the co-leaders of the X-Men, he'll come around."
"A personal visit?"
"Yes, we are going to personally visit and recruit each one of those individuals." Scott bites his bottom lip and looks over at desk a bit uncomfortably.
"What? What's wrong?" Ro asks.
Scott sighs.
"There's someone else I want to speak with. I'm not going to ask him to move here and join the team, but I do want him to do some work for us." Scott pauses to take a deep breath before continuing. "Forge." He looks at Ro and when she doesn't respond, Scott proceeds. "I know this may be uncomfortable for you, so I think I should talk to him alone…" Scott trails off as Ro interrupts him.
"Scott, its fine. I am perfectly alright with Forge coming here and I have no problem with going with you to ask him."
"You are?"
"Yes, I have been over him for some time now and his coming here will not change that."
"Really? I only ask because I've never seen you show an interest in anyone else since then."
"Yes, I know. It took me quite awhile to be interested in someone else and when I finally thought that I had found someone he returned to Europe to search for his family."
Scott frowned as he tried to think of to whom Ro was referring.
"Europe. Who…are you talking about Night…Kurt?" Ro nods.
"Yes, I thought that perhaps we could have something but it didn't work out."
"I never knew you were interested in Kurt." Ro leaned forward and picked up her wineglass and took a final sip as Scott came and sat back down beside her.
"Well that's no wonder. You were going through a pretty hard time then."
"Yeah, don't remind me." Ro slapped Scott lightly on the arm as he snorted.
"Come on now none of that." Scott laughed as he rubbed where Ro had slapped his arm.
"Hey, that's abuse." Ro snorted in response.
"Oh, please I know that didn't hurt." Scott grinned and then gestured to the empty wineglass in her hand.
"Would you like another glass?" Ro shook her head.
"No, I think three glasses are my limit."
So, what do you think of my idea?"
"I think it has merit and we should present it to the Professor." Scott nodded.
"Good. Because recruiting these individuals is just the beginning. If I can get the Professor to agree to this then I am going to ask him to use Cerebro to search for more potential members."
"Where did you get the information on these individuals?" Ro asked.
"From the Professor's files. As much as he hated to think about losing any of us, he had to be realistic, so he used Cerebro to search out potential replacements. These are just a few; there are others that have potential. One I'm particularly interested in, but I'm not sure if he would be receptive to joining the team." Ro looked inquiringly at Scott. "He hides his mutation from the world. So I don't think he would be receptive to joining a team of mutants, but I would sure like to have him on the team."
"What's his name?"
Scott went back over to desk and pulled out another file.
"Alex…Alex Masters."
"Where does he live?"
"Hawaii."
"Hawaii." Ro stood up and took the file out of Scott's hand. "I think we should definitely call on Mr. Masters, you never can tell what can happen and besides it never hurts to ask." Scott laughed.
"Yeah, I guess and a quick visit to Hawaii wouldn't hurt either I suppose." Ro laughs in response. "Okay, enough of this for now, how about some desert?"
"I don't know if I should." Ro groaned.
"It's Chunky Monkey and I have chocolate sauce." Scott grinned wickedly.
"Oh, you know that's my weakness. I'll have a small bowl."
"Good." Scott grabbed her hand and stood up. "You grab the bowls and I'll get the ice cream."
Bringing their bowls of ice cream back into the living room they both sit down on the couch. Watching Scott as he takes a few bites of ice cream Ro smiles at him.
"What?" He asks.
"Nothing. I'm just glad you came home." Smiling softly in return Scott replies.
"So am I Ro. So am I."
Kitty and Marie sat around the recreation room watching television and talking softly when the door opened and Bobby and Peter came in.
"You guys are back early." Kitty said.
"Early? It's after ten-thirty." Bobby stated.
Kitty looked at the clock sitting on the fireplace mantel.
"Wow, I didn't realize how much time has passed." Kitty stood up and went over to look out the French doors. She turned and smiled mischievously at Marie. "Ms. Monroe has been down at the boat house for a long time." Marie smiled in return.
"I know. I never knew it took this long to discuss school business." Kitty laughed at Marie using her fingers as quotation marks as she said the word discuss.
Before Marie could say anything else Bobby interjected with.
"I wished she'd dress like that to discuss things with me."
"Bobby!" Maria and Kitty admonished at the same time. Peter just shook his head.
Bobby shrugged his shoulders.
"What? I'm just saying…"
"We know what you were just saying and you would be wise not to say it again." Kitty stated.
"What's the ice cube in trouble for now?" They all looked over at Logan who had entered the room at Kitty's statement.
"Just for being Bobby." Marie smiled up at Logan as she answered.
"Hey, I just said that Ms. Munroe looked nice this evening."
Kitty and Marie rolled their eyes and snorted.
"Right. I think you said something besides that." Kitty said.
Bobby just shrugged.
Logan sat down in a chair close to Marie.
"What's the kid talking about?"
"He's just commenting on the outfit Ms. Munroe wore to discuss school business with Mr. Summers." Logan frowned in confusion at Marie as she used her hands once again to stress the word discuss in regards to Ro's meeting with Scott.
"What is that supposed to mean? Logan imitates Marie's hand signals. "And what does what she's wearing have to do with school business or Summers?"
Marie shook her head at Logan.
"It's simple Ms. Munroe had dinner with Mr. Summers tonight to dis… Logan caught her hands before she could do it again. Marie sighed. "Okay, anyway. Ms. Munroe and Mr. Summers are having dinner to discuss business and we were just saying that the outfit and shoes Ms. Munroe was wearing was not exactly a meeting outfit." Logan frowned again.
"Are you kidding? None of that makes a bit of sense."
"Of course it does." Kitty said. "The outfit and the shoes say it all. She can say it's just business and they may even discuss business but it's a date."
Logan looks at Marie, Bobby and Peter who are nodding their heads.
"This is bull."
"No, no it's definitely a date and I can prove it because when we went down to ask Mr. Summers to go to dinner with us, he had taken a shower, changed his clothes and put on some cologne and no guy does that to just discuss business with a friend, not even Mr. Summers." Bobby said, defending their stance.
"You kids are crazy."
"We're telling you Logan. They are on a date." Logan looked at them all and snorted. "Okay, don't believe us. You'll see in time, they are dating." Marie paused after making this statement. "I'm thirsty anyone want anything from the kitchen?" She asked as she stood up and headed for the door.
"I do. I'll just go with you." Kitty said and followed her out the door with Peter and Bobby following close behind.
Logan watched them leave and then took a cigar out of his pocket and walked over to the French doors, opening them up he steps outside and lights his cigar. Shit, he hoped the kids were wrong and there was nothing going on between Ro and Summers. He really didn't want to think of how Jeannie could react to that bit of news.